By Melvin C. Gascon
An interior town in southern Isabela with minimal flood exposure received up to P3.49 billion in flood control funding, emerging as the province’s top recipient, based on data from the government’s Sumbong sa Pangulo website.
Records show that the town of Jones received the highest funding for flood control projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) during the three-year period.
This figure is more than double the allocation for the next highest recipient, Roxas, which got ₱1.62 billion, according to records.
Overall, Isabela received 335 flood control projects amounting to ₱22.57 billion that were implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Despite being an interior first-class municipality, Jones cornered about 15 percent of the province’s total flood control budget.
The town is located far from the main floodplains of the Cagayan and Magat rivers, which typically overflow and inundate low-lying communities in the province during heavy rains or typhoons.
While both Jones and San Agustin have rivers, they are not major flood catchment areas, data showed.
Concentration of Projects in 4th District
Meanwhile, the concentration of multi-billion-peso flood control projects in Jones, with ₱3.49 billion, and San Agustin with ₱1.52 billion.
These are both interior towns in the 4th District, which has drawn attention as possible “parking areas” for budget insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
The allocation for the district accounted for approximately ₱6.7 billion, or nearly 30 percent of the province’s total flood control spending.
The 4th District, represented by Rep. Joseph Tan, covers Jones, San Agustin, Cordon, Dinapigue, and Santiago City, of which Tan used to be the city mayor.
Tan’s family also runs a construction business.
Smaller Funding for Flood-Prone Towns
A flood susceptibility map developed by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) ranks Isabela among the provinces highly susceptible to flooding.
The study shows that Isabela has several municipalities highly vulnerable to flooding, including Tumauini, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Cabagan, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, and Ilagan, the capital city.
Their vulnerability is primarily due to their proximity to major river channels — the Cagayan, Pinacanauan, and Magat rivers, the study showed.
However, the data show that some of the most flood-prone towns received relatively smaller allocations compared to inland or less exposed municipalities.
For instance, Tumauini received ₱436.6 million, while Cabagan got ₱231.8 million, and San Pablo only ₱74.2 million.
Delfin Albano, Luna, Quirino, and the coastal town of Divilacan had no recorded flood control projects.
Questions on Project Prioritization
Flood control projects listed in the data include revetments, slope protection, and drainage systems.
While these works are intended to mitigate water overflow, local observers note that a number of them are situated in areas with low or moderate flood susceptibility, raising questions about project prioritization.
The DPWH and its district engineering offices have yet to explain the criteria used to determine the location and scale of flood control projects. #
