Senator Bam Aquino is calling for a review of the proposed ₱243-billion flood control budget for 2026, saying funds allocated for unnecessary projects should be redirected to more urgent priorities such as education and healthcare.

“If we really concentrate and put the money where the important programs are, ano ba talaga ang dapat pagkagastusan natin nang tama? (where should we really spend our funds on?)” said Aquino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

“The P243 billion in the 2026 budget for flood control, I’m guessing mababawasan (reduced). That will be slashed significantly. I’m hoping some of that will go to education and maybe some of that will go to healthcare,” he added.

Aquino emphasized that free education and healthcare should come first. He described them as essential services that must be properly funded for the welfare of Filipinos.

"If we’re able to cut where we’re supposed to cut and allocate where we’re supposed to allocate, mas maaabot natin iyan. Hindi siya as impossible as it may seem (If we’re able to cut where we’re supposed to cut and allocate where we’re supposed to allocate, we can achieve that. It’s not as impossible as it may seem)," he said.

According to Aquino, sufficient funding could address education challenges such as the 166,000-classroom backlog and the lack of school equipment. It could also make universal healthcare accessible to all Filipinos.

“Five million kids wala silang upuan. Close to 25 percent of our schoolchildren aren't even sitting in seats. 166,000 classrooms ang kulang. These are all immediate and medium-term kasi hindi naman iyan magagawa tomorrow. If we get the funding now, maybe in a year or two years, that can be resolved (Five million kids don’t have chairs. Close to 25 percent of our schoolchildren aren’t even sitting in seats. We lack 166,000 classrooms. These are all immediate and medium-term issues because they can’t be solved overnight. If we get the funding now, maybe in a year or two, that can be resolved),” he stressed.

During his interpellation on the privilege speech of Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, the principal sponsor of the Universal Healthcare Act, Aquino sought to determine the budget required for the law’s full implementation to ensure that Filipinos would no longer have to pay out of pocket for medical needs.

"Magkano ba talaga iyong kailangan para ma-achieve natin ang goal of universal healthcare. Kung hindi malinaw iyong numerong iyon, hindi rin malinaw ang ating mga goal (How much do we really need to achieve the goal of universal healthcare? If that number isn’t clear, then our goals won’t be clear either)," he said.

Aquino also filed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 28, which urged the appropriate Senate committees to review how the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other implementing agencies spent the ₱360 billion flood control budget under the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

He pointed out that despite the ₱1.47 trillion allocated for flood control from 2009 to 2024, the country continues to suffer from inadequate drainage systems, outdated pumping stations, ineffective flood control measures, and a lack of community-based flood risk management programs.

To help address the classroom shortage, Aquino filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 121, or the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, which authorizes capable local government units (LGUs) and private sector entities to construct classrooms in compliance with national standards and guidelines, with funding support from the national government.