House Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), under its new leadership, to overhaul its ₱250.8-billion flood control plan for 2026, saying billions of pesos have been poured into projects that fail to protect the provinces most vulnerable to flooding.
During the House committee on appropriations hearing, Libanan noted that 12 of the country’s 20 most flood-prone provinces are not adequately covered under DPWH’s flood control allocations in the proposed 2026 budget.
“These provinces are identified by the government’s own geohazard mapping and assessment. How can we spend nearly one-third of DPWH’s ₱880-billion budget on flood control, yet leave out many of the areas that are most often underwater?” the veteran legislator asked.
The top 20 flood-prone provinces are: Maguindanao, Cagayan, Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Pampanga, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, Iloilo, North Cotabato, Leyte, Bulacan, Northern Samar, Tarlac, Capiz, Zambales, Davao del Norte, Camarines Sur, and Western Samar.
Based on official mapping, the top 20 flood-prone provinces are: Maguindanao, Cagayan, Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Pampanga, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, Iloilo, North Cotabato, Leyte, Bulacan, Northern Samar, Tarlac, Capiz, Zambales, Davao del Norte, Camarines Sur, and Western Samar.
The seasoned lawmaker also questioned the placement of certain DPWH projects in his home province of Eastern Samar, pointing to a ₱3-billion rock netting project in San Rafael, Taft—despite the area having no history of landslides because of its hard rock formations.
He similarly expressed surprise that flood control projects have suddenly emerged this year in the towns of Hernani and Llorente in Eastern Samar, apparently funded under the 2024 budget.
“What we’re seeing is that major project accomplishments are being reported when, in truth, work has only just begun. This sets the stage for so-called ‘ghost projects’—where high accomplishments are declared, payments are collected in full, yet little to no actual work is done,” he said.
Libanan also lamented that coastal towns facing the Pacific Ocean, which suffer repeated damage from supertyphoons, have not been not prioritized for seawalls.
“Funds are still funneled to riverbank controls instead of protecting vulnerable coastal communities. This imbalance must be corrected,” he added.
Newly installed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon acknowledged Libanan’s concerns and committed to a science-based review of flood control allocations.
Libanan welcomed the commitment, saying: “We are hopeful that under Secretary Dizon’s stewardship, DPWH can put order and reason into project planning.”
“Proper planning and accountability are the only ways we can win the fight against flooding.”
“Proper planning and accountability are the only ways we can win the fight against flooding while still funding the rehabilitation of major national roads such as the Maharlika Highway and the construction of new crossings such as the Sorsogon-Northern Samar Bridge,” he concluded.
