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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Sayang': Benitez says flood control funds could have built 1M homes for poor Pinoys

'Sayang': Benitez says flood control funds could have built 1M homes for poor Pinoys

Published Aug 29, 2025 01:06 pm

At A Glance

  • Bacolod City lone district Rep. Albee Benitez said there would have been one million more homes for the poor--and probably way fewer anomaly-ridden flood control projects--if the P1.2 trillion flood control project funds were allocated instead to socialized housing.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
(MANILA BULLETIN)


Imagine, if the P1.2 trillion funds for flood control projects were allocated to socialized housing instead.
Bacolod City lone district Rep. Albee Benitez said there would have been one million more homes for the poor, and probably way fewer anomaly-ridden flood control projects.
“Had the amount of almost ₱1.2 trillion been allocated to housing, there would have been enough to build one million decent homes under the government’s 4PH housing program. One million families would have roofs over their heads,” the solon said in a statement.
4PH stands for the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program.
Benitez lamented that despite years where “a deluge of funds has been poured into flood control projects", Filipinos continue to wade through floods every rainy season.
Recent revelations have indicated that as much as P2 trillion may have been used to fund questionable flood control projects.
In a visit to Bulacan last Aug.20, President Marcos discovered that work had not yet begun on a flood control project marked completed and paid to tune of P55.7 million.
“Ito ang katotohanan: dahil sa anomalya hindi natugunan ang problema (Such is the reality: because of anomalies, the problem wasn't addressed),” said Benitez.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) last year said that the estimated cost of housing units under 4PH for informal settler families (ISFs) ranges from P1.2 to P1.4 million.
The United Nations Habitat estimates that as of 2023, the Philippines has around 3.7 million ISFs, with 500,000 living in slums and high-risk areas in Metro Manila.
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