Senator Bam Aquino believes funding should be allocated to genuine flood control projects similar to those implemented in Marikina City and Navotas City.
In an interview with Karen Davila on Headstart, Aquino said the Senate would closely scrutinize during the budget hearings how more than P100 billion in unprogrammed funds in the 2027 national budget, which could potentially be allocated to flood control projects, would be used.
Aquino said the review would examine where the funds would be allocated and what projects would receive funding.
“Ang mangyayari diyan, itong P100 billion na iyan, aaralin namin. Anong mga lugar iyan? What are these projects?” Aquino said, stressing that the funds should be used for quality flood control projects such as those in Navotas and Marikina.
Bam Aquino calls for funding of genuine flood control projects
Aquino emphasized that flood control funding should support projects that provide actual infrastructure and help communities affected by flooding.
“Or these are real flood control projects like what we’ve seen in Marikina, in Navotas. Yung totoong infrastructure talaga na nakakatulong sa tao,” he added.
Aquino said projects should only be funded if they are as effective as those in Marikina and Navotas, which have demonstrated their effectiveness during recent typhoons and the Southwest Monsoon.
He also believes that the distribution of flood control projects should be carefully reviewed, with priority given to congressional districts that are frequently affected by flooding.
Aquino said he confronted former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan in 2025 over his statement that flood control projects were distributed equally, even in areas that do not experience flooding.
He said Bonoan also failed to respond when he questioned such an approach.
For Aquino, the allocation of flood control projects should take into account the areas that regularly experience flooding. His remarks emphasized the need to examine both the location and purpose of projects before funding is provided.
Marikina City cited as flood control example
Marikina City was cited as an example of a location where flood control measures have demonstrated their effectiveness during periods of heavy rainfall.
Despite receiving rainfall comparable to that brought by Typhoon Ondoy, floodwaters in Marikina City quickly subsided, particularly along the city’s major roads.
Under the leadership of Mayor Maan Teodoro, residents also observed improvements in Marikina City’s flood-control response compared with the devastation caused by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
The experience was highlighted by Aquino as an example of the type of flood control infrastructure that should be considered when allocating funding. The city’s response during recent heavy rainfall demonstrated the importance of infrastructure capable of helping manage floodwaters.
Aquino’s position is that funding should support flood control projects that can provide tangible benefits to communities, particularly in areas that are frequently affected by flooding.
Navotas flood control infrastructure continues to help manage flooding
Navotas City, meanwhile, demonstrated the importance of sustained funding for flood control infrastructure that was developed and funded during the tenure of Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco.
Despite heavy rains, the city’s navigational gate, coastal dike, and network of pumping stations continued to operate to control floodwaters.
These measures also prevented seawater from entering communities during high tide while effectively draining rainwater from the roads.
The flood control infrastructure in Navotas was cited alongside Marikina as an example of genuine infrastructure that helps communities manage flooding.
The examples of Marikina City and Navotas City form the basis of Aquino’s call for closer scrutiny of flood control funding. He said the Senate would examine the more than P100 billion in unprogrammed funds in the 2027 national budget and determine how the funds could potentially be used for flood control projects.
Aquino’s remarks also emphasized the importance of prioritizing congressional districts that are frequently affected by flooding. Rather than distributing flood control projects equally, he believes the allocation should be carefully reviewed based on the areas that need flood control infrastructure.
As the Senate examines the 2027 national budget, Aquino said the proposed use of the more than P100 billion in unprogrammed funds for flood control projects would be closely scrutinized. The review will focus on the locations and nature of the proposed projects, with genuine flood control infrastructure such as those demonstrated in Marikina City and Navotas City serving as examples of projects that can help communities.
