MANILA—Senator Bam Aquino warned he is inclined to delete the entire P270-billion allocation for flood control projects in the 2026 national budget if the government fails to identify and prioritize flood-prone areas.

“If that is not corrected. Kung hindi iyon ayusin base sa talagang pinaka-flood prone areas. My inclination is to just delete the whole (flood control) budget,” Aquino said during the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing on the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Aquino said the responsibility of producing a credible and needs-based flood control budget now rests on newly appointed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, who replaced resigned secretary Manuel Bonoan.

“The challenge I posed to him (Bonoan) and now will be the challenge of Secretary Dizon is to come back to the Senate before the end of the budget and to come up with a real flood control budget. Hindi iyong naka-divide based on districts, but naka-allocate based on true needs and true flooding problems,” said Aquino, who also serves as vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance.

The senator added that once DPWH presents a clear plan, the budget may yield significant savings that can be redirected to other priority areas such as education and healthcare.

“We know, we have our classroom problems, we have internet connectivity problems in our schools. Marami tayong problema sa eskuwelahan natin. Definitely, the education budget needs to be supported further,” he said.

Aquino also emphasized the need to strengthen funding for the Universal Healthcare Law, principally sponsored by Senator JV Ejercito, to guarantee its proper and full implementation.

He earlier urged the government to tap Filipino scientists in developing science-based flood control measures and channel more resources toward climate resiliency projects.

Aquino stressed the importance of investing in integrated and scientific solutions that address both infrastructure gaps and the impacts of climate change, instead of wasting billions of pesos on ineffective flood control initiatives.