Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has declared that the 2026 national budget will not include new allocations for flood control projects, citing the PHP350 billion in funds from 2025 that remain unutilized. In his latest podcast episode aired on Monday, Marcos revealed that the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will resubmit a revised budget proposal for 2026 to Congress.
According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos emphasized that the decision not to allocate new funds for flood control in 2026 is based on the current availability of unspent resources from the previous year. "We already see that all flood control projects meant for the 2026 budget may no longer be necessary. So, there will be no flood control budget in 2026 because there is still PHP350 billion from 2025 that remain unspent," Marcos stated.
Despite the halt on new budget allocations, Marcos assured that ongoing flood control projects would continue, albeit under stricter scrutiny. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that spending is proper, implementation is correct, and design is sound. Furthermore, he noted that contractors must address any defects in their projects at their own cost before the government considers further collaboration.
Marcos also responded to suggestions from some lawmakers to "return to sender" the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program, clarifying that only the DPWH budget would undergo revisions.
