Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan disclosed plans on Tuesday to reshuffle the agency’s district engineers in response to allegations of irregularities in the execution of flood control projects across the country.
Bonoan made this announcement in reaction to Senator JV Ejercito’s suggestion, which called for the arrest of those linked to irregularities in the implementation of substandard and ghost flood control projects.
Most of the district engineers in the department have been in their positions for over a decade and their long tenure has led to a growing familiarity with contractors and project implementers, which presents a challenge that needs to be addressed.
The planned reshuffle aims to resolve the flood control issue to ensure that relationships do not compromise the integrity of project oversight and management.
“Actually, we are rotating a lot of district engineers now, so I think, maybe it’s time… We should think about such rotations,” Bonoan said.
According to the Bonoan, there is a policy that requires district engineers to be rotated every three years, and it is fitting to proceed with a reshuffle.
Bonoan also admitted that a construction firm that bagged over P9-billion worth of contracts from the DPWH was involved in “ghost” flood control projects in Bulacan.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, Bonoan said he has initiated a review of the projects carried out by Wawao Builders, Inc. in Bulacan, which is recognized as one of the most flood-prone areas in the nation.
He mentioned that Wawao Builders, which is owned by Mark Allan Arevalo, secured 85 flood control contracts from the DPWH, totaling nearly P6 billion from 2022 to 2025.
Bonoan revealed that certain personnel from the DPWH had alerted him to the fact that “some” of the projects granted to Wawao Builders were not actually in existence.
Last week, President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. launched a website where the public can report on questionable flood control projects.
Marcos disclosed that 20% of the P545-billion budget for flood control projects was awarded to only 15 contractors, five of whom have contracts across the country.
