Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. Photo courtesy of Kiko Pangilinan/Facebook.
Billions poured into flood-control projects could face renewed scrutiny when government agencies defend their 2027 budgets before the Senate, with Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan saying the hearings should force officials to explain questionable projects and persistent flooding.
Pangilinan said the budget process should not simply determine how much agencies receive next year. He wants lawmakers to examine how previous appropriations were spent, particularly on flood-control infrastructure that allegedly turned out to be substandard or nonexistent.
“Dapat sila panagutin, magpaliwanag, at ano ang solusyon sa problema na ito,” Pangilinan said in an interview Tuesday, Sept. 8, adding that members of Congress should also be prepared to answer questions over spending decisions.
The scrutiny comes as another round of flooding hits parts of Luzon, sharpening questions over whether years of heavy government spending have produced infrastructure capable of protecting vulnerable communities.
Pampanga has been among the hardest-hit areas. More than 300 barangays across 16 localities were reported flooded, prompting the province to declare a state of calamity.
Pangilinan said he has been coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Irrigation Administration over possible interventions in Pampanga. Among the projects he intends to raise during budget deliberations is a proposed sabo dam aimed at controlling debris and sediment carried by floodwaters.
The senator said agencies seeking new funding should be made to report what has happened to promised projects and explain their longer-term strategy, rather than continue implementing disconnected flood-control structures.
Pangilinan has advocated a unified flood-management master plan that would treat flooding as a broader water-management problem. Such an approach, he said, could integrate flood mitigation with irrigation, potable water supply and hydropower development.
He also urged communities directly affected by flooding to press local and national officials for answers, arguing that public scrutiny should accompany congressional investigations and budget reviews.
With billions of pesos again at stake in the 2027 spending plan, Pangilinan said the hearings offer senators an opportunity not only to question what government intends to build next, but also to determine whether taxpayers received what they already paid for.