Flood control got more money. The calamity fund got less. The weather forecast, meanwhile, says El Niño.
According to the Daily Tribune (Edjen Oliquino), Senate Finance Committee Chair JV Ejercito on Oct. 14 laid out what the House changed in the proposed ₱7.2-trillion 2027 budget — and said the Senate "will not take this at face value."
The numbers Ejercito flagged
Per the Tribune, the House adjusted ₱206 billion from the National Expenditure Program. Among the changes Ejercito cited:
- A ₱8.04-billion increase for general flood mitigation structures, while allocations for projects within major river basins were cut by ₱4.6 billion.
- A ₱9.5-billion cut to the calamity fund, despite the El Niño threat.
- Health cuts of ₱4.4 billion from the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, ₱4 billion from immunization and ₱2 billion from health promotion, even as the Medical Assistance Program rose to ₱23.9 billion.
- A new ₱10-billion line item, Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk, under the Department of Agriculture.
- A ₱130-billion cut to foreign-assisted projects; the Department of Transportation lost ₱40.4 billion, including ₱19.7 billion from the Metro Manila Subway and ₱15 billion from the North-South Commuter Railway.
DPWH's proposed 2027 budget stands at ₱643.95 billion, about 20 percent higher than this year, of which ₱107.4 billion (16 percent) is for flood control, the Tribune reported.
A pattern worth noticing
Money moved toward the line item that has produced years of corruption cases and away from river-basin projects, preparedness funds and preventive care. Ejercito called the health changes "puzzling" because they cut against the Universal Health Care Law's focus on prevention. The medical assistance program, a handout-style line, went up. The Tribune's account gives no explanation from the House for why. That is not a finding of wrongdoing — it is a list of questions the House has not yet been reported to answer.
Ejercito said the Senate is unlikely to compromise on the flood control increase. His initial recommendation, per the Tribune, is to stop new flood control projects, finish unfinished ones, and focus on the most flood-prone areas. The Senate will examine which projects get funded, where, and why allocations changed.
What's next
Subcommittee reports are due Oct. 23, plenary debates follow in November, and the Senate aims to pass its version by the second week of December. The Tribune report contained no response from DPWH or the House on the flood control figures.
Context
Pulpulitiko has reported that the House passed the budget 282-13-1 and that Ejercito said the Senate would not "simply accept" it; the House version's rail cuts were covered separately. This article concerns the flood control, calamity and health changes.
Sources
- Daily Tribune, "JV Ejercito flags House budget cuts to rail projects, P8B hike in flood control," Edjen Oliquino, Oct. 14, 2026 — https://tribune.net.ph/2026/10/14/jv-ejercito-flags-house-budget-cuts-to-rail-projects-p8b-hike-in-flood-control
- Daily Tribune, "Ejercito flags cuts to preventive health in 2027 budget," Oct. 14, 2026 — https://tribune.net.ph/2026/10/14/ejercito-flags-cuts-to-preventive-health-in-2027-budget