MORE than 6,000 flood control projects launched since 2022 lacked key details, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Monday, noting most of which were awarded to 15 contractors.
The government rolled out P545 billion worth of flood control works since the president assumed his post in July 2022, including 6,021 projects, worth P350 billion, that failed to specify the exact type of infrastructure.
“There are 6,021 projects worth more than 350 billion [pesos] that do not specify the exact type of flood control that is being built,” he told reporters in a rare press briefing in Malacañang as he released the initial results of the government’s probe following his pronouncements in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 28.
He also flagged that 50 projects in different locations had exactly the same contract cost.
“I think anybody who works in either the private sector or the public sector, when they say there are fifty projects, all the same, P150 million… that’s impossible,” he added in mixed English and Filipino.
A total of 2,409 private contractors were awarded flood control projects nationwide from 2022 to the present.
Mr. Marcos said that P100 billion of the total P545 billion funding for such projects went to only 15 contractors, which he named during the briefing. Five of the 15 had almost one project per region nationwide, he noted.
“They are not assessments. We are not accusing anyone of anything yet,” he added. “However, it gives us an idea of what — how this has been conducted.”
In the same briefing, the President launched the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website which allows the public to track and report issues on flood control projects in their areas.
Parts of the Philippines were recently flooded due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong in July.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) earlier estimated that infrastructure damage nationwide from the combined impact of the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones reached P5.25 billion.
“We will still go through every single one. And we still have to see what really is — what really is credible and what needs to be acted upon,” he added.
He also said the number of flood control projects in provinces may not be aligned with the National Adaptation Plan of the Philippines 2023-2050.
DPWH data showed Bulacan had the most flood control projects with 668, followed by Cebu (414), Isabela (341), Pangasinan (313), Pampanga (292), Albay (273), Leyte (262), Tarlac (258), Camarines Sur (252), and Mr. Marcos’ home province of Ilocos Norte (224).
Meanwhile, the provinces most susceptible to flooding according to are Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro, and Ilocos Norte.
He noted that provinces or regions that are most flood-prone should have the most mitigation programs.
“I’m sure there are explanations for that. We will have to study it further. But you would intuitively say that projects — that the areas, rather, the provinces or regions, whatever you want to do, whatever [the most] flood-prone, [that should have the most] projects,” he added.
Regionally, Central Luzon had the most flood control projects, with 1,617, valued at P91.09 billion. It is followed by Metro Manila with 1,058, worth P52.57 billion, and the Bicol Region with 866 projects worth P49.61 billion.
Mr. Marcos also noted that the DPWH’s 170 pumping station projects are found in the capital region, which cost P11.67 billion.
“This really, more than anything, manifests how the pumping stations have become ineffective because of the garbage collection problem. So, that’s indicative of that,” the chief executive added.
In his last SONA, the President ordered the DPWH to investigate flood control projects that failed during recent storms, calling out widespread corruption in infrastructure spending and warning of criminal charges for those found guilty.
He cited his recent inspections after the onslaught of the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong.
Mr. Marcos accused unnamed officials and contractors of pocketing public funds through “kickbacks, initiatives, errata, SOPs (standard operating procedures), for the boys,” and called out their lack of shame. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana