Philippine President Marcos Halts 2026 Flood Control Funding Amid Lawmakers Kickback Probe

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the 2026 national budget will allocate no new funds for flood control projects, citing the unspent P350 billion from the 2025 budget as sufficient to continue ongoing work. This decision aligns with a broader review of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget to eliminate anomalous and problematic line items amid investigations revealing a kickback scheme involving lawmakers and contractors linked to public works projects. Marcos emphasized that flood control efforts will not stop but will focus on ensuring proper spending, design, and implementation, with implicated contractors expected to shoulder repair costs for defective projects. The DPWH had requested over P250 billion for flood management in 2026, slightly more than the previous year's budget, but the executive branch is rewriting this budget to exclude flood control allocations. Marcos also expressed determination to pursue influential figures involved in irregularities within publicly funded infrastructure projects. The move reflects a government effort to curb corruption and improve fiscal discipline in infrastructure spending while maintaining necessary flood control work.