Julia Christine Botin

'We did not inherit a bed of roses': DPWH admits some flood control projects 'hastily prepared'

Article (news)

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

The Department of Public Works and Highways is set to submit a list of all flood control projects under the Marcos administration amid the President’s call to weed out ghost projects.DPWH Secretary Emmanuel Bonoan said he is thankful that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is setting his sights on flood control, saying the challenges faced by government continue to rise.“Computerized naman lahat ng monitoring namin sa lahat ng mga projects sa department so it’s just a matter of taking it out from each district or region, anong category, magkano cost,, anong status. Pwede naming ibigay kay presidente,” he said in a DZMM interview.“When we assumed office dito sa administrasyon ni Presidente..nadatnan namin talaga na matindi ang pangangailangan natin sa pag-address ng flood control dito sa ating bansa. We did not inherit a bed of roses. Sa tinagal-tagal ng panahon, mas marami ang kailangang gawin para sa mga flood control projects.”One challenge faced by DPWH is heavily silted rivers, which contribute heavily to the flooding problem, he said.He also acknowledged that while some flood control projects are properly engineered, budgets for project preparation are “cut down to the barest minimum but we did our best with it.”He revealed that some projects are even added after the General Appropriations Act.“Nadadagdag ng nadagdag. These are hastily prepared, some of them are hastily prepared...We have to see that the projects are worthwhile at walang corruption,” he said.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/-mahiya-naman-kayo-marcos-order-probe-on-corruption-in-flood-control-projects-1725">an investigation</a> into possible corruption in flood control projects, some of which faltered this month when monsoon rains driven by cyclones spawned floods in various parts of the country.&quot;Kitang-kita ko na maraming proyekto para sa flood control ay palpak at gumuho. Yung iba ay guni-guni lang. Huwag na po tayong magkuyari, alam naman ng buong madla na nagkakaraket sa mga proyekto: mga kickback, mga initiative… SOP, for the boys,&quot; Marcos said in his fourth State of the Nation Address.

The Department of Public Works and Highways is set to submit a list of all flood control projects under the Marcos administration amid the President’s call to weed out ghost projects.

The Department of Public Works and Highways is set to submit a list of all flood control projects under the Marcos administration amid the President’s call to weed out ghost projects.