Flood control delay halts Bacolod PHP 152M project

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — The PHP 152-million diversion channel project at the Bacolod Reclamation will not be completed this year.

Bacolod City Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez told reporters on Monday, “It will have to wait.”

Benitez said the project has been affected by the controversy surrounding locally funded flood control initiatives.

He added that the project likely won’t receive funding this year.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reallocated PHP 225 billion originally intended for flood control to education, health, and housing programs.

Benitez noted that this reallocation impacts the final tranche of PHP 100 million earmarked for the diversion channel project.

The diversion channel was designed to redirect excess floodwaters and reduce the risk of flooding in vulnerable areas.

It was expected to alleviate waterlogging in the downtown area near a shopping mall.

Benitez said the executive branch has asked Congress to reallocate flood control funding to other departments, including Health, Social Welfare and Development, Education, and Human Settlements and Urban Development.

“I was told that the more than PHP 100 million budget for the diversion channel will not be included this year,” he added.

Given the shift in priorities, Benitez is now lobbying for additional classrooms and housing units in Bacolod City.

He also said the Department of Public Works and Highways budget is now being focused on roads and bridges.

Meanwhile, Benitez expressed support for House Speaker Faustino Dy III’s call for public officials, including lawmakers, to release their statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).

“For me, there is no problem,” Benitez said.

He added, “I have always thought it is open to the public because they even know that the price of stocks went up.”

He emphasized that his SALN has always been accessible to the public.

Earlier, Dy said transparency in SALNs is necessary to help restore public trust in elected officials.

Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, mandates that SALNs must be made available for inspection and copying after 10 working days from filing, subject to regulations.

Benitez, one of the wealthiest members of the House of Representatives, has declared a net worth of more than PHP 1 billion.