Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has assured that despite the controversies surrounding flood control initiatives, legitimate flood control projects will proceed, with a focus on regions that require them to protect the people from any disaster.
He said the objective is to execute these projects in an efficient and effective manner, reducing the potential danger to lives and properties brought by heavy rains or typhoons.
“In the coming weeks, I will form a new team that will work on these flood control projects that were destroyed, ghost or substandard and to ensure that no corruption will happen,” Dizon said.
“We will hold the contractors involved accountable and we will recover the money spent on these projects because they have a warranty according to the law,” the DPWH chief added.
Dizon noted he also uncovered a “pattern” in the bidding, award, and payment of ghost and substandard flood-control projects in Oriental Mindoro. He plans to file criminal charges against officials and contractors involved in the scheme.
He emphasized the need for a science-based approach to flood control, suggesting the use of the University of the Philippines’ NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) system to identify high-risk areas. This aims to ensure that funds are allocated efficiently and effectively.
Dizon has recently filed criminal cases against DPWH officials and contractors implicated in anomalous flood control projects, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to hold accountable those behind ghost and substandard projects.
