Marilyn Cahatol

Residents go about their daily activities in Barangay Meyto, Calumpit, Bulacan on September 10, 2025. 
SumbongSaPangulo.ph listed seven flood control projects in Barangays Meyto and San Jose, Calumpit, Bulacan—worth hundreds of millions of pesos and supposedly completed between 2023 and 2024 under the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, which is under scrutiny for alleged ghost projects in the province. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

FLOOD CONTROL PROBE - CALUMPIT

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176439019712520250910-flood-control-barangay-meyto-JC0473.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Residents go about their daily activities in Barangay Meyto, Calumpit, Bulacan on September 10, 2025. SumbongSaPangulo.ph listed seven flood control projects in Barangays Meyto and San Jose, Calumpit, Bulacan—worth hundreds of millions of pesos and supposedly completed between 2023 and 2024 under the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, which is under scrutiny for alleged ghost projects in the province. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Residents go about their daily activities in Barangay Meyto, Calumpit, Bulacan on September 10, 2025. SumbongSaPangulo.ph listed seven flood control projects in Barangays Meyto and San Jose, Calumpit, Bulacan—worth hundreds of millions of pesos and supposedly completed between 2023 and 2024 under the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, which is under scrutiny for alleged ghost projects in the province. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Commission on Audit on Saturday said it filed four fraud audit reports with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure over P297 million worth of anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.  </p><p>The ICI has referred its reports and recommendations to the Office of the Ombudsman, which conducts a preliminary investigation to determine whether cases should be filed in court.</p><p>COA said the projects awarded to government contractors Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction &amp; Trading were found to have “serious and recurring signs of misuse of public funds.”</p><p>The flagged projects included flood mitigation structures at Barangay San Nicolas in Hagonoy. The contract was awarded to Wawao Builders for more than P77 million.</p><p>Through a technical inspection, the audit agency found no structures in the project’s supposed locations despite being labeled 100% complete on paper.</p><p>A riverbank protection structure at Barangay Iba, Hagonoy, also awarded to Wawao Builders for P74 million, was found constructed in an area different from its designated location.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/11/28/drone-view-shows-systemic-flooding-plaguing-hagonoy-bulacan-1029"><strong>Drone view shows systemic flooding plaguing Hagonoy, Bulacan</strong></a></div><p>An existing structure was also found in its new location, which COA said may have been funded from other contracts. This means that the contractor was paid, through the new projects, for a structure already existing at the site.</p><p>Another flood control structure was also pre-existing in the supposed location in Guiguinto River, Malis Section, Guiguinto, still awarded to Wawao Builders for P96 million.</p><p>COA said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) representatives identified a different location for the project, in which an incomplete structure was found.</p><p>A supposed flood control structure along barangays Virgen Delos Flores, Sta. Barbara and Tiaong in Baliuag, worth over P49 million, was also considered “ghost” or non-existent.</p><p>The project was a joint venture of Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction and Trading.</p><p>COA said they also found material deficiencies in the projects’ documents, including their statements of Work Accomplished (SWA), As-Built Plans, and justification for project relocation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/27/bir-files-tax-evasion-cases-vs-contractors-tagged-in-bulacan-flood-control-projects-1025">BIR files tax evasion cases vs contractors tagged in Bulacan flood control projects</a></div><p>Aside from former DPWH Bulacan engineers, including Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, COA also listed in the personalities liable for the anomalous projects Engrs. Ernesto Galang, Paul Jayson Duya, Jolo Mari Tayao, Mark Lester Castro, John Michael Ramos and Rafaelito Marcelo.</p><p>Wawao Builders’ General Manager Mark Arevalo and SYMS Construction and Trading’s Sally Santos were responsible for the projects, said COA.</p><p>The agency noted they may face charges for graft and corruption, malversation, and falsification of documents. The agency also noted violations of COA Circular No. 2009-001 on the submission of project documents.</p><p>Arevalo and Santos earlier revealed that their companies were both involved in the &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/contractors-claim-dpwh-officials-involved-in-hiram-lisensiya-scheme-1849">hiram lisensiya</a>&quot; scheme.</p><p>Arevalo claimed he was forced by DPWH officials to let them borrow his contracting license to bid on projects. He said he was afraid to refuse because his business might suffer.</p><p>Santos, meanwhile, admitted liaising between DPWH officials and government contractors to execute the scheme. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vTXWAwc0oG8?si=S7L-Pd2KBMYE-GeE" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Commission on Audit on Saturday said it has filed four fraud audit reports with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure over P297 million worth of anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.</p>

The Commission on Audit on Saturday said it has filed four fraud audit reports with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure over P297 million worth of anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.

COA files 4 fraud audit reports over P297-M worth of Bulacan flood control projects

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COA files 4 fraud audit reports over P297-M worth of Bulacan flood control projects

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 29, 2025 12:45 PM PHT

Read More:

Flood control

DPWH

Bulacan

COA

corruption

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