President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on Tuesday that a significant portion of the 2025 flood control budget will be reallocated to other priority sectors, including health and education.
Speaking to reporters before departing Phnom Penh after his three-day State Visit to Cambodia, the President said that of the ₱350 billion allocated for flood control projects in next year’s national budget, about ₱225 billion will remain unused.
“Then we will spend it on other things,” Marcos said when asked where the savings would go. “There is a budget of 350 billion for 2025. Because of all of these allegations, investigations that are occurring, na-delay lahat ‘yan.”
He explained that the overall budget for flood control in 2025 will stand at around ₱275 billion, with allocations for foreign-assisted projects remaining unchanged. However, the locally funded portion—estimated at ₱225 billion—could be redirected to other government programs.
“‘Yung locally funded kung tawagin na project that amounts to about 225 billion, we will reappropriate it to education, to health, and other departments that are in need of this funding,” the President said.
Marcos earlier emphasized that no new funds will be added for flood control in the proposed 2026 national budget, stressing that the 2025 allocation is sufficient and should be fully utilized first.
With reports from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
