With Pampangueños enduring weeks of severe flooding, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan vowed to withhold his approval of the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) unless it includes concrete measures and adequate funding to address Pampanga’s urgent flood-control needs.
On Friday, September 11, the senator visited his father’s home province of Pampanga with Senator Lito Lapid, one of the province’s most beloved sons, to personally see the situation on the ground and hear the concerns of Pampangueños.
They were also there to help distribute DSWD relief packs to flood victims, and to assure Pampangueños that his office is in close coordination with the local government units (LGUs) in Pampanga.
“Pero alam natin ano ba ang mas mahalagang solusyon sa usapin nung pagbabaha? Kaya next week, may budget hearing na sa Senado. Haharap samin ang DPWH,” he shared.
“Hihilingin natin ang plano ng DPWH at ilalaban natin yung dagdag na budget at kapag hindi nila sinagot yung ating tanong na anong gagawin natin sa Pampanga, ano ang proyekto ninyo sa flood control, magkano ang budget na ilalaan ninyo, kapag hindi tayo nakuntento, hindi natin ipapasa ang budget nila,” he added.
Together with Lapid, the lawmaker vowed to push for the inclusion of a well-funded, concrete master plan to address flood-control problems in Pampanga.
Noting that Pampanga has been grappling with flooding for the past 36 days, Pangilinan assured Pampangueños that his office remains open and ready to respond to their concerns, even amid the continuing inclement weather.
“Narito lang po tayo at wag po kayo mag-alala. Mayroong mga Senador kayong kaagapay at kasama habang humaharap tayo sa mga pagsubok. Ang natutunan ko sa mga krisis, pagsubok, kaya natin lampasan ang anumang krisis basta nagtutulungan po tayo,” he said.
The senators visited the towns of Santo Tomas and San Luis on Friday to lead a relief operation, taking time away from their work in the Senate to personally assess the situation and check on their fellow Cabalens affected by the flooding.
With budget hearings for different government agencies spread out over the coming weeks, Pangilinan reiterated that this provides an important opportunity for lawmakers to demand answers and accountability from government agencies on flood-control spending, particularly amid ongoing concerns over substandard and so-called ghost projects.
The senator earlier vowed to push for transparency and accountability in approving the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027. He said every peso allocated for flood control must be accounted for, and he also pushed for a national flood-control policy anchored on one integrated master plan to solve decades-old flooding through a science-based approach.