Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is urging the government to develop a unified national flood management strategy and account for billions of pesos allocated to flood control projects as heavy southwest monsoon rains continue to cause flooding across the country.
The habagat has inundated Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, prompting thousands of residents to leave their homes while disrupting schools, businesses, transportation and workplaces.
“Hindi dapat normal ang baha. Hindi dapat natatakot at nangangamba ang ating mga kababayan tuwing umuulan. Pare-parehas ang nakikita nating eksena tuwing umuulan- binabahang mga kalsada, baha na pumapasok sa mga bahay at mga eskwelahan, mga pamilyang kailangang lumikas,” Pangilinan said.
“Bukod pa rito, napakalaking disruption ang baha sa buhay ng lahat. Hindi nakakapasok sa klase ang mga bata, hindi makapagbukas ang ilang negosyo, at hindi rin makapasok sa trabaho ang mga tao,” he added.
Pangilinan criticized what he described as the government’s repeated reliance on emergency measures after major flooding, saying authorities need a coordinated and long-term framework to address the problem.
“Kailangan natin ng pangmatagalan at pambansang flood management plan. Dapat magkakaugnay ang ating mga proyekto at plano,” the veteran lawmaker stressed.
He warned that large government expenditures would not necessarily solve flooding if projects are planned and implemented independently of one another.
“Kahit gumastos tayo ng bilyon-bilyon, pero kung walang pagkakaugnay-ugnay ang ating flood control management plan, eh lulubog at lulubog pa rin ang ating mga kalsada at mga bahayan,” he continued.
With allegations of irregularities surrounding some flood control projects, Pangilinan also demanded a comprehensive accounting of public funds spent on such initiatives.
He said the government should disclose which projects received funding, where they were located, how much they cost, which contractors handled them, their implementation status and whether they actually delivered the intended results.
“Karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na malaman kung saan napunta ang bawat pisong inilaan para sa flood control. Dapat malinaw kung saan ito napunta at kung ano ang naging resulta. Hindi pwedeng may proyekto sa papel pero kapag umulan, binabaha pa rin ang mga tao,” he noted.
Pangilinan said the proposed national flood management framework should focus on prevention, rely on scientific data and operate transparently. Flood control projects, he added, should form part of an integrated long-term strategy instead of being implemented as isolated measures.
He also called for the plan to incorporate projected climate change impacts and other environmental risks that could worsen flooding in the future.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has reported at least eight deaths linked to the combined effects of tropical cyclones “Luis” and “Maymay” and the southwest monsoon.