Ensuring Visible, Functional Flood Control Funding
MANILA, Philippines — Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman calls for national funding for flood control programs to be clearly visible, operational, and genuinely beneficial to Filipinos. She emphasized this during a meeting with top officials from key government agencies.
During the meeting, officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Energy, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, UP Research Institute, and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development gathered to review how the government can guarantee that funds released by the Department of Budget and Management for flood control projects are properly used and not wasted.
Visible and Functional Funds Are Essential
“The funds we allocate in our national budget should not be imaginary or left idle. They should be visible, functional, felt, and truly helpful to our fellow citizens,” Secretary Pangandaman said in Filipino.
She added, “Let’s not allow what happened during the past storms to happen again, when most areas in the country turned into swimming pools due to the deep floods, and some cars ended up like submarines. This caused a lot of inconvenience to our fellow Filipinos.”
Strict Measures to Prevent Waste and Corruption
Pangandaman stressed that the Department of Budget and Management will ensure that every peso and centavo released is spent wisely and maintained properly. She vowed not to let funds go to waste.
In line with this, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his fourth State of the Nation Address, delivered a strong warning against officials involved in corruption linked to flood control projects.
“Shame on you. Be ashamed because our fellow Filipinos were swept by floods or were submerged in floodwaters. Be ashamed of our children who will inherit that debt incurred because of what you committed, because you pocketed the funds,” the President said in Filipino.
These statements underline the urgency of transparent and effective use of national funding for flood control to protect communities from recurring disasters.
For more news and updates on flood control, visit Filipinokami.com.
