SEN. Bam Aquino called Tuesday for greater transparency in the government’s disbursement of flood control funds.
This comes following severe flooding caused by torrential rains brought by Typhoons Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon. The severe weather resulted in the death of at least 19 people and displacement of thousands.
Aquino said the recent widespread flooding in Luzon has renewed questions over the effectiveness of the government’s flood control program and the use of billions of pesos in public funds allocated for it.
“We have been calling for an investigation into the government’s flood control projects for more than a year. But it has not been resolved yet. Until now, the flooding continues to cause severe harm to the public,” Aquino said.
Aquino was the first senator to file a resolution seeking an investigation into the country’s flood control program by submitting Senate Resolution 28 on July 29, 2025.
“It should be clear to the people where the billions of pesos allocated for flood control are going and how they are being used. This is the people’s money, our taxes, which should help the people,” Aquino said.
“We need a system that provides continuous transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds so that the theft that is causing severe flooding on our streets today will not happen again,” he added.
Aquino renewed his call for the immediate passage of his Senate Bill 1506, or the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (Cadena) Act, which seeks to make government spending more transparent and easier for the public to monitor.
“It’s time to enact the Cadena Act or Blockchain the Budget Bill, which will give the public a clearer and easier way to monitor where government money goes and is spent,” he said.
The Senate approved Senate Bill 1506 on third and final reading on Dec. 15, 2025, by a 17-0 vote.
The measure has yet to be acted upon by the House of Representatives, seven months after its Senate approval.
