DPWH: Validation underway; reshuffle of district engineers eyed
THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee escalated its investigation Tuesday by ordering subpoenas against contractors who skipped its first hearing on flood control projects.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee tackled reports of “ghost projects,” substandard works, and the concentration of contracts among a few favored contractors as it opened Tuesday its inquiry into alleged anomalies in multibillion-peso flood control projects.
Committee chairperson Senator Rodante Marcoleta said the motu proprio investigation, dubbed “Philippines Under Water,” was prompted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent disclosure that at least 15 contractors cornered a disproportionate share of flood control projects worth around P100 billion.
“It’s time to find out and analyze the truth behind the anomalies surrounding the contracts allocated for flood control. Enough with the circling and diverting from the real problem,” Marcoleta said.
“The root of the issue before us boils down to rampant corruption in government. It’s like a cancer slowly destroying our country. Records will show that billions are spent every year, but lives and properties are still lost due to failures in flood control,” he added.
‘Disgusting’ ghost projects
During the hearing, Department of Public Works and Highways officials admitted receiving reports of alleged “ghost projects” in Bulacan, particularly in Calumpit, Hagonoy, and Malolos.
Pressed by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said based on the information he received, these projects were linked to Wawao Builders, one of the top 15 firms allegedly awarded P9 billion worth of projects nationwide, with P5.9 billion concentrated in Bulacan alone.
Pressed by Estrada, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan conceded that some projects were undergoing “validation” and acknowledged information pointing to ghost projects.
“In all honesty, I think so,” Bonoan replied when asked if ghost projects existed.
Estrada called the situation “nakakadiri” (disgusting) and demanded full disclosure of project awards and payments.
Bonoan said he plans to reshuffle the district engineers within the DPWH in response to allegations of irregularities in the execution of flood control projects across the country.
“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.
Subpoena absent contractors
Marcoleta likewise approved Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s motion to issue subpoenas that will compel absent contractors to answer critical questions in the next session.
Of the 15 top contractors invited, only 11 responded and just seven were represented in yesterday’s hearing.
The contractors under scrutiny include Legacy Construction, Alpha & Omega General Contractor, St. Timothy Construction, QM Builders, EGB Construction, Topnotch Catalyst, Centerways Construction, Sunwest, Hi-Tone Construction, Triple 8 Construction, Royal Crown Monarch, Wawao Builders, MG Samidan, L.R. Tiqui Builders, and Road Edge Trading & Development.
Senator Erwin Tulfo described the flood control program, which has reached P545.6 billion in funding in the past three years, as “nothing less than a grand robbery of our nation.”
“Before a project is even implemented, contractors are asked to shell out 20 to 25 percent commissions to politicians and officials. That is why projects are substandard or worse, ghost projects. At every level of approval, from district engineers up to undersecretaries, additional cuts are imposed until only 30 to 40 percent of the project’s value remains,” Tulfo said.
He alleged that some DPWH officials own construction firms themselves and benefit from “in-house” projects, while others have amassed wealth, including luxury mansions, planes, and casino stakes.
“Names must be named. Heads must roll. Justice must be served,” Tulfo said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian warned Bonoan against maintaining business-as-usual practices in the 2026 flood control budget of P274 billion.
“We will not hesitate to zero this out and just allocate it to schools if this flood control project turns out to be ineffective and yields no results,” he said.
Flood control funds in non-flood-prone areas
As this developed, officials of the DPWH and the Department of Budget and Management explained before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee why billions in flood control funds were allocated to provinces that are not among the country’s top flood-prone areas.
Tulfo raised the issue after citing the President’s list of flood control project recipients, which showed Cebu, Isabela, Albay, Leyte, and Camarines Sur as among the top recipients despite not being in the 10 most flood-prone provinces led by Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro, and Ilocos Norte.
Bonoan said allocations under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) are equitably distributed to engineering districts nationwide, with 70 percent required to go to the department’s core programs, including roads, bridges, and flood control.
He admitted, however, that additional projects often enter the budget after congressional insertions during the passage of the General Appropriations Act.
Tulfo described allocations to non-flood-prone areas as “a waste of money.”
Bonoan conceded, “Yes, Your Honor. I agree completely,” when asked if the planning process should have flagged such projects.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, meanwhile, said her agency merely releases funds based on what Congress has approved in the budget law.
“We do not have the manpower to check one by one the projects proposed by DPWH,” she said.
For his part, Bulacan Rep. Daniel Fernando expressed concern that the provincial government is not regularly consulted about flood control projects, which are often executed without proper reporting or approval.
“We were not informed. We were not given any information about the projects they are working on. Sometimes, we see them already completed. They only reported to me once when I called for a meeting,” he said.
More mayors join transparency push
In Iloilo, three mayors joined a nationwide call for full transparency and accountability in the government’s flood control projects.
Mayors Ian Kenneth Alfeche of Alimodian, Nielo Tupas of Barotac Viejo, and Jon Aying of Sara backed the call of the Mayors for Good Governance coalition for the DPWH to publicly release all project details—including contractors, politicians involved, and technical documentation such as bills of quantities, unit price analyses, and feasibility studies.
Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu also confirmed her support, pledging to formally join the coalition once the official anti-corruption document reaches her office.
Treñas-Chu earlier said two contractors are currently implementing large-scale flood mitigation works in the city under the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO).
Based on the status report submitted to her office by the ICDEO, St. Timothy Construction Corporation had bagged a total of P425 million worth of projects.
However, only the construction of sections 1 and 2 of the flood mitigation structure in Lapuz district, totaling P300 million, is ongoing. Section 1 of another similar project worth P125 million with no specific address was suspended as of June 9, 2025 “due to obstructions.”
The Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corp, on the other hand, is implementing section 2 of the Iloilo Comprehensive Flood Mitigation Project with a programmed amount of P150 million.
It is targeted for completion on March 24, 2026, but no specific address was mentioned in the report.
“These projects are either non-functional, have caused flooding, or are, in some cases, practically non-existent. Flooding has brought severe and repeated suffering to our communities, especially during heavy rains and typhoons,” Treñas said.
