By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson expressed disappointment over the government’s ₱1.939-trillion allocation for flood control programs from 2011 to 2025, saying the country continues to suffer from severe flooding despite the massive expenditure.
“FLOOD CONTROL VS UNCONTROLLED FLOOD: PhP1.939 trillion funded the DPWH flood control management program under three presidents from 2011-2025 and the result is uncontrolled flood,” Lacson posted on X Monday night, Aug. 17, as monsoon rains submerged parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Data he cited showed flood management funding under the Aquino, Duterte, and Marcos administrations steadily ballooned, breaching the ₱100-billion mark in 2018 and reaching ₱372.8 billion by 2025.
Yet, Lacson lamented, the country still reels from inundations that cripple communities and infrastructure.
The senator noted that despite spending more than ₱1 trillion in the past 15 years—roughly ₱350 million a day—the problem persists.
He has repeatedly flagged anomalous flood control projects, including slope protection works and reclamation activities in Bulacan, Mindoro Oriental, and Taguig City.
Evidence gathered by his team has been turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman for investigation and prosecution.
