Metro Manila residents asked where the funds for flood control go after many areas in the region were once again inundated as Typhoon Carina hit. As of the last reports, major streets such as EDSA, C5, España and Ortigas were flooded. Flooding was also reported in many places in Pasay, Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Mandaluyong and Paranaque. As a result, work in government offices and school attendance at all levels in the region had to be suspended.

Outside Metro Manila, flooding was also severe in Cagayan Valley where the water even inundated bridges. In Pampanga, 36 villages in five towns were flooded. The water level has also been high in the towns along the coast of Bulacan. There were also floods in Zambales, Bagiuo City, Cavite City and Quezon province.

“What is the purpose of the government’s large budgets for flood control projects if our homes get flooded like this?” Rep. Arlene Brosas at X (formerly Twitter) rebutted. Accompanying her post is the budget of the office of the secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways which states the funds allocated for the “capital outlay” of the “flood-control projects” for 2024 amounts to ₱244.6 billion. This is equivalent to one-fourth of the department’s entire budget of ₱1 trillion.

More than one billion (₱1.3 billion) of the budget for “flood control” has been allocated for the “flood control initiatives” of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for 2024. In 2023, the MMDA has already been given ₱1.9 billion for such projects.

The budget for anti-flood projects is larger than the capital outlay of other important infrastructure projects. In comparison, the state’s capital outlay allocation is way far for the Department of Agriculture (DA) which was only ₱40.13 billion and the Department of Health which was ₱24.57 billion.

It is bigger compared to the budget for the irrigation system which is at ₱32 billion and even the grand project of the railway system (₱100 billion).

In addition to the DPWH budget for flood prevention, the Department of Budget and Management has separately allocated ₱545 billion for supposedly “climate change mitigation.” This budget covers disaster preparedness, building “climate-resilient” infrastructure and “climate-friendly” transportation systems. By 2023, ₱454 billion has also been allocated for such “preparations.”