Council OKs stricter approval process for flood control projects

The Economy and Development (ED) Council has approved a resolution to tighten the approval process for flood control projects, as the government intensifies its investigation into alleged corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Finance said the ED Council’s Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC) endorsed a resolution mandating a “comprehensive review” of flood control initiatives.

The resolution, approved on Aug. 12, was recommended by the Infrastructure Development Committee’s Sub-Committee on Water Resources.

Under the new guidelines, flood control and management projects will be aggregated by river basin rather than evaluated individually with lower tagged costs.

This addresses a gap in current ICC rules, which only require a review for projects exceeding PHP 2.5 billion, which leaves most flood control projects outside the ICC’s scope.

“By aggregating flood control and management projects in a single river basin, more of these projects will be subjected to the ICC evaluation, particularly in the aspects of technical, environmental, social, and economic viability, among others,” the Council said.

The Council said this resolution is expected to improve project quality and readiness, while promoting a unified strategy for long-term flood mitigation.

The resolution also designates the DPWH as the lead agency responsible for submitting aggregated projects to the ICC.

Following the approval made by the ICC-CC and its endorsement to the InfraCom-CC, the resolution will be elevated for the ED Council’s consideration and final decision.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said corruption related to flood control projects may have cost the Philippines up PHP 118.5 billion in economic losses since 2023. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante