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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Past fund abuses will not happen again, Marcos assures public

Past fund abuses will not happen again, Marcos assures public

Published Sep 28, 2025 08:03 am  |  Updated Sep 28, 2025 01:46 pm
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Malacañang photo)
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Malacañang photo)
President Marcos has assured the public that past abuses in flood control and infrastructure projects will not be repeated under his administration, stressing that every peso of public money must directly benefit Filipino families.
Speaking in Gonzaga, Cagayan, where he led the distribution of assistance to typhoon-hit residents, the President emphasized the government’s accountability in handling taxpayer funds.
“Titiyakin po natin na hindi na po mauulit yung ating nakita (We will make sure what we saw will not happen again),” he said Saturday, Sept. 27.
“Titiyakin po natin na bawat sentimo na pera ninyo – hindi namin pera ito, pera ninyo na ibinahagi ninyo sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan (Every centavo is your money, not ours, entrusted to government officials),” he added.
Marcos underscored that government officials merely serve as caretakers of funds entrusted to them.
“Kami po ay kung tawagin ay ‘custodian’ lang, tiga-bantay lang kami sa pera ninyo. Hindi amin ‘yan. Sa inyo pa rin ‘yan (We are merely custodians, caretakers of your money. It does not belong to us, it belongs to you),” he said.
The President explained that the administration uncovered ghost and substandard flood control projects, prompting him to cancel all such works under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2026.
“Kung hindi po natin ginawa ‘yan, ‘yang P255 billion na ‘yan kung saan-saan na lang mapupunta (If we did not do that, the P255 billion would have gone elsewhere),” he said.
“Kaya mabuti, kaya kinansila na po natin lahat ng flood control project para sa 2026 at iyan po ang naging savings natin (That is why we canceled all flood control projects for 2026, and that became our savings),” he added.
He vowed that these funds would be channeled to programs that directly address the needs of communities.

Where the funds will go

Malacañang earlier said the P255 billion would be realigned to the government’s priority programs, including the following:
  • P60 billion to PhilHealth for Yaman ng Kalusugan (YAKAP), BUCAS centers, and outpatient medications.
  • P39.37 billion to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, crop insurance, solar irrigation, ports, fishports, and coconut planting.
  • P35.91 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for 4Ps, AICS, psychosocial support for teen mothers, child protection programs, and livelihood projects.
  • P29.28 billion to the Department of Health (DOH) for indigent medical aid, legacy hospitals, and children with cancer.
  • P26.55 billion to the Department of Education (DepEd) for classrooms, feeding programs, indigenous education, ARAL program, and special needs education.
  • P18 billion to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for TUPAD and emergency employment.
  • P9.3 billion to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for scholarships.
  • P5 billion to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for irrigation repairs.
  • P3 billion to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for MRT rehabilitation.
  • P2.5 billion to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
  • P1 billion to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
  • P450 million to the Philippine Science High School System.
  • P135 million to the Department of Finance (DOF) for anti-agricultural smuggling.
  • P4.62 million to the Department of Energy (DOE) for electrification.
  • P4 million to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for waste-to-energy projects.

Related Tags

President Marcos Bongbong Marcos 2026 budget Flood control
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