Flood control projects should undergo environmental scrutiny, not just engineering checks, to prevent construction work from worsening flooding, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said.

During the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ budget briefing on October 19, Cayetano called on the agency to work closely with the Department of Public Works and Highways in planning flood control projects.

“Malaki din y’ung role ng DENR in preventing a flood control scandal and preventing future floods,” Cayetano said.

He said the DPWH may handle the engineering aspects, but the DENR should assess how project designs affect rivers and other bodies of water.

Cayetano also called for a review of the National Building Code of the Philippines, saying some structures are being built in areas unsuitable for development.

He proposed imposing tougher penalties on developers who violate environmental laws to discourage them from starting projects that could cause environmental damage.

“Baka dapat baliktarin natin y’ung process. Maybe the penalties and y’ung ngipin ng environmental laws have to be so sharp that you won’t even start,” he said.

Cayetano also proposed changing the formula for allocating funds to local government units to give financial incentives to those that protect the environment, rather than rewarding areas mainly for having commercial and industrial developments.

Classroom funds miss some areas with biggest shortages, EDCOM 2 finds

Some areas with the country’s biggest classroom shortages are receiving fewer classrooms than they need, while other localities have been allocated more than their estimated deficits, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

The commission found that only 45.2% of the 332 local government units with the largest estimated classroom shortages were also among the top recipients of planned classroom allocations for 2026.

The mismatch was evident in Cavite. Maragondon was allocated 272 classrooms despite an estimated shortage of only 64. Tanza, meanwhile, received 448 classrooms despite needing 869, while Naic was allocated 356 against a shortage of 631.

Poorer municipalities were also less likely to receive allocations. Only 55% of fifth-class municipalities received classroom allocations, compared with 91% of first-class municipalities.

Of the 66 fifth-class municipalities, 30 received no allocation despite having a combined shortage of 356 classrooms.

EDCOM 2 raised the findings during a Senate briefing on the Department of Education’s proposed 2027 budget. Senator Bam Aquino urged the DepEd and the Department of Public Works and Highways to ensure that classroom funds go where they are most needed and that construction moves faster.

Of the P21.45 billion allocated for 6,000 DPWH-led classrooms under the 2026 program, only P1.87 billion covering 533 classrooms had reached the award or near-award stage during the hearing. Another P7 billion covering around 2,000 classrooms had been advertised for procurement.

Aquino questioned whether funds not yet transferred to the DPWH could be redirected to construction methods that were progressing faster, subject to existing laws and budget rules.

“Doon natin siya ilagay sa kabayong tumatakbo. Huwag na doon sa kabayong hindi gumagalaw,” Aquino said.

He also asked the DepEd to release the full list of classroom project sites so parents and communities could monitor construction in their areas.

For 2026, the DepEd is targeting 18,950 classrooms through different construction arrangements. For 2027, the proposed National Expenditure Program includes P30.55 billion for classroom construction, with the department seeking an additional P23.5 billion.IMT