After Years of Limited Funding, Project NOAH Gets P1 Billion in 2026

(SPOT.ph) After years of barely getting by, the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards—or what we know as Project NOAH—is set to receive P1 billion funding in the 2026 national budget. It’s the biggest funding boost yet for a platform Filipinos already turn to when floods hit.

Lawmakers backing the move pointed to the sharp reduction in Project NOAH’s budget over the years, even as demand for its data grew. Annual funding had reportedly plummeted from P500 million to P36 million, leaving the platform operating on a fraction of its original resources while floods became more frequent.

Negros Occidental Representative Javier Miguel Lopez Benitez noted how the platform has logged 35 million online searches, with traffic peaking at 2.5 million searches in a single day during major weather events. For him, that level of demand makes a strong case for updating hazard maps nationwide—something he noted hasn’t been done comprehensively since it was launched in 2012.

This has also renewed criticism over how long Project NOAH went without funding.

In an opinion piece, veteran journalist Tita C. Valderama called the P1 billion allocation an “overdue correction of a dangerous mistake,” arguing that disaster preparedness in the Philippines has repeatedly been treated as optional—only taken seriously after lives are lost and communities are destroyed.

“Project NOAH was once described by then-president Benigno Aquino III as the country’s 'ark against the deluge,' That ark was never meant to be abandoned mid-storm,” Valderama wrote. “Restoring its funding is the right step, but it must also serve as a warning. Disaster preparedness cannot be switched on only after lives are lost and communities destroyed. It is a moral obligation of governance.“

Also read: GUIDE: How to Use UP Noah to See Your Area's Flood Risk

Launched in 2012, Project NOAH began mapping natural hazards across the Philippines as part of the government’s push for science-based climate action. Instead of leaving disaster data in government hands, it aggregates real-time weather information, storm surge models, and landslide risks into platforms the public can use directly. The program was originally managed by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) before being adopted by the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI) in 2016.

Under UPRI, Project NOAH continued developing hazard simulations to produce flood maps that show which locations are likely to flood and how deep floodwaters could get. These maps are made available to the public through the UP NOAH website.

To check accuracy, the flood maps are validated using a mix of satellite data, field observations, and interviews with local residents and local government officials who have firsthand experience of flooding. This helps ensure that simulations reflect what actually happens on the ground.