'Binabaha ba?': Erwin Tulfo questions flood control budget in areas not prone to flooding

Manila Bulletin

Senator Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday, August 19 pressed government officials to explain numerous flood control projects poured into provinces that are not even among the country’s most flood-prone areas.  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/19/binabaha-ba-erwin-tulfo-questions-flood-control-budget-in-areas-not-prone-to-flooding  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5664f6TkaeHgwBly50DWZQ/join  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin   Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00Now let me direct my question to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

00:03Mr. Secretary, based on the list released by the President,

00:06there are top provinces with flood control projects, okay?

00:10Pero they're not on top of the list in a flood-prone area,

00:14like Cebu with 414 flood control projects,

00:17Isabela 341, Albay 273,

00:22Leyte 262, Camarines Sur 252.

00:26Tinitignan ko po itong listahan.

00:28Wala po sila dito sa top 10 flood-prone province.

00:32Ang number one po dyan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bulacan, Metro Manila,

00:37Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro, Ilocos Norte.

00:40Ang tanong ko po, Mr. Secretary,

00:43ano pong sinunod ho natin dito?

00:45Yung hazard mapping po ba?

00:47O sinunod natin yung politiko kung saan niya gustong ilagay yung pondo niya?

00:52Mr. Secretary.

00:55Your Honor, as I have explained, Dr. Lipoy,

00:57yung paglalagay po ng projects,

01:00na flood-control projects,

01:03under the National Expenditure Program po ito, no?

01:07Under the National Expenditure Program,

01:10meron po kasing allocation for its engineering district allocation po.

01:16And then if you say there is a $1 billion allocation for an engineering district,

01:27our policy po nam in dito is 70% of that should go to the core program of the department,

01:33which is National Road Program Management and bridges,

01:41and, of course, flood-control projects, flood-control projects.

01:44So, eto po yung core program ng the department.

01:49So, at the end, at the end, these are prioritized,

01:54and 70% of the $1 billion, as I said, $1 billion, theoretical $1 billion,

01:59can be allocated for local infrastructure.

02:03So, in the allocation of that 70%,

02:05it's all up to the priorities in that district

02:09where to put the allocations,

02:11either in roads or flood-control, Mr. Chairman.

02:14So, at the end of the day,

02:17ang kwan po nito nito is actually,

02:20as I mentioned,

02:23it has to go through the process of

02:25the projects would have been included

02:28in the regional budget proposal.

02:34Kaya nga, Mr. Chair,

02:36bakit po napakalaki naman

02:38ng pinondo po dito sa mga probinsya na ito,

02:42eh, when in fact,

02:44wala ho siya sa sa top ten list ng flood-control.

02:47Billions po yung pinondod.

02:49Ano po ang basis, legal basis po,

02:52napondohan itong limang probinsya na ito,

02:55na hindi naman po flood-prone sila,

02:58ah, Mrs. Secretary?

03:04Ito po kasi yung kwan sitwation, Mr. Chair.

03:08As far as the national expenditure program

03:13that's submitted,

03:14these are equitably distributed

03:16amongst all the legislative

03:18and engineering districts.

03:20However, Mr. Chair,

03:22I think we know that actually,

03:25after the General Appropriations Act,

03:29marami po yung mga projects

03:30that are included.

03:31I understand that, Mr. Chair,

03:35pero yun nga po,

03:36ibabalikan nalang ho natin yan

03:38because ang tanong po natin,

03:41napakalaki naman po ng pondo

03:42at saka napakaraming flood-control projects

03:45ng mga lugar na ito.

03:46Hindi po ba ninyo na silip ito?

03:48Nung nilagay po ninyo sanet?

03:50Did you check man lang

03:52or ask as you're planning

03:53or whoever is in charge

03:55na kailangan natin lagyan dito

03:57ng flood-control, Cebu, bla, bla, bla?

03:59Eh, sana, tinignan din ho natin

04:01kung magaling ho yung planning natin,

04:03kung sino man niya may hawak dyan,

04:05binabaha ba?

