2025 National Budget: Marcos vetoes flood control projects

UNFINISHED A Commission on Audit 2023 report said that 22 projects with a budget of P510 million under the Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase 1 were “not completed” on time under the contract. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed flood control projects in the 2025 national budget.

Based on his veto message sent to Congressional leaders on Monday, the funding for flood control projects in the following regions was reduced:

• Region 3 with P7 billion
• Region 5 with P2.73 billion
• National Capital Region with P1.75 billion
• Region 1 with P1.1 billion
• Region 6 with P300 million
• Region 4A with P275 million
• Region 4B with P250 million
• Region 7 with P100 million

READ: House approves P6.352 trillion budget for 2025

Other flood control-related projects that Marcos vetoed are the following:

• P4.58 billion construction/maintenance of flood mitigation structures and drainage systems
• P2.88 billion for construction/rehabilitation of flood mitigation facilities within major river basins and principal rivers
• P182.7 million for the construction/rehabilitation of water supply/septage and sewerage/rainwater collectors
• P9 billion for sustainable infrastructure projects alleviating gaps and flood mitigation structures protecting major/strategic public buildings/ facilities.

READ: Marcos calls for ‘conscientious utilization’ of 2025 nat’l budget

The 2025 national budget initially amounted to P6.352 trillion but was reduced to P6.326 trillion following the veto of P194-billion line items deemed inconsistent with the administration’s priority programs.

These include roughly P26 billion worth of programs and projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways and P168 billion in unprogrammed appropriations.

READ: Marcos: PhilHealth benefits will increase despite zero subsidy

Despite that, the public works sector received the second largest allocation from the budget with P1.007 trillion.