Senator asks: Where did Bicol’s P61.42-B flood projects go?

Senator Joel Villanueva vowed on Friday to press the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on how it managed the P61.42 billion earmarked for flood control projects in the Bicol region over the last two years.

In a virtual press conference, Villanueva clarified that the DPWH allocated P61.42 billion for the Bicol region in fiscal years 2023 and 2024, countering social media claims that only P9 billion was spent.

“There are claims circulating on social media that the Bicol region only received P9 billion for its flood control program for 2023 or 2024, but that’s not true,” he said.

“In fact, the DPWH budget for 2023 alone is P29.4 billion. For 2024, the allocation is P31.9 billion. This brings the total flood control budget for the Bicol region over the two years to P61.42 billion,” he added.

The Bicol region bore the brunt of Severe tropical storm “Kristine,” leaving tens of thousands of people displaced due to torrential rains equivalent to two months’ worth of rainfall that resulted in massive floods.

Villanueva expressed concern over the flooding in the Bicol region, urging a thorough review of the situation, especially considering the significant budget allocated to flood control projects.

“This is something we need to scrutinize carefully during the budget deliberations — to see where the funds are actually going and whether the flood control projects and programs of our government are having a real impact,” he said.

“If you recall, I mentioned in the plenary that the government spends P1.44 billion a day, and that includes not just the DPWH, but also agencies like the DENR, Climate Change Commission, MMDA and other government offices,” he added.

As of press time, “Kristine” reportedly left 40 people dead across the country, 26 of which were from Bicol, according to Police Regional Office 5.