Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the government needs a flood control master plan that will continue even when there is a change in administration.
Lacson said previous administrations had their own flood control plans, but these were often discarded by their successors, leaving ordinary Filipinos to continue suffering from flooding.
“Dapat may continuity, multi-administration. Dapat nagko-cross ng administrations ang plano kung ito’y maayos. Pwede siguro mag modify, mag-adapt sa bagong sitwasyon sa pagbabago ng panahon, pero nandiyan ang basic master plan kung paano tutugunan ang problema ng pagbaha,” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.
Lacson recalled that during the Aquino administration, then Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson crafted a flood control master plan. But he said the plan was later disregarded under the Duterte administration.
“Natandaan ko si Sec. Singson naka-craft na siya ng master plan di ganun kalaki ang gugugulin, mas matipid, systematic at mapigilan ang baha. Ang problema pagpalit ng admin nawala na. Nabasura ang planong ginawa ng dating admin. Ganun din ang mga sumusunod, kanya-kanyang paggawa ng plano,” he said.
Lacson noted that funding for flood control projects continued to increase under successive administrations.
From 2011 to 2016, funding stood at P183.546 billion. It rose to P748.417 billion from 2017 to 2022 and reached P1.0066 trillion from 2023 to 2025.
Lacson said some of the P1.939 trillion spent by the Department of Public Works and Highways for flood control could have been avoided or used more efficiently if Singson’s master plan had been followed.
The senator also cited the testimonies of former DPWH officials Roberto Bernardo, Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez that 35% to 40% of the P1.939 trillion could have been lost to corruption.
“Kwentahin nyo na lang ang 35-40% ng P1.9 trillion kung magkano ang nawala. Tapos nandiyan pa ang baha,” he said.IMT
