Future flood control projects will be implemented strictly according to plan and closely monitored to prevent problems, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon said Sunday.

Dizon made the statement in a radio interview, saying that any flood control projects to be constructed will be aligned with existing plans and subjected to close supervision to ensure proper execution, including projects to be implemented in Iligan.

He said the agency will take the opportunity to carefully plan the projects so that once 2027 comes, construction can begin immediately in flood-prone areas.

Dizon noted that several areas in Mindanao, particularly Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato and Maguindanao, are in need of flood control projects because of their vulnerability to flooding.

In recent days, heavy rains brought by tropical cyclone “Basyang” caused flooding in many areas in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Dizon said the damage caused by Basyang was extensive, stressing that it is time for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to submit all information and evidence gathered from its investigation to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DoJ).

The Ombudsman and the DoJ need the documents to file charges against those involved in corruption, he said.

Under the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., P2.49 billion was allocated for maintenance and other operating expenses of existing flood control and drainage systems, structures and related facilities.

No funding was allocated for new locally funded flood control projects in the 2026 budget, in line with the President’s directive to streamline the DPWH’s expenditures, Dizon said.