Budget chief inspects road condition in Pampanga

Apalit, Pampanga – Budget Secretary Amenah “Mina” Pangandaman, Mayor Jun Tetangco, and other officials conducted a site inspection of the road condition of the Apalit-Macabebe Road on August 4, 2025, to assess the damage from the flooding brought by the three tropical storms and the Southwest monsoon.

Meanwhile, Pangandaman, together with Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, led the first Special Program Convergence Budgeting Steering Committee (PCB-SC) meeting focused on flood mitigation and water security, calling for a unified masterplan to address Metro Manila’s recurring flood problem and other climate-related water issues.

The PCB-SC meeting is part of the administration’s broader convergence budgeting approach to improve coordination and resource alignment for complex, cross-sectoral challenges like flooding. It also served as a platform to assess ongoing programs and proposed solutions under the Water Resources Program led by the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) Water Resources Management Office (WRMO).

DepDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan raised the need for long-term and economically sound solutions, adding, “We want to complete these [impounding dams] by the end of this administration.”

The DENR, through Secretary Raphael Lotilla and Undersecretary Carlos Primo David, has also expressed how PCB projects will be multipurpose moving forward.

“Flood mitigation is part and parcel of water resources. It's the same water we consider a nuisance when it floods that we use for irrigation, drinking water, hydropower, ecotourism and aquaculture, therefore we would have to have that convergence of flood control projects that may have beneficial uses,” said Usec David.

To complement infrastructure with science, Dr. Mahar Lagmay of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI) presented updated geohazard maps, which will guide data-driven decision-making in the identification and prioritization of high-risk areas.

Among the proposed solutions from the DENR are nature-based approaches such as green infrastructure, including tree planting and watershed protection, as well as the construction of large water impounding facilities in midstream and upstream areas.

“Maglalagay ng water impounding sa Camp Aguinaldo. Pwede din po natin lagyan ‘yung Liwasang Bonifacio sa harap ng Manila Central Post Office, ganoon din ang Raja Sulayman Park. Nag-iidentify pa po kami [MMDA] ng open spaces na pwede nating lagyan ng water catchment sa Metro Manila,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Artes explained.

Toward the end of the program, Secretary Pangandaman handed over a consolidated list of FY 2025 flood mitigation projects to Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan for evaluation, to help determine which projects should be prioritized for implementation.