Camille Naredo

Students navigate the flooded section of Taft Avenue in Manila on Friday, August 22, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Students navigate the flooded section of Taft Avenue in Manila on Friday, August 22, 2025.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso ordered the suspension of face-to-face classes at all levels in both public and private schools after heavy rains caused massive flooding in the city.

The weather bureau PAGASA issued a heavy rainfall warning in various parts of Luzon due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Depression Isang.
Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

MANILA FLOODING

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175671855384320250822-td-isang-flooding-manila-students-JC0335.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Students navigate the flooded section of Taft Avenue in Manila on Friday, August 22, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Students navigate the flooded section of Taft Avenue in Manila on Friday, August 22, 2025. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Senator Bam Aquino on Monday directed government agencies to submit to the Senate a &quot;real flood control budget&quot; in light of allegations of anomalous projects. </p><p>During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance on the proposed 2026 national budget, Aquino said he mentioned this to former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan. </p><p>&quot;The challenge I posed to him and now will be the challenge of Secretary [Vince] Dizon, is to come back to the Senate before the end of budget and to come up with a real flood control budget. Hindi yung naka-divide based on districts pero naka-allocate based on true need and true flooding problems,&quot; Aquino said on Monday. </p><p>Bonoan resigned on Sunday and was replaced by former Department of Transportation Secretary (DOTr) Vince Dizon. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/1/coa-to-file-charges-against-dpwh-officials-contractors-over-ghost-flood-projects-1209">READ: COA to file charges vs DPWH officials, contractors over &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood projects &#x27;this month&#x27;</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/1/discaya-other-flood-control-contractors-get-letter-of-authority-from-bir-1523">READ: Discaya, other flood control contractors get &#x27;letter of authority&#x27; from BIR</a></div><p>According to Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, almost P275 billion is allocated for flood control in the 2026 budget. </p><p>&quot;If that is not corrected, kung hindi po yun ayusin base sa talagang pinaka-flood prone areas, my inclination is just to delete the whole budget. So you have four months to come back to us and say ito talaga yung mga lugar na may kailangan ng totoong flood control,&quot; Aquino stated. </p><p>&quot;Yung matitira diyan, we will move of course with coordination with this committee and the chairperson, we will move to reallocate those budgets to education and of course probably to health as well,&quot; he added. </p><p>Majority Floor Leader Senator Joel Villanueva, meanwhile, lamented the P1.4 billion daily budget allocated to flood control from 2023 up to 2025. For 2026, he said the proposed daily budget is P1.141 billion. </p><p>&quot;I have a video, sabi ng Pangulo he slashed flood control projects na patse-patse. Why don&#x27;t we remove all of these muna para masiguro natin na tama gagawin natin? Number two, talagang mayroong concrete plan, mayroong integrated master plan,&quot; Villanueva told DBM. </p><p>Pangandaman replied: &quot;If we think po that these projects are siguro unnecessary given the situation po that what&#x27;s happening now na mayroong mga ghost projects and all, of course we defer to the Congress po.&quot; </p><p>She explained that the government has a new mechanism called the Program Convergence Budgeting to consolidate all projects not just on flood control, but also on other aspects such as food security. </p><p>Senator Bong Go, for his part, said he is saddened to see that the budget for the Department of Health (DOH) is only one third of the flood control budget. </p><p>&quot;Eight hundred eighty billion [peso] budget for DPWH vs P313.8 billion for DOH and its attached agencies. As chairperson of the Committee on Health, I want to continue to emphasize the need to invest more in strengthening our healthcare system ensuring that every Filipino has access to quality and affordable medical services,&quot; Go said. </p><p>&quot;At the same time, we must also give equal priority to education. Investing in our students, teachers and schools is not just about restoring what was lost during the pandemic but about preparing the next generation to thrive in a rapidly changing world,&quot; he added. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/1/leviste-suggests-slashing-dpwh-budget-to-reduce-potential-for-corruption-1458">READ: Leviste suggests slashing DPWH budget to reduce &#x27;potential for corruption&#x27;</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ROSY ECONOMY? </strong></div><p>Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, meanwhile, questioned the statement of the economic team that the economy is sound. </p><p>&quot;Iba ang naririnig namin sa baba,&quot; Zubiri said. &quot;Medyo matamlay ang negosyo, matamlay ang turismo because I will give you an example, agriculture still remains flat, if not negative growth on agriculture because of our typhoons and the floods. Tourism is down.&quot; </p><p>Central Bank Governor Eli Remolona, Jr. admitted the trade sector is a weak part of the economy. </p><p>&quot;We&#x27;ve always been weak when it comes to trade,&quot; Remolona said. &quot;Our exports have been growing more slowly than before. So it&#x27;s just part of a weakness in the whole trade number. So I think we need to work on this, we need to figure out what&#x27;s going on with our exports.&quot; </p><p>Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon replied: &quot;Domestic demand is actually greater than 100% kaya lang yung net exports natin is negative... So ang driver pa rin natin will still be services.&quot;</p><p>&quot;There is still a lot of potential, growth potential for tourism especially for 2026 kasi we will be hosting the ASEAN meeting. So marami yung ineexpect natin na magiging revenues,&quot; she added. &quot;There is still the construction that will also be a growth driver.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CtSFQJ7s8JQ?&amp;t=112s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Senator Bam Aquino on Monday directed government agencies to submit to the Senate a "real flood control budget" in light of allegations of anomalous projects. </p>

Senator Bam Aquino on Monday directed government agencies to submit to the Senate a "real flood control budget" in light of allegations of anomalous projects.

Bam Aquino asks gov't agencies for 'real flood control budget'

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Bam Aquino asks gov't agencies for 'real flood control budget'

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 01, 2025 05:24 PM PHT

Read More:

flood control

Bam Aquino

Philippine Senate

2026 national budget

Senate Committee on Finance

Department of Public Works and Highways

DPWH

Department of Budget and Management

DBM

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