The lack of a long-term master plan for government infrastructure projects sparked fears Sunday of renewed corruption schemes as the government reinstated the budget for scandal-plagued flood control projects for next year at a whopping P107.4 billion. 

Senator JV Ejercito, chair of the powerful Senate finance committee,  intensified his call to institutionalize a master plan and an integrated infrastructure roadmap for the country as Congress began deliberations on the proposed P7.2 trillion 2027 budget, the highest spending plan in the country’s history.

Ejercito raised concerns that the absence of long-term planning amid a renewed effort to implement flood control projects may perpetuate a kickback scheme, as evidenced by previous budgets, particularly the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“Aside from improving and catching up on our infrastructure, it will also prevent the occurrence of corruption like what happened with the flood control scandal, where proponents simply lobbied for projects even though they weren’t in the master plan or weren’t actually needed, and everyone knew they were just schemes to make money,” he said said in a mix of Filipino and English in a radio interview. 

The Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed budget for next year is pegged at P643.95 billion, approximately 20 percent higher than this year’s. Of the amount, 16 percent, or P107.4 billion, is earmarked for flood control projects. 

The agency received no funding for locally funded flood control projects in the 2026 GAA following the discovery of systematic corruption among lawmakers, DPWH officials, and private contractors, which led to either ghost or grossly substandard projects. 

Investigations have revealed that dozens of flood control projects exist only on paper. As a result, the country continues to grapple with persistent flooding despite nearly P2 trillion in taxpayers’ money already being poured into efforts to mitigate the recurring problem since 2011. 

Ejercito admitted that stripping the DPWH of flood control budget only “made things worse,” citing the severe and widespread flooding across the country brought about by recent successive habagat. 

The lawmaker from San Juan contended that flood control projects are not inherently the problem but rather the unholy collusion between erring public officials and private contractors. 

He argued that the flood control scam has exposed the crucial need to develop a long-term master plan in which corruption is unlikely to flourish. 

By requiring projects to follow a formal, structured plan, Ejercito said the government can avoid “patchwork” projects, or programs motivated by personal profit or political gain rather than public need.

At present, the government relies on medium-term frameworks such as the Philippine Development Plan and sector-specific blueprints, prompting lawmakers to push for the enactment of a binding long-term master plan. 

There are pending bills in the Senate seeking to institutionalize a master plan to ensure continuity of infrastructure projects, regardless of which president is in office.

Senate President Win Gatchalian has pushed for a 30-year infrastructure development master plan, while Ejercito has called for a 50-year plan to improve project vetting and prevent corruption schemes.

Ejercito pointed out that another safeguard against corruption in flood control projects is to prioritize the 10 most flood-prone provinces in the country rather than allocating public funds to specific areas without a clear strategic basis.

A 2024 report by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed that the top 10 flood-prone areas are Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Maguindanao, Bulacan, Metro Manila, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro and Ilocos Norte.

Last week, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon admitted to lawmakers that the agency has not yet developed a consolidated national flood mitigation plan, even as the hefty funding for it has been reinstated. 

Over the years, the DPWH has not developed a master plan to address persistent flooding, despite receiving large portions of the annual national budget. Earlier, ex-DPWH Babes Singson, who served under the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III, said they developed a master plan, including the Pasig-Marikina River Basin, but subsequent administrations did not continue or adopt it.

With the renewed push for flood control projects, Ejercito said senators are welcome to amend their budgets to augment or redirect portions of them to other areas that need increased funding. 

“Not all insertions or amendments are bad… as long as you do it in open plenary,” he said, adding that “last-minute” insertions during the bicam will be strictly prohibited.

“We will scrutinize the flood control projects, and if we believe they will help reduce flooding and are free of irregularities, we will, of course, take action on them…We will approve or disapprove them.” 

As part of transparency reforms, the Senate intends to open the bicameral proceedings to the public through live streaming and media coverage, similar to procedures adopted during the 2026 budget preparations. The move aims to prevent the recurrence of last-minute insertions or budget manipulations seen in previous budgets, particularly during the bicameral process, which is traditionally held behind closed doors, bypassing public scrutiny.