PMCJ: Faulty flood control projects in PH dim prospect of addressing climate and economic impacts
- Media Communications
- Aug 25
- 4 min read
Quezon City, Philippines — After President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) highlighted the failed flood control projects in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), many applauded him for calling out the poorly planned projects riddled with corruption, delays, or even abandonment. On August 11, 2025, the palace launched a website called “Sumbong sa Pangulo” and within three days of its release, it gathered over a thousand complaints.
“Year after year of false promises, billions poured into flood control projects, yet Filipinos continue to suffer the brunt of destructive floods. Note that flood control is only one line of budgetary item, yet it receives huge amounts compared to other essential services like education and health. Apparently, an increase in budget on an item does not necessarily mean it is a government priority program. This is not just mismanagement; it smacks of corruption to the highest degree. It seems budgets are allocated or inserted for the purpose of patronage. This is clientelism, and this is an unacceptable system of governance. This is a business elite-captured government,” PMCJ National Coordinator Ian Rivera said.
Since PBBM took office in 2022, half a trillion pesos of the national budget have been spent to address persistent flooding caused by extreme weather phenomena in the Philippines. Yet communities are still overburdened by the catastrophic impacts of approximately 20 typhoons that hit the country every year.
According to the research firm GHD, heavy floods, prolonged drought, and tropical storms are predicted to account for over 90 percent of direct losses or around $124 billion between 2022 and 2050. Citing GHD, storms have the most significant direct impact on the Philippine economy, with the agriculture sector bearing the brunt of the disaster. Despite the predictability of these hazards and the enormous funds allocated for flood control systems, the current systems remain grossly inadequate.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had deficiencies on its Commission on Audit (COA) 2023 annual report, showing mishandled 3,047 locally-funded projects worth a total of 131.57 billion pesos, and 17 foreign-assisted projects worth 84.4 billion pesos. All these failed implementations were due to inadequate planning, detailed engineering, and supervision that led to delays or non-implementation.
“In Palawan, COA flagged that the 120-million-peso San Pedro flood control project was only at 34.63% complete despite over 80% of the funds having been released. Soon after the release of this report, floods swamped parts of Palawan, including Brgy. San Pedro. One of the major problems in this government is not just misuse of power to exploit natural resources but also the fact that private business and elite interests are allowed to meddle in governance. The government’s power, authority, and functions are no longer visible in the provisioning of basic services and their regulation. An example is the policies under the Philippine Mining Act and Mineral Reservation Program, where promotion of the business of mining should have been regulated. But since the government is no longer in charge, greedy corporations and climate offenders do what they want. As a result, there is worsening of poverty, and unabated floods harm the watersheds, forests, and ancestral domains that are vital to the nation’s survival,” Rivera explained.
The communities suffer all this destruction, with families repeatedly losing homes and livelihoods. The urban poor are drowning in debt as floods destroy even their livelihood.
“Filipinos should not buy the idea that the government lacks sufficient funds to allocate a budget for practical and sturdy flood control projects. The government’s spending on flood management has rapidly increased from 2011 to 2025, with PBBM’s administration logging the highest spending of more than half a trillion pesos. Yet Metro Manila and most of the flood-prone areas in the provinces have seen no improvement during this recurring crisis. It is also essential to look at the number of projects proposed in different provinces, in which only five out of 10 provinces were given priority based on the list of flood-prone areas identified from the National Adaptation Plan of the Philippines 2023-2050,” Rivera stressed.
During a meeting of the House Committee on Public Accounts, some of the projects were revealed to have a similar contract price of 96.5 million pesos across various areas. Rivera emphasized that although the DPWH has explained the matter, the justification that they follow a standard unit costing is unacceptable. “Provinces have different and unique struggles with floods, and comprehensive planning from the Department must determine how much should be allocated for a particular project. These are just one of the many corruption schemes of the government, and these scenarios show the administration’s lack of genuine concern for its people, especially amidst the climate crisis,” he added.
With the recent controversies on flood-control projects in the country, the demand to immediately investigate national officials, LGUs, and contractors involved in the failed projects is strong. However, as Congress will not investigate itself, this will only add to the disillusionment of the people.
“The national government’s act of continuously ignoring the calls for a climate emergency shows that it can no longer perform its mandate. Its failure to deliver effective flood control and other basic services for the Filipino people constitutes abandonment and neglect. But time is running out, as we are on the verge of a crisis. We can no longer wait for the government to be useful. People have to take matters into their own hands, as the last and final recourse,” Rivera ended. ###
FOR INQUIRIES:
Danica Espedillon
Junior Media and Communications Officer
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
Sheila Abarra
Senior Media and Communications Officer
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
Viber:+639916692356
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