SCUTTLEBUTT

The Bicol Region, Senate President Chiz Escudero’s turf, is one of the most typhoon-prone areas in the country as storms and monsoons frequently batter it.

Its vulnerability has made it a focal point for flood control funding, with significant allocations channelled through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

However, despite substantial investments, persistent flooding and inefficiencies in project implementation have raised serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the effectiveness of funds to stem the deluge.

Many of the flood control projects are poorly designed or implemented, failing to address the root causes of flooding.

For example, revetment walls and dikes may be built in areas that do not effectively mitigate flood risks, or projects may be left incomplete due to mismanagement or funding delays.

Nosy Tarsee talked with analysts who highlighted the lack of a cohesive, long-term flood control master plan for Bicol and other regions. Projects are often fragmented, driven by short-term political priorities rather than strategic planning, leading to inefficiencies.

Rapid urbanization, deforestation, and unregulated construction in flood-prone areas exacerbate the yearly crisis. For instance, clogged waterways due to waste and poor drainage systems, as seen in other places like Bacolod, are also issues in Bicol, undermining flood control efforts.

Pork barrel politics, where legislators insert discretionary funds in budgets to benefit allies or to secure kickbacks, also plague these projects. The opaque allocation process, often finalized in closed-door bicameral negotiations, facilitates these practices.

Financing of anti-flood projects in Bicol reached P132 billion from 2018 to 2024, which has not resulted in controlling floods, raising suspicions of fund mismanagement.

For example, Senator Imee Marcos inaccurately cited a P150-billion budget for Bicol flood control, later corrected to P162.64 billion, highlighting confusion and potential discrepancies in reported figures.

Flood control projects are often referred to as the new pork barrel racket that is done through “budget insertions” during bicameral conference committee deliberations, which are held behind closed doors. This lack of public scrutiny enables legislators to add projects without rigorous justification.

The DPWH allows legislators to identify projects in their districts, giving them significant influence over fund allocation. While this decentralizes decision-making, it creates opportunities for patronage, as funds may be directed to politically motivated or low-impact projects.