Billions for concrete, pennies for nature

In the proposed P6.793-trillion 2026 National Budget, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is allocated just a sliver of the pie—less than one percent of total appropriations.

- BILLIE DUMALIANG

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) initially proposed P881.3 billion, or approximately 13 percent of the entire budget. However, following a budget review and scrutiny, this figure was revised down to P625.78 billion, with no new funding for flood control projects. These figures are based on budget briefs from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD).

The imbalance is also seen in the government's Climate Change Expenditure Tracking: of the P983 billion tagged for adaptation and mitigation, 76.7 percent goes to DPWH, while only one percent is allotted to DENR. On paper, it looks like climate action. In reality, it risks being greenwashed—because the lion's share goes to concrete and construction, not to the forests, wetlands, and watersheds that actually prevent floods. Greenpeace has further estimated that P1.09 trillion in climate-tagged expenditures since 2023 may be vulnerable to corruption. That is money that should have built resilience, but instead risks being washed away.

This leads to a difficult but essential question: how can we increase funding for environmental protection unless we also ensure those funds are safeguarded, laws are enforced, and violators are held accountable?

Flood control as a cash cow

Flood control has long been one of the most tempting cash cows of corruption. Cement, steel, and dredging are easy to pad, overprice, or leave half-finished.