Senator Imee R. Marcos on Thursday, October 31 questioned the continuing severe flooding in the Bicol region, as she questioned how the P132 billion allocation for its flood control project since 2018 was utilized.

“It’s unacceptable that ₱132 billion has been designated for Bicol flood control projects, yet communities remain inundated, and families are suffering. The public deserves transparency on where these funds went,” Marcos said in a statement.

Marcos noted that under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, Bicol received P31.94 billion for this year alone, bringing the six-year total budget to nearly P133-billion. Of this amount, P86.6 billin was allocated in the past two years.

Yet the region was once again left in crisis when severe tropical storm Kristine hit the Philippines last week.

Marcos said the devastation wrought by “Kristine” in Bicol exposed the inadequate infrastructure, and huge gaps in flood mitigation projects.

The senator said she will ask government agencies, particulary the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), to provide a full accounting of the funds and progress of these projects in the upcoming Senate deliberations into the proposed 2025 national budget which will start next week.

“For the 2025 budget, we need concrete, well-engineered solutions that effectively address climate threats—not outdated projects that risk lives, homes, and livelihoods,” she emphasized.

“It’s clear that the supposed ‘meaningful projects’ are not reaching the communities that need them most. We need accountability, not just rhetoric,” Marcos emphasized, hinting at gaps in the administration’s strategy.

The senator also backed proposals for a full audit of flood control projects in the upcoming budget hearings to address inconsistencies and misaligned priorities.