04:05Ang tanong po dyan, binabaha ba?

04:07Bakit tayo magpupondo rin sa lugar na ito

04:09kung hindi naman po binabaha?

04:10It's a waste of money, Mr. Secretary.

04:13Waste of time also.

04:15Eh, halatang halata ho eh.

04:17Pupondohan mo dito, gagastusan mo

04:19na wala namang baha.

04:20Di po ba?

04:21I mean, am I right?

04:22Yes or no lang, Mr. Secretary?

04:24Yes, Your Honor.

04:24I agree. I agree completely.

04:26All right.

04:26Now, let me, I'll go back to you.

04:29Mr. Secretary.

04:30Mr. Chair, let me, let me ask this question

04:32to, to the, to, uh,

04:34the Department of Budget and Management.

04:37Uh, Madam Secretary, ma'am,

04:40wala po ba hindi po ninyo chine-check?

04:41So, basta nag-request lang ng pondo,

04:44rireleasehan ho ninyo,

04:45hindi mo lang matatanong

04:46para saan po itong pondo na ito,

04:49billion po ito, flood control.

04:50Wala ba kayong to counter na flood control?

04:53Kailangan ito to justify?

04:55I mean, release lang ho tayo ng release

04:57kasi sabi ni congressman,

04:59sabi ni ganito,

05:00hingyan ko ng pondo, etc., etc.

05:02Kailangan ko kasi baka hindi.

05:04Pag hindi ko nirealisan,

05:05baka ipitin ang pondo ko sa budget hearing.

05:07Mr. Chair, um, good afternoon po sa ating lahat.

05:17Kung ano po ang nakalagay sa General Appropriations Act,

05:21yun po ang, uh,

05:22inirelease natin sa Department of Public Works and Iways.

05:27Nakalain item po lahat ng mga projects.

05:30It's, um, detailed and identified yung mga projects po.

05:34Isa-isa, nakasulat po dyan, yung mga projects,

05:37yung mga flood control projects.

05:39I understand that, uh, Madam Secretary,

05:41pero my point is, wala po bang pagkakataon?

05:44Kasi baka mamaya, mali na po yung nililista.

05:46Hindi na po tama.

05:47If you see something wrong, okay,

05:49nasa, nandyan nga po yan, line item,

05:52pero hindi na po tama.

05:53It's like, tama ho.

05:55I mean, nasa line item, etc.

05:57Kailangan ninyong pondohan yan.

05:58Pero, uh, hindi po bang medyo questionin man lang

06:01na nakakaduda na po dahil,

06:03teka mo na, masyadong malaki ito,

06:05bubondohan natin ito,

06:06na wala namang, wala namang baha dito,

06:09or at least, kahit na,

06:10to check lang po, uh, countercheck.

06:13Na, bako niya.

06:14Wala po kaming, uh, wala po sa,

06:18wala po kaming tao

06:19na kayang mag-check isa-isa

06:21no mga projects na pinopropose

06:23ng DPWH po.

06:25But do you have the mandate to do that?

06:27Ah, wala din po, eh.

06:29Yun na sabihin mo.

06:30Wala rin po, o po.

06:32Wala po.

06:32Okay.

06:33Okay.

06:34Now, let me move to the commission on audit naman.

06:38Ito pong, uh, yung,

06:41can you identify contractors,

06:43isa commission on,

06:45with repeat adverse audit finding

06:47who still continue to receive new projects?

06:49Meron po ba kayo listahan na,

06:51itong contractor ito, blacklisted,

06:53itong contractor na ito,

06:54substandard,

06:56meron kayo, wala.

06:57Sir, meron po kaming ongoing list, sir.

07:00Pero as to yung mga, uh,

07:02blacklisted contractors po,

07:03manggagaling po kay DP,

07:05pero meron na din po kaming,

07:07parang database, sir,

07:08na ginagawa po ngayon.

07:10And yung data po ngayon

07:11ay nasa 2022 to 2024 na po, sir.

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