PBBM orders probe on flood control anomaly; emergency powers mulled
PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., yesterday ordered a full investigation into a Bulacan flood control project after discovering that around 200 meters of the revetment in the River Protection Structure was never built, despite records showing its completion.
The order came even as a lawmaker expressed openness to granting the chief executive emergency powers to address inadequacies in the government’s flood-control program.
“This is clear. The chairman told us, over 200 meters were not built at all. And not only that, the dike has holes. It should be solid, yet the report says it’s completed,” Mr. Marcos said in Filipino.
The revelation came during an inspection in Calumpit, where a resident had earlier written to the President to complain about allegedly defective infrastructure, citing poor-quality materials, inadequate soil compaction, and the failure to remove water hyacinths clogging waterways.
To verify the complaints, the President deployed scuba divers to examine the structures. They found that thick silt had buried the walls beneath the concrete slope protection, hiding any sheet piles that should have been in place.
Upon probing, divers discovered that the beam was no longer connected to any sheet pile support and that a visible gap existed between the two, a flaw that should not occur if the structure had been built to ensure durability.
Mr. Marcos also cited other serious lapses, including improperly placed steel reinforcements, uneven and thin concrete work, and water seeping underneath the structure.
Photographs and eyewitness accounts, he noted, contradicted official completion records.
The President questioned project documents, claiming that desiltation had been carried out, despite the riverbed being shallow and clogged with debris.
He said the project, linked to a private contractor, will be subjected to a full review to determine how public funds were spent and why construction failed to meet specifications.
“Now that we know, we will trace where these programs came from, where the funds went, and why this happened,” he said, adding that whistleblower reports submitted through government platforms were instrumental in uncovering the alleged irregularities.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro launched its own investigation into local flood control projects—including seawalls and dikes—amid concerns over substandard construction.
The province experienced severe flooding last month due to the southwest monsoon (Habagat).
While casualties were minimized thanks to these projects, the force of the flood in Naujan damaged a newly built road dike, eroding a 100-meter stretch.
As this developed, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan called on the President to spearhead a bold, comprehensive, and enduring national flood control and mitigation program to confront the worsening inundations in Metro Manila and across the country.
“The President still has three years left in his term — enough time to lay the groundwork for a program that could stand as one of his most lasting legacies,” the 4Ps party-list solon said in a statement on Friday.
Libanan explained that Congress could grant the President special emergency powers to overcome bureaucratic delays and legal obstacles, enabling faster procurement, right-of-way acquisition, and relocation of affected families.
He said these emergency powers could include: the authority to fast-track the procurement of flood control equipment and materials; to order the immediate relocation and compensation for displaced families; and to realign certain budget items to fund urgent flood mitigation measures.
The lawmaker also welcomed the recent offer of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president and CEO Ramon Ang to help solve Metro Manila’s flooding problem at no cost to the government or the public.
He added that the President could even consider tapping Mr. Ang as one of his consultants for the proposed national flood control program, to take full advantage of his expertise, resources, and practical solutions.
“If the President acts decisively now, flood control can become a flagship initiative of his administration,” Libanan said.
“Even if massive infrastructure works cannot be completed within three years, the blueprint and initial projects can be put in place for future administrations to finish,” he added.
Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor criticized the quality of the structures despite their multi-million-peso cost.
“The concrete is thinner than a dining plate. How can it stand up against the raging waters? This project is worth P250 million; it’s horrifying, he said in Filipino.
The projects were implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa.
However, DPWH officials said the flood control systems remain incomplete due to limited funding.
DPWH MIMAROPA Regional Director Engr. Gerald Pacanan said he would assemble a fact-finding team to investigate the damaged dike.
