Go continues to push for evac centers

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday urged the government to prioritize building evacuation centers instead of pouring billions into what he called failed and anomalous flood control projects.

Speaking at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Go pressed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to implement the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act (RA 12076) which he authored and co-sponsored. The law mandates the construction of safe, disaster-resilient evacuation centers in every city and municipality.

“I call on the DPWH to prioritize this law instead of these failed flood control projects. Evacuation centers should have been built first because they’re mandated by law, and most importantly our people will actually benefit from them during floods and typhoons,” Go said in Filipino.

Go pointed out that the P1.2-trillion budget for flood control projects from 2022 to 2025 could have funded 60,000 evacuation centers nationwide. That amount, he said, would have been enough to cover all 1,493 municipalities and 200 cities in the Philippines.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman later told the senators the DPWH has allocated P3.6 billion for the evacuation centers in the 2026 National Expenditure Program.

Go, however, was quick to respond. “That’s less than one percent of the ₱1-trillion flood control budget. Evacuation centers are far more useful because they directly serve people who are displaced by floods.”

The senator has long criticized so-called “ghost projects,” substandard infrastructure, and questionable allocations that, he said, benefited a few but failed to protect ordinary Filipinos.

“Let’s hold everyone responsible accountable. Instead of real flood control, what we have are floods out of control, negligence out of control, abuse out of control,” he said.

Go called the issue not only a case of corruption but of injustice.

“It’s painful and infuriating to think that public funds may have only enriched a few while our people suffer. They feasted while our countrymen struggled and went hungry,” he said.

Go, meanwhile, expressed confidence in newly appointed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon. “I hope he succeeds in rooting out corruption and pushes projects that truly help the Filipinos.”

“From the beginning, I’ve stood against corruption and abuse. We must hold the guilty accountable to finally put an end to this rotten system in government,” he said.