A SENATOR on Sunday urged the government to tap local scientists in crafting an expert-led flood resilience strategy as recurring flooding exposes gaps in infrastructure and planning nationwide.
The government should adopt a science-based approach to tackling widespread flooding instead of spending billions on “ineffective” control projects, Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV said.
“It’s time to adopt a different strategy,” he said in a statement in Filipino. “Let’s tap our world-class Filipino scientists and other experts to help prevent flooding. They have much to contribute to solving this problem.”
This comes amid a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that investigates alleged irregularities linked to flood infrastructure projects.
The government should also rechannel funds from traditional flood control projects toward climate-resilient infrastructure, noting that about P1.47 trillion went towards flood control projects from 2009 to 2024.
“Instead of spending hundreds of billions of pesos on flood control projects that often fail and breed corruption, let’s fund programs that truly protect our people and secure our future,” he said, referring to projects like mangrove reforestation and watershed rehabilitation. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
