Lawmakers Push Bigger Budget for Project NOAH in 2026

Some members of the House of Representatives are calling on the Senate to approve a much larger budget for Project NOAH in next year’s national spending plan. The proposal seeks a ₱1 billion allocation for 2026, aimed at strengthening the country’s disaster preparedness as climate risks continue to rise.

During recent budget talks, Negros Occidental Representative Javier Miguel Lopez Benitez stressed how widely used Project NOAH has become, especially during major storms. He pointed out that the platform’s hazard maps attract millions of searches, with traffic spiking during typhoons as local governments and ordinary citizens look for real time information.

One major concern raised was the age of the data. Many of the hazard maps currently in use have not been fully updated since 2012. Supporters of the funding say fresh investment is needed to modernize these maps and expand the data used for flood, landslide, and disaster planning.

Benitez is also pushing for a longer term solution. He is one of the authors of a bill proposing the creation of a National Climate Resilience Institute under the University of the Philippines system, which would help ensure continuity in climate and disaster research.

Nueva Ecija Representative Mikaela Suansing echoed the call for funding, noting that Project NOAH plays a key role in planning flood control projects. She said its simulation tools can guide agencies like the Department of Public Works and Highways in deciding where structures are actually needed, helping avoid wasted public funds.

Suansing also highlighted how the program’s budget has steadily declined over the years, dropping from hundreds of millions of pesos to just a few tens of millions, even as public reliance on its maps continues.

Project NOAH was first launched in 2012 as a government backed initiative that combined science and technology to improve disaster risk reduction. It gained recognition for providing hazard maps and early warning tools that supported both national and local decision making.

Government funding ended in early 2017, with officials saying the project had already delivered its goals and that its technologies would be absorbed by other agencies. At the time, experts warned that cutting support could disrupt ongoing research and lead to the loss of trained specialists.

Later that year, the University of the Philippines stepped in to keep Project NOAH alive by integrating it into the UP Resilience Institute. Now operating as the NOAH Center, it continues to focus on research, development, and community support related to climate change and disaster risk.

Supporters believe restoring strong funding is essential as the country faces stronger and more frequent typhoons. For them, investing in Project NOAH is not just about maps, but about building long term resilience for communities most at risk.