MANILA – Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said he will withhold his approval of the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) unless the agency presents a concrete and adequately funded master plan to address Pampanga’s persistent flooding.

Pangilinan made the statement during a visit to Pampanga with Senator Lito Lapid, where they assessed the flooding situation and distributed Department of Social Welfare and Development relief packs to affected residents in the towns of Santo Tomas and San Luis.

The senator said the upcoming DPWH budget hearing in the Senate would provide an opportunity to demand details on the agency’s flood-control plans for the province.

“Pero alam natin ano ba ang mas mahalagang solusyon sa usapin nung pagbabaha? Kaya next week, may budget hearing na sa Senado. Haharap samin ang DPWH,” he said.

“Hihilingin natin ang plano ng DPWH at ilalaban natin yung dagdag na budget at kapag hindi nila sinagot yung ating tanong na anong gagawin natin sa Pampanga, ano ang proyekto ninyo sa flood control, magkano ang budget na ilalaan ninyo, kapag hindi tayo nakuntento, hindi natin ipapasa ang budget nila,” he added.

Pangilinan, together with Lapid, vowed to push for a properly funded and concrete flood-control master plan for Pampanga, which he said has been dealing with flooding for 36 days.

He also assured affected residents that his office remains in coordination with local government units in the province and is ready to respond to their concerns amid the continuing bad weather.

“Narito lang po tayo at wag po kayo mag-alala. Mayroong mga Senador kayong kaagapay at kasama habang humaharap tayo sa mga pagsubok. Ang natutunan ko sa mga krisis, pagsubok, kaya natin lampasan ang anumang krisis basta nagtutulungan po tayo,” he said.

Pangilinan said the budget hearings for various government agencies in the coming weeks should be used by lawmakers to demand accountability over flood-control spending, particularly amid concerns over substandard and so-called ghost projects.

He earlier vowed to push for greater transparency and accountability in the proposed PHP7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

He said every peso allocated for flood control must be accounted for and renewed his call for a national flood-control policy anchored on an integrated master plan and a science-based approach to address decades-old flooding.