Jonathan Frederic De Santos

ABS-CBN News inspected the alleged 'ghost' flood control project in Bgy. Calero, Malolos, Bulacan mentioned by Sen. Ping Lacson. Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit

MANILA — Outside Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan, Cebu, and Isabela are the provinces with highest cost and number of flood control projects supposedly completed between July 2022 and May 2025. Data extracted from the <a href="https://sumbongsapangulo.ph/">Sumbong sa Pangulo</a> website on August 12, 2025 shows that Bulacan received P43.8 billion for 668 projects.Cebu ranks second, with P26.7 billion for 414 projects, and Isabela follows, with P22.8 billion for 337 projects.Tarlac and Camarines Sur trail behind in terms of combined cost of contracts, but they ranked eighth and ninth in number of projects, respectively.Below is the breakdown of the top 20 provinces based on total contract cost, including the project count.<div> </div><table border="1" cellPadding="0" cellSpacing="0" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" id="isPasted" style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border:none;text-align:center;--darkreader-inline-border-top:none;--darkreader-inline-border-right:none;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:none;--darkreader-inline-border-left:none" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>Rank</td><td>Province</td><td>Number of Projects</td><td>Cost of Projects</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>BULACAN</td><td>668</td><td> 43,754,961,326.51</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>CEBU</td><td>414</td><td> 26,705,678,106.46</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>ISABELA</td><td>337</td><td> 22,770,663,527.87</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>TARLAC</td><td>258</td><td> 18,584,916,134.50</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>CAMARINES SUR</td><td>250</td><td> 17,554,005,546.70</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>ALBAY</td><td>272</td><td> 16,116,234,429.29</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>PAMPANGA</td><td>293</td><td> 14,566,653,597.98</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>LEYTE</td><td>261</td><td> 14,157,164,150.85</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>PANGASINAN</td><td>313</td><td> 13,605,505,191.37</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>MISAMIS ORIENTAL</td><td>181</td><td> 13,557,248,392.90</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>ORIENTAL MINDORO</td><td>139</td><td> 11,107,084,988.23</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>NEGROS OCCIDENTAL</td><td>208</td><td> 11,098,163,632.04</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>CAVITE</td><td>192</td><td> 11,006,280,648.44</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>LA UNION</td><td>166</td><td> 11,005,023,598.93</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>DAVAO DEL SUR</td><td>168</td><td> 10,256,505,031.61</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>ILOCOS NORTE</td><td>223</td><td> 10,049,721,839.19</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>AGUSAN DEL NORTE</td><td>89</td><td> 9,902,944,557.62 </td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>NUEVA ECIJA</td><td>163</td><td> 9,381,476,567.53 </td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>LAGUNA</td><td>152</td><td> 8,916,428,144.97</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>OCCIDENTAL MINDORO</td><td>107</td><td> 8,720,533,486.10</td></tr></tbody></table><div> </div>Among all provinces, Bulacan and Cebu also recorded the highest cost and the most projects handled by the 15 contractors with the most flood control projects. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/15-contractors-cornered-p100-b-worth-of-flood-control-projects-since-2022-marcos-1053">15 contractors cornered P100-B worth of flood control projects since 2022: Marcos</a></div>The top 15 contractors implemented 219 projects worth P16.5 billion in Bulacan and 117 projects totaling P9.6 billion in Cebu. Abra comes third, registering 69 projects valued at P5.39 billion. It is closely followed by Isabela’s P5.28 billion for 72 projects.Here is a list of 20 provinces with the largest total cost of flood control projects implemented by the top 15 contractors.<div> </div><table border="1" cellPadding="0" cellSpacing="0" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" id="isPasted" style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border:none;text-align:center;--darkreader-inline-border-top:none;--darkreader-inline-border-right:none;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:none;--darkreader-inline-border-left:none" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>Rank</td><td>Province</td><td>Number of Projects</td><td>Cost of Projects</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>BULACAN</td><td>219</td><td>16,533,768,582.20</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>CEBU</td><td>117</td><td>9,571,747,415.50</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>ABRA</td><td>69</td><td>5,389,117,680.50</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>ISABELA</td><td>72</td><td>5,284,081,866.40</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>TARLAC</td><td>44</td><td>4,612,499,068.30</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>CAMARINES SUR</td><td>43</td><td>4,146,422,298.40</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>ROMBLON</td><td>40</td><td>3,832,986,091.30</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>SORSOGON</td><td>57</td><td>3,334,591,087.05</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>ORIENTAL MINDORO</td><td>17</td><td>3,292,924,516.30</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>ALBAY</td><td>38</td><td>3,124,876,588.45</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>NEGROS OCCIDENTAL</td><td>38</td><td>2,799,073,911.50</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>MISAMIS ORIENTAL</td><td>26</td><td>2,057,470,169.70</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>OCCIDENTAL MINDORO</td><td>12</td><td>1,730,259,586.00</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>ILOCOS NORTE</td><td>22</td><td>1,576,158,421.30</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>CAVITE</td><td>23</td><td>1,339,351,073.77</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>NEGROS ORIENTAL</td><td>27</td><td>1,234,385,555.10</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>LA UNION</td><td>13</td><td>1,148,545,572.80</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>DAVAO DEL SUR</td><td>14</td><td>1,098,872,290.20</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>RIZAL</td><td>19</td><td>1,098,070,893.70</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>LAGUNA</td><td>11</td><td>776,304,055.80</td></tr></tbody></table><div> </div>The <a href="https://sumbongsapangulo.ph/">Sumbong sa Pangulo</a> website was launched two weeks after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had sworn to investigate substandard flood control projects at his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28, 2025. <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/marcos-launches-website-to-seek-public-help-in-auditing-flood-control-projects-0923">&#x27;Sumbong sa Pangulo&#x27;: Marcos launches website to seek public help in auditing flood control projects</a>The website lists 9,855 flood control projects which can be searched by location, type of structure, and the fiscal year it was approved. It also features a report function where users can send videos, pictures or messages concerning the projects in their areas.Since its launch, several alleged irregularities in flood works have surfaced. An example is a road dike along Bongabong River in Oriental Mindoro that collapsed because it allegedly lacked steel reinforcement. Listed on the website are three road dikes, each costing P217 million, that were completed along said river in December 2023. Another case is the P55 million river wall project in Baliuag, Bulacan, which Marcos said has not started despite being marked as complete. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/20/marcos-inspects-flood-control-project-in-bulacan-as-probe-intensifies-0913">Oriental Mindoro gov shows collapsed dike to DPWH director: &#x27;Kalokohan na ito&#x27; </a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/20/marcos-inspects-flood-control-project-in-bulacan-as-probe-intensifies-0913">Marcos &#x27;very angry&#x27; over P55-M &#x27;ghost&#x27; riverwall project in Baliuag, Bulacan</a></div>

Outside Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan, Cebu, and Isabela are the provinces with highest cost and number of flood control projects supposedly completed between July 2022 and May 2025.

Outside Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan, Cebu, and Isabela are the provinces with highest cost and number of flood control projects supposedly completed between July 2022 and May 2025.

Top provinces in terms of project cost, count based on the Sumbong ng Pangulo website

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Top provinces in terms of project cost, count based on the Sumbong ng Pangulo website

ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit

Published August 22, 2025 09:50 PM PHT

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Updated August 22, 2025 11:43 PM PHT

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flood control project

Sumbong sa Pangulo

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Department of Public Works and Highways

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