Benise Balaoing

Market vendors sell their produce outside the Malanday Kadiwa Market in Valenzuela City on July 23, 2025, after incessant rains brought by the enhanced habagat over the past few days flooded their stalls inside the compound.


The vendors called for prompt measures to address flooding, so locals may resume their livelihood without disruption


Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Market vendors sell their produce outside the Malanday Kadiwa Market in Valenzuela City on July 23, 2025, after incessant rains brought by the enhanced habagat over the past few days flooded their stalls inside the compound.

The vendors called for prompt measures to address flooding, so locals may resume their livelihood without disruption

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

HABAGAT FLOODING- VALENZUELA

Jekki Pascual

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The World Bank and the Philippine Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) are hopeful that the current corruption issue hounding the country will lead to reforms and improved government processes.DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said there are lessons to be learned from the issue that has so far linked government officials and contractors to the multibillion-peso flood control controversy. He hoped that the issue is just temporary and changes will happen from this.“Learning the lessons from this and coming up with improved governance, particularly on issues of corruptiom is key… The various institutions in our society are able to improve our governance mechanisms so scandals like this will not happen again,” Balisacan said at the sidelines of the Philippine Development Forum 2025.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/30/adb-keeps-ph-growth-outlook-at-5-6-pct-1153" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ADB keeps PH growth outlook at 5.6 pct, but adds flood projects corruption to weigh</a></div>Zafer Mustafaoğlu, World Bank Division Director for the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, East Asia and Pacific, also joined the forum. He also believes that the Philippines can ensure transparency and improve institutional structures to reduce corruption.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/10/2/imf-cuts-ph-growth-forecast-monitors-flood-control-issue-0101" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMF cuts PH growth forecast, monitors flood control issue</a></div>“It&#x27;s a good opportune for the country to increase transparency, enhance institutions to prevent corruption, monitor and enforce good governance. It should normally increase investment environment,” said Mustafaoğlu.Balisacan also noted that the Philippines has been implementing reforms in procurement and other processes. One of these is amending guidelines for the review and approval of major projects by the Investment Coordinating Committee (ICC).This includes raising the threshold for locally funded programs to P5 billion and expanding ICC coverage to include Public-Private Partnership projects. The new policies are designed to encourage the submission of well-prepared proposals and promote discipline among implementing agencies.“We have raised the threshold from P2.5 to 5 billion already. While at the same time putting safeguards into the various stages of the approval process,” said Balisacan.Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management is not too worried about the possible underspending of government due to the flood control issue. There is an expectation that some agencies might be too cautious to spend in the last few months of the year because of increased budget scrutiny amid the flood control mess.“We have a deficit program we need to meet, which is 5.5 deficit to GDP ratio by the end of the year and that&#x27;s really tight for us. We even reduced our disbursement program by P100 billion. Seeing the recent developments, we might have some kind of free space coming from local infra projects, clearly this would be the saving grace for us,” said DBM Assistant Secretary Romeo Balangloofquit.Balisacan added that the flood control issue may affect the country short term, but with reforms from the issue, he hopes this short term effects will be compensated by better processes in the medium to long term.

The World Bank and the DEPDev are hopeful that the current corruption issue hounding the country will lead to reforms and improved government processes.

The World Bank and the DEPDev are hopeful that the current corruption issue hounding the country will lead to reforms and improved government processes.

World Bank, DEPDev hope flood control issue to lead to reforms

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World Bank, DEPDev hope flood control issue to lead to reforms

Jekki Pascual,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 06, 2025 06:27 PM PHT

Read More:

flood control

World Bank

DEPDev

Arsenio Balisacan

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