Senator Kiko Pangilinan expressed deep concern over the widespread damage to farmlands caused by recent floods, pointing to failed or poorly implemented flood control projects as a major factor behind the devastation.
In a recent radio interview, Pangilinan underscored the urgent need for accountability and a comprehensive review of flood mitigation efforts across the country, particularly in agricultural regions heavily affected by typhoons and seasonal rains.
“Kapag binaha ang ating taniman at bukid, ubos ang topsoil, ubos ang lahat ng micronutrients nung lupa. Anong kapalit non? Eh ‘di kailangan magdagdag ng pataba, usually ang pataba eh puro chemical na fertilizer eh ‘di lalo naaapektuhan yung ani,” the veteran legislator explained.
According to the seasoned lawmaker, reports from local governments and farmers’ groups from Central Luzon show thousands of hectares of rice, corn, and vegetable farms submerged due to overflowing rivers and broken dikes, many of which were supposedly covered by recent flood control projects.
“The P350 billion budget earmarked for flood control projects this year can actually address the majority of the country’s main water resource management issues.”
The senator lamented how the P350 billion budget earmarked for flood control projects this year can actually address the majority of the country’s main water resource management issues: irrigation, flooding, and potable water supply.
“Kaya napakahalaga na maayos itong problema ng water resource management. Ang flood control isang component ‘yan ng pag manage ng ating tubig,” he said, pointing out that agricultural lands also suffer from lack of adequate irrigation system.
“Mali ang paggastos nung budget. Kinukurakot sa halip na ayusin ‘yung integrated water resource management.”
“So mali ang paggastos nung budget. Kinukurakot sa halip na ayusin ‘yung integrated water resource management,” Pangilinan stressed.
The chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform has expressed support for creating an independent investigative commission that will look into the billions of pesos worth of anomalous flood control projects.
Pangilinan is also the chairman of two other committees–the Committees on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes and Justice and Human Rights.
