DBM allocates ₱1-billion to AI-powered flood warning system

The government released ₱1 billion to scale up artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for early flood forecasting and hazard tracking, shifting public expenditure toward predictive disaster prevention as severe weather increasingly threatens infrastructure and economic output. In a statement on Monday, Aug. 24, the Department of Budget and Management said it channeled the funds to the University of the Philippines (UP) System to strengthen Project NOAH, the state university’s flagship risk-reduction initiative. Managed by the UP Resilience Institute, the program deploys LiDAR mapping, high-performance data analytics, and machine learning models to simulate real-time flood conditions and anticipate catastrophic weather impacts before landfall. Budget officials drew ₱935 million of the total allocation directly for technical research services, while reserving the remaining ₱65 million for operational administration and project supervision. According to the DBM, the capital deployment covers specialized scientific computing hardware, real-time sensor networks, and the recruitment of senior technical specialists required to process complex meteorological models. DBM said the funding allocation highlighted the push within government planning to lower the long-term fiscal cost of natural disasters. By establishing actionable early-warning alerts, national authorities intend to transition local government units away from reactive emergency relief toward preemptive evacuation and infrastructure protection. Acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said that embedding predictive science into municipal planning safeguards state investments, noting that major tropical cyclones routinely dismantle years of local public works and community assets in a matter of hours. Project NOAH’s expanded data infrastructure will also integrate with existing government evaluation systems. The budget department previously tapped the platform’s spatial mapping tools under Project DIME to track the exposure of major public works projects to landslide and flooding risks. The new capital injection allows the institute to deliver higher-resolution risk assessments directly to national disaster agencies and regional emergency responders during active storm tracks. The funds were made available under the UP System's built-in appropriations within the General Appropriations Act, ensuring immediate operational availability for equipment procurement and system integration.