President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday said the stalled infrastructure projects will be included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2027, amid the ongoing flood control projects controversy generated under the General Appropriations Act of 2025.

As he inspected the Managa River in Barangay San Isidro, Talisay City, Cebu, the President also vowed to sustain the government’s rehabilitation efforts to prevent communities from suffering the devastation caused by typhoons, flooding, and river overflows.

“So we continue doing what we’re doing so that the huge damage caused by the typhoon, the river overflow, and the flooding here will not happen again, as so many things were destroyed,” he said in Filipino.

To recall, the Mananga River overflowed on 4 November 2025 at the height of typhoon “Tino.”

“So we will continue to come, we will continue to build, we will continue to repair, and we have a plan for next year so that we can block the water upstream, so we won’t have to deal with it so much downstream,” Marcos said.

He assured that funds for the river’s rehabilitation will be included in the 2027 NEP.

“And this is already — we will include it — in the NEP for next year’s budget, for 2027. It is already budgeted, and we will ensure that this budget will not be altered as it goes through the budget process,” Marcos said.

At the height of the flood control corruption controversy in 2025, the President ordered the cancellation of flood control projects for 2026 and redirected the funds to priority sectors such as education, health, agriculture, housing, infrastructure, ICT, labor, social services and energy.

While no new funds were allotted for flood control projects in the 2026 national budget, Marcos clarified that the P350-billion budget already earmarked for 2025 must first be fully utilized.

Remedial measures

Recalling the widespread flooding that hit communities along the Mananga River, the President said the government immediately undertook remedial measures and upgraded flood control structures to address the recurring flooding in the area.