The effects of Typhoon Carina could have been mitigated if the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had completed its long overdue flood control projects, according to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
This came after Metro Manila and 5 neighboring provinces were placed under a state of calamity after being submerged by heavy flooding due to the typhoon, affecting 882,861 individuals or 183,464 families from 686 barangays nationwide as of July 24, 2024.
“It’s a direct result of years of inaction on crucial flood control projects. This delay isn’t just a failure, it’s a disservice to our communities that are now left unprotected and vulnerable,” Cayetano said on July 26, 2024.
During last year’s Senate hearing on the 2024 national budget, Cayetano criticized the DPWH for years of delays in completing crucial flood control projects. He questioned the allocation of resources to these unfinished projects and suggested shifting efforts towards new infrastructure.
“Natuklasan n’ung hearing na y’un [na] may flood control part na hindi tinuloy ng gobyerno. And this was more than 10 years ago and after that I thought maaayos na lahat,” he said at the time.
With the rainy season underway and flooding in the metropolis being a recurring issue, Cayetano questioned the DPWH’s maintenance and rehabilitation budget, which exceeds P200 billion – about a third of its total budget of P737 billion – and how these projects have failed to address the issue.
“We’re not building better, we’re maintaining and rehabilitating. You’re not putting money into building more networks, you’re putting money into maintaining it,” he said.
“Is there something wrong with the kind of public works we do? Kasi kung parang one is to one na y’ung bago sa pine-preserve mo, ibig sabihin, either hindi maganda y’ung pagkagawa or napakaluma na,” he added.
Cayetano, as chair of Senate on Science and Technology, also urged the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in its modernization program to strengthen its hazard mapping to assist the DPWH in selecting better locations for flood-related infrastructure.
“Out of the P1 trillion sa DPWH budget ay P250 billion ay flood control. But if you spend P30-40 billion budget on hazard mapping that informs where not to build and which river to protect, you may not need P250 billion in flood control in the future,” he said.
“We seem to be neglecting science. Reaction lang kasi after reaction ang paggawa at tinatabunan lang ang maling gawa sa isa,” he added.
To achieve government plans to address massive flooding in the country and to cut expenses, Cayetano called for stronger support and proper funding for relevant government agencies, such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
“Investing in their capabilities is investing in our nation’s resilience against future disasters,” he said.