Funds used for flood control projects could have been used instead to provide millions of poor Filipino families with homes.
This was what Bacolod lone district Rep. Albee Benitez had to say after the unearthing of more scandals across the country surrounding the anomaly-ridden projects.
The United Nations Habitat estimates that as of 2023, the Philippines has around 3.7 million ISFs, with 500,000 living in slums and high-risk areas in Metro Manila.
“Had the amount of almost ₱1.2 trillion been allocated to housing, there would have been enough to build one million decent homes under the government’s 4PH housing program” Benitez said.
“One million families would have roofs over their heads,” the solon added.
He lamented that despite years where “a deluge of funds has been poured into flood control projects,” Filipinos continue to wade through floods every rainy season.
Recent revelations have indicated that as much as two trillion pesos may have been used to fund questionable flood control projects. In a visit to Bulacan, the President discovered that work had not yet begun on a flood control project marked completed and paid.
“Ito ang katotohanan: dahil sa anomalya hindi natugunan ang problema,” said Benitez.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development last year said that the estimated cost of housing units under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) program for informal settler families ranges from P1.2 to P1.4 million.
The P1.2 trillion required for one million homes would only have been over half of the nearly P2 trillion so far allocated to the Department of Public Works and Highways for flood control projects.
The United Nations Habitat estimates that as of 2023, the Philippines has around 3.7 million ISFs, with 500,000 living in slums and high-risk areas in Metro Manila.
