Philippines Senator calls on Filipino billionaires to pool resources for Metro Manila flood solution

Dubai: Senator Panfilo Lacson is urging Malacañang to enlist the country’s richest business leaders in a joint effort to address Metro Manila’s flooding, following San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president Ramon Ang’s pledge to undertake a massive cleanup at no cost to the government.

In a DWIZ radio interview Saturday, Lacson said Malacañang Palace has a chance to 'issue a clarion call to other billionaires in the Forbes list to pool their resources for this as an act of Corporate Social Responsibility.' He described the approach as unconventional but worth pursuing.

In a post on X, Senator Panfilo Lacson linked Filipino billionaire Ramon Ang's proposal to solve flooding in Metro Manila to potential government budget cuts. The senator stated, "Assuming RSA is given the authority and actually performs what he offered to do before our plenary debates on the 2026 budget bill, I will move to reduce the DPWH and MMDA appropriations for the flood management program in the NCR during the period of individual amendments."

Lacson said if Ang begins the work before the 2026 budget deliberations, he will propose cuts to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) allocations for flood control in the National Capital Region.

Despite receiving over ₱2 trillion for flood management since 2011, Lacson noted that the DPWH has yet to resolve the capital’s flooding problem.

The proposal came after Ang announced on August 8 that SMC was ready to clear the capital’s rivers, drains, and canals once it receives official clearance. Ang said the work would include removing structures built on natural waterways and, if necessary, buying land to construct replacement schools and housing.

“I, Ramon Ang of San Miguel, am volunteering to be the first to help the whole of Metro Manila address flooding, at no cost to the people and no cost to the government,” Ang said in a mix of Tagalog and English.

“For me, the solution is simple — clear clogged rivers and drains,” Ang told reporters. He said garbage and illegal structures block floodwaters, worsening the problem.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also flagged corruption and poor implementation in flood-control projects, prompting ongoing reviews in Congress and the DPWH.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called out failed and non-existent flood control projects in light of recent massive flooding due to the storm-enhanced southwest monsoon.

President Marcos lashed out at the people involved in such projects, saying it was not a secret that kickbacks were made from flood control.

“I recently inspected the effects of typhoon Crising, Dante, Emong, (and) southwest monsoon. I saw that many flood control projects were sloppy and have collapsed, others were just imaginary,” he said.

In order to stop corruption in the implementation of infrastructure projects, Marcos ordered an immediate audit and review of the government’s flood control projects, alleging that some may be tainted with corruption as they have proven ineffective despite billions in taxpayer funds spent.

"In the coming months, all those who emerge guilty from the investigation will be charged, including the contractors who are involved throughout the country. The people need to know the whole truth. Someone needs to be held accountable for the severe damage and corruption that has occurred,” he stressed.