The budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) is expected to undergo rigorous scrutiny amid the continuous flooding in Metro Manila and nearby areas brought about by relentless rainfall, the latest of which is Tropical Storm "Enteng".

In an interview on Monday, House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said that the DPWH’s proposed P900 billion allocation for the fiscal year 2025 would be meticulously reviewed once it reaches the plenary, especially its projects relating to flood mitigation.

“Talagang ganon ang katotohanan. [Pero] sinasabi ni Secretary Bonoan hindi lang din sa kanila ang problema. halimbawa sa mga watershed, dapat yung DENR and DILG din sa mga basura.

“That is the sad truth. [But] Secretary Bonoan said they are not only the problem. For example in the watersheds, the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) should also [help address the problem of] garbage,” Castro said in Filipino. 

Castro attributed the worsening trash problem to the ineffectiveness of laws, such as the Republic Act  9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. 

The government, through the DPWH, had already spent a whopping P1.2 trillion on flood control projects since 2009, yet flooding remains one of the major problems in Metro Manila and other provinces. 

The DPWH is one of the agencies that usually get a lion’s share of the government’s yearly budget. 

Along with the Department of Education, the DPWH got the biggest chunk of the 2025 National Expenditure Program at P977.6 billion or 15.4 percent. 

At last week’s hearing on the DPWH’s budget, Bonoan lamented the lack of funding for foreign-assisted projects such as the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project and Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase 1 that could help mitigate the flooding. 

While the projects are heavily financed by foreign lenders, Bonoan said it also need an allocation under the General Appropriations Act, which was not granted for this year’s P5.678 trillion national expenditure.

Bonoan reiterated their appeal for a P70 billion allocation for the foreign-assisted projects in an effort to “accelerate the implementation of our projects.”

Castro, however, is keen that the DPWH must come up with a holistic approach with “all concerned agencies to put a stop to the flooding.”

In late July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. boasted in his State of the Nation Address that more than 5,500 had already been completed under his administration — a notion that was put to the test during the onslaught of Typhoon Carina, which caused massive floods in Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon.

Bonoan, however, explained that these were only part of the small-scale flooding initiatives of the government, including dredging, among others.