P215.64-B budget eyed for flood control projects in 2024 – DBM

FILE: Construction workers install a gabion on a dike as part of the flood control project along Imus River in Barangay Burol Main, Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Thursday (July 14, 2022). The activity is among the city government’s infrastructure projects being supervised by the Department of Public Works and Highways. (PNA photo by Gil Calinga)

MANILA – The Marcos administration is seeking a budget allocation of PHP215.643 billion to fund its flood mitigation projects for 2024, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Thursday.

Pangandaman said the proposed budget is included in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Flood Management Program.

“In 2023, for this year, we have a budget of PHP185 billion and for 2024, we proposed PHP215.643 billion under the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Flood Management Program,” Pangandaman told Palace reporters.

Pangandaman noted that under the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s proposed 2024 project, about PHP1.3 billion would be spent for flood mitigation projects.

She added that there would also be “foreign-assisted” projects such as the Pampanga Integrated Disaster and Risk Resiliency Project and the Bulacan Angat Water Transmission Project.

“For Pampanga, it’s a loan so we just funded the government counterpart. So for the Pampanga, it’s PHP1.397 billion and for Bulacan, it’s PHP7.4 billion,” Pangandaman said.

Climate change mitigation

Meantime, Pangandaman said the Marcos administration is requesting around PHP543.45 billion for the implementation of its climate change mitigation and adaptation projects and programs next year.

Pangandaman said the proposed budget for climate change expenditure tagging is equivalent to 9.4 percent of the total proposed budget, exceeding the government’s commitment of 8 percent share under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

“Much of the projects is for water sufficiency (PHP294.46 billion); for sustainable energy (PHP180.72 billion); for climate-smart industries and services (PHP6.02 billion); for ecosystem and environmental sustainability (PHP5.95 billion),” she said.

“Another PHP12.97 billion [will be] for knowledge and capacity development; food security (PHP40.18 billion); human security (PHP2.58 bilion); and cross cutting actions (PHP550 million),” Pangandaman added.