Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 946%

Introduced by Honorable Erico B. Aumentado

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The power of appropriation belongs to the domain of the Congress of the Philippines.
Thus, Article VI, Section 29 (1), of the Constitution provides that “no money shall be
paid out of the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law.”

According to Justice Isagani A. Cruz, a leading constitutional authority, that while “law”
as here used may refer to constitutional appropriations like the grant of a P300,000.00
salary to the President, it is more often supposed to denote statutes enacted by the
lawmaking body. Funds are always needed for the support of public projects; money is
the motive force and lubricant of the machinery of government. Hence, the power of
the purse is one of the most important prerogative of the Congress.

Incidentally, the power of appropriation originates from the House of Representatives.
This is clearly provided for under Section 18, Article VI of the Constitution which
provides:

“Sec. 18. All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing
increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills,
shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but
the Senate may propose or concur with amendments”.

With the foregoing as the constitutional basis, this bill seeks to authorize and
appropriate the funds for the Department of Public Works and Highways to craft a
master plan for the flood control of the entire country with emphasis and prioritization of
Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the CALABARZON areas.

The country becomes vulnerable to massive flooding during typhoons, monsoon rains
and occurrence of low pressure areas. These floods have caused tremendous loses of
lives and properties wasting billions of pesos worth of destruction, and more so, in
economic loses.

With the reformist governance of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino Ill, and his political will to
pursue a master plan against the devastating floods in the country, it is now time and
opportune for the Congress of the Philippines to enact a public works flood control law
to be implemented in a multi year basis up to the year 2040.


The DPWH intends to develop a safe society that is resilient to floods as the Aquino
government's response to the massive destruction wrought by the floods whipped by
typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, and this month of August, by the Habagat monsoon rains
with a wide swath of destruction in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and CALABARZON.
The plan as envisioned for Metro Manila, Central Luzon and CALABARZON would
entail an outlay of P352 billion.

The country also remembers the tremendous loss of lives and properties in the Ormoc
flood, in the Guinsaugon Southern Leyte flood and landslide, in the Cagayan De Oro
City and the lligan City floods as well as the CARAGA region floods and landslides.
Wester and Central Visayas also suffered destruction of lives and properties due to
floods and landslides whipped by typhoons and monsoon rains

Considering that destruction of lives and properties occurred also in the flood prone
provinces of Northern Luzon, the Bicol region, the Visayas and Mindanao, there is,
therefore, an imperative need for the DPWH, headed by visionary and well respected
Secretary Rogelio Singson, to craft also a long-term flood control program for these
regions. This way, a nationwide master plan shall be put in place by DPWH

The estimated requirements of a nationwide flood control program in the ballpark figure
of P600 billion can be sourced from the national treasury through a multi year
appropriation. It can also be funded by the official development assistance of donor
countries such as Japan, Korea, the United States of America, Australia, Great Britain,
Canada, the European Union and even China. Lending institutions of
concessional loans _ such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the
Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund — Eximbank, the World Bank, and
the Asian Development Bank, among others, can also be tapped for the purpose of
funding this ambitious program

The Department of Public Works is the appropriate agency to implement this massive,
nationwide flood control program.

In the light of the foregoing, it is most earnestly urged of this Congress to approve this
bill.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No. .

Introduced by Honorable Erico B. Aumentado.

AN ACT
AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS MULTI-YEAR FLOOD
CONTROL PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled.

Section 1. Short Title. This act shall be known as the “Public Works Flood
Control Act of 2012".

Section 2. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is hereby
mandated to operate and maintain the flood control facilities in Metro Manila and the
entire Philippines.

Section 3. Towards that end, DPWH shall prepare a master plan for effective
and comprehensive flood management in the entire country up to 2040. The plan shall
start for Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and the CALABARZON, where the Department
has the plans thereof.

Section 4. The Department shall also craft a master plan of flood controls for the
Northern Luzon, the Bicol region, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Section 5. The amount of Six Hundred Billion Pesos (P600,000,000,000) is
hereby appropriated for the Public Works flood control program nationwide to be
implemented on a multi year basis. The funds shall be incorporated in the General
Appropriations Act annually, and as a complementary source, the Department shall tap
the official development assistance (ODA) of the Philippines’ donor countries and
institutions for concessional loans on long term repayment basis.

Section 6. The Department of Public Works shall begin the soonest possible
time its program to develop a safe society that is resilient to floods, and after seeking
the approval thereof, by the National Economic and Development Authority Board,
chaired by the President, shall proceed forthwith to start sourcing funding for the
preparatory task of the design and implementation of the priority projects with a total
cost of Three Hundred Fifty Two Billion Pesos (P352,000,000,000) in Metro Manila,
Central Luzon and CALABARZON listed as follows:


J
k.

Section 7

Marikina Large Dam plus improvement on the Pasig River,
Napindan River and Marikina River embankments;

The ring-road dike on the rim of Laguna de Bay, embankments and
catch basins in the Marikina River watershed and an 8-kilometer
dike and pumping stations in Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon,
Navotas and Valenzuela) area;

The West Laguna Lake shore land raising;

The Manila core area drainage improvements;

East Manggahan floodway and improvement in Cainta and Taytay
rivers;

Malabon-Tullahan river improvement;
Meycauayan river improvement;
Valenzuela-Obando-Meycauayan river improvement;

Land raising for small cities around Laguna Lake and improvements
of inflow rivers to Laguna Lake;

South Paranaque-Las Pinas river improvements; and
West Manggahan area drainage improvement.

The Department of Public Works and Highways shall prioritize also

the flood control projects in the rest of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao giving priority
to the more flood prone areas therein.

Section 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at
least (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved