On September 17, 2025, the House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, approved the revised 2026 budget proposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), cutting the ₱252 billion for flood control projects from its proposed ₱881 billion allocation.
The ₱252 billion cut, or 28.9% from the initial proposal, was intended for locally funded flood control projects.
However, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier ordered the removal of funding for flood control projects in 2026, which brings the department’s final budget down to ₱629 billion.
DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon noted that all duplicate and bribable projects, such as road netting, cat’s eyes, and studs, were removed to streamline and rationalize the budget.
As a result, the funds were reallocated to the priority sectors of the government.
The health sector cornered the largest share of ₱89.2 billion for its health programs, including a ₱60 billion subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
The agriculture sector followed with ₱44.9 billion.
Of this amount, the Department of Agriculture secured ₱8.898 billion for farm-to-market roads, direct assistance for 1 million farmers worth ₱7 billion, and funds for more solar-powered irrigation, deep-water ports, and cold storage facilities.
Moreover, the National Food Authority obtained ₱8.693 billion, and the National Irrigation Administration acquired ₱5 billion for its agricultural support services.
Meanwhile, the education sector garnered an additional ₱37.3 billion in funding.
This was split among the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS).
Apart from these sectors, two of the government's social amelioration programs were also granted additional funding.
The Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) obtained ₱32.6 billion, increasing their budget to ₱59.5 billion.
On the other hand, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the implementing agency of Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), secured ₱14.82 billion in augmented funding.
This marks an increase from ₱12.1 billion to ₱26.9 billion.
House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan proposed the budget reallocation for both social programs during the budget amendments review.
None of the House subpanel members opposed Libanan’s proposal, which was later approved by the subcommittees.
Despite the department’s budget cut, Marcos noted that flood control projects would still push through, but with stricter monitoring to ensure proper completion and quality.
