The Commission on Audit (COA) has filed four Fraud Audit Reports (FARs) with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), exposing widespread irregularities in flood control projects in Bulacan worth over P297 million.
The projects, all implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)–Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) and awarded to Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction & Trading, were found to contain serious and recurring signs of misuse of public funds.
The COA underscored that these new FARs reinforce the agency’s commitment to holding negligent public officials and private contractors accountable for compromised infrastructure spending.
The COA’s technical inspections, satellite imagery review, and fraud audit procedures revealed multiple issues in the implementation of the four flood control projects.
Among the common findings were “ghost projects,” in which the COA found no flood-mitigation or slope-protection structures at the approved site despite documents showing 100 percent completion.
Another major issue was “unauthorized relocation,” where DPWH–Bulacan 1st DEO representatives led COA inspectors to sites different from those in the approved plans without any formal authorization, raising concerns about project legitimacy.
The audit also found “payments for existing or pre-existing structures,” noting that some riverbank or flood-control structures had already been in place years before the questioned projects were supposedly implemented—suggesting that the government may have paid for structures not built under the new contracts.
Finally, the COA cited “egregious documentation gaps,” including major deficiencies in Statements of Work Accomplished, as-built plans, and relocation justifications, undermining the credibility of reported accomplishments and payments.
These FARs form part of a broader investigation into Bulacan flood-control projects under COA chairperson Gamaliel A. Cordoba’s directive dated Aug. 12, 2025, which ordered an immediate fraud audit of DPWH flood-control projects in the province from July 1, 2022 to May 30, 2025, amid rising public concerns over “ghost projects” and corruption.
Cordoba said, “These filings reinforce our commitment to holding negligent public officials and private contractors accountable for compromised infrastructure spending,” adding that the goal is to ensure public funds go to “genuine, functioning infrastructure that effectively protects vulnerable communities from flooding.”
For the first project—Construction of Flood Mitigation Structures at Barangay San Nicolas, Hagonoy, Bulacan—awarded to Wawao Builders for P77,199,997.92, COA found no structure at the approved site despite claims of full completion, a finding supported by satellite images.
Individuals liable include Engineers Henry C. Alcantara, Brice Ericson D. Hernandez, Jaypee D. Mendoza, Ernesto C. Galang, Paul Jayson F. Duya, Jolo Mari V. Tayao, Mark Lester S. Castro, John Michael E. Ramos, and Mark Allan V. Arevalo of Wawao Builders.
The second project—Construction of Riverbank Protection Structure at Barangay Iba, Hagonoy, Bulacan—costing P74,199,192.34 and also awarded to Wawao Builders, was not built at the designated location. At the site identified by DPWH, the structure appeared to be part of a continuous wall possibly funded under other contracts.
Individuals liable include Engineers Alcantara, Hernandez, Mendoza, Galang, Duya, Tayao, Lemuel Ephraim SD Roque, Sheena Bernadette B. Morales, and Arevalo.
The third project—Construction of Flood Control Structure along Guiguinto River, Malis Section—amounting to P96,499,968.29, showed through historical satellite imagery that a structure had existed at the approved site years before the contract took effect. Only an incomplete structure was found at the alternative location pointed out by DPWH.
Individuals liable are Engineers Alcantara, Hernandez, Galang, Ramos, Tayao, Duya, and Arevalo.
The fourth project, a Joint Venture of Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction & Trading, involved flood-control works in Barangay Virgen Delos Flores, Sta. Barbara, and Tiaong, Baliuag, Bulacan, costing P49,498,039.75. Despite reports of completion, COA and satellite images showed no structure at the approved site. DPWH instead identified a completed infrastructure whose location did not match the engineering plans.
Individuals liable include Engineers Alcantara, Hernandez, Mendoza, Galang, Rafaelito M. Marcelo, Arevalo, and Sally N. Santos of SYMS Construction & Trading.
The individuals involved may face charges for graft under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as for malversation and falsification of documents under the Revised Penal Code, in addition to violations of COA Circular No. 2009-001.
