PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced that the proposed 2026 national budget will have no new allocation for flood control projects, citing P350 billion in unspent funds from 2025. The decision comes as both chambers of Congress investigate alleged corruption in flood-control funds — with contractors naming lawmakers and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials who supposedly received kickbacks.
In the same Senate hearings, a P100 million seawall project in Badian, Cebu, was flagged as one of several questionable budget “insertions” worth P13.8 billion in the 2025 budget. Former Cebu 7th District Rep. Peter John Calderon, who was in office when the budget was passed, denied requesting the seawall funding. He said the project was initiated by the DPWH Cebu 7th District Engineering Office, not him.
Why this matters
Flooding has become a recurring national crisis, with storms and heavy rains recently submerging whole communities. In response, the DPWH has consistently sought huge allocations — P250.8 billion for flood management alone under its proposed P880 billion 2026 budget.
But questions over waste, inefficiency, and alleged corruption have dogged the program. Senators and congressmen point to “erroneous entries” in the DPWH budget, while whistleblowers claim contractors had to pay lawmakers and officials to keep projects.
At the same time, projects like the Badian seawall show how local infrastructure is drawn into the national budget storm. Calderon insists he did not seek the seawall allocation, but its presence in the 2025 budget raises questions about how such items land in the law if not through legislators.
The debate
Malacañang’s stance. Marcos insists the pause in new funding doesn’t mean flood protection stops. It means fixing what he calls a broken system. He has ordered DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman to review projects, and vowed to create an independent commission alongside congressional probes. “No sacred cows,” he said, even if names include House Speaker Martin Romualdez, his cousin, and former budget chair Zaldy Co.
Lawmakers’ defense.
Romualdez, Co and other lawmakers have denied allegations of taking cuts from contractors.
Calderon said it was the DPWH who made the request to protect the Santander-Barili-Toledo Road, a major highway along Cebu’s western seaboard. He cited the damage from Typhoon Odette (Rai) in 2021 as proof the seawall was a legitimate need, but clarified that the budgeted P100M has not yet been released.
Critics’ warning. Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, who raised the seawall issue in the Senate, alleged that the P13.8B “insertions” were linked to Co, then the House appropriations chair. He pointed out that several lawmakers have denied requesting projects tagged as insertions, deepening doubts about how billions slip into the budget.
What we don’t know yet
Who will be held accountable? The Senate Blue Ribbon hearings have exposed names, but no cases have been filed yet.
How deep does the corruption go? Allegations point to a systemic network between DPWH and lawmakers, but evidence remains to be fully tested.
Will halting new allocations hurt communities still reeling from recent floods, or will unused 2025 funds be enough?
For Cebu’s seawall, was the P100M justified disaster protection — or a case study in how insertions work?
What’s next
Congress will continue hearings in the coming weeks, with more contractors and DPWH officials expected to testify. Marcos’ independent commission has yet to be formed, but the Palace promises it will move in parallel with legislative probes.
For communities, the question is immediate: will flood defenses hold this typhoon season, or will funds and projects be paralyzed by scandal? / TPM, CDF