Metro Manila flood project delay trims 2026 infra completion target
MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration has dropped the long-delayed Metro Manila Flood Management Project from its list of flagship projects targeted for completion this year, bringing the number of projects set for a 2026 finish down to just eight.
Data from the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (Depdev) as of the second quarter showed that the government is now targeting eight infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) for completion this year, down from nine previously.
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The change marks another setback for the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, with Phase 1 now targeted for completion in 2027. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will implement the P24.9-billion project, which secured financing from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in 2017.
It has four components: rehabilitating 34 pumping stations and constructing four new ones, reducing solid waste in waterways, supporting the resettlement of affected residents, and overall project management.
In a disclosure published in June, the World Bank said the project had made steady progress across most pumping stations but still lagged in some areas.
“A few sites continue to face delays due to administrative, resettlement, and technical challenges,” the Washington-based lender said.
“To ensure the successful completion of all critical activities and fully achieve the project’s flood management objectives, DPWH and MMDA should continue to monitor the project daily, and adhere to the action plan agreed with the Bank,” it added.
The government reduced funding for flood control projects to zero in the 2026 national budget amid the multibillion-peso corruption scandal.
For the proposed 2027 national budget, lawmakers restored funding for flood-control projects, allocating P107.4 billion for the program. This includes P19.6 billion for ongoing foreign-assisted projects.
The eight IFPs now targeted for completion this year include the Department of Energy’s P51.72-billion Malampaya Phase 4 Project and Drilling of Bagong Pag-asa, and the Department of Health’s P40.77-billion Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit COVID-19 (HEAL) Project.
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The list also includes the Department of Agriculture’s P14.07-billion Regional Fish Port Project and the P3.03-billion Local Water Utilities Administration water district development sector project.
The DPWH has three projects on the list: the P35.74-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway, the P23.2-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road and the P3.35-billion Cagayan de Oro Coastal Road.
The eight projects have a combined cost of P184.52 billion and form part of the government’s 201 IFPs, with a total estimated investment of P10.27 trillion from 2023 through 2028 and beyond.
As of the second quarter, the government has 85 ongoing projects worth a combined P4.58 trillion. /pai
