DEPDev skips review of flood control projects below P5 billion

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian revealed on Nov. 17 that flood control projects costing under P5 billion are not evaluated by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).

This is after Senator Risa Hontiveros probed whether the DEPDev reviewed the projects before the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Finance (DOF) approved them.

Gatchalian cited the statement of DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan that Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects below the P15-billion threshold do not go through the agency.

“Pagdating naman sa GAA (General Appropriations Act) projects, P5 billion po ang threshold,” Gatchalian said. “So anything below that, hindi na dadaan sa kanila (DEPDev). So hindi nila nare-review ang mga plano kapag mas maliit ang mga projects na ina-allocate ng Department of Public Works [and Highways] (DPWH).”

Gatchalian also confirmed the alleged “splitting” of some flood control projects to keep their allocation below the threshold.

“Sa national expenditure [program] (NEP), makikita na natin doon ang ibang mga projects na na-identify natin—isang project lang siya, [pero] napuputol siya into many phases,” he said. 

During the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing last Sept. 2, Gatchalian pointed out questionable items in the 2026 spending plan of DPWH, including the splitting of projects into phases.

He cited the Agno River project in Pangasinan, which is worth P50 million for each of four packages, previously funded by the 2025 budget, is again proposed under the 2026 NEP, divided into four phases at P50 million each.

Additionally, the project for Agos River in Infanta, Quezon, funded with P200 million in the 2025 budget and reappeared in the 2026 NEP, but this time in General Nakar, Quezon.

“These are not clerical errors. These are deceptively and intentionally inserted in the NEP. The DBM should do more and reform its process and analyze the details of the projects put in the NEP,” Gatchalian said.

After the senate flagged several irregularities, the DPWH proposed budget for 2026 was cut by P55.91 billion.