Jamaine Punzalan

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday began dismantling parts of the nearly P97-million Matalahib Creek pumping station in Quezon City, built by Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction.

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

<div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday began dismantling parts of the nearly P97-million Matalahib Creek pumping station in Quezon City, built by Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction.</p><p>The controversial project has been blamed for worsening flooding in nearby Barangay Talayan after it was constructed directly over the creek, obstructing the natural flow of water toward the San Juan River.</p><p>“Ito na yung part ng solusyon, yung pagtibag natin nitong upstream and downstream gates ng pumping station… para mag-flow yung water nang mabilis at tuloy-tuloy,” said DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.</p><p>Dizon oversaw the dismantling alongside Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Dr. Mahar Lagmay of the University of the Philippines Nationwide Operational Assessment Hazards (Project NOAH), and San Miguel Corp. River Cleanup Program Vice President and Project Manager Jimmy Lu.</p><p>Belmonte welcomed the development, saying the city government had long questioned the logic behind the project.</p><p>“Wala pong pahintulot ng lungsod, wala pong certificate ng coordination, wala rin pong kahit anong permit. In fact, meron kaming statement na hindi kami pumapayag na maipagawa ito sapagkat alam na natin na magiging sagabal ito sa daloy ng tubig at hindi ito makakatulong sa pagbawas ng baha sa lugar. And yet it was continued,” she said.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F3532969363508359%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span>Other flood control interventions in the area include continuous dredging of the creek up to the San Juan River, which is being carried out by the DPWH in partnership with San Miguel Corp., as well as the deployment of mobile water pumps and the planned construction of water detention basins in four “strategic” locations.</div><p>“Hindi namin pinapangako o ginagarantiya na mawawala ang baha dito. Pero tingin ko with this, kahit papano, maiibsan natin kahit papano ang hirap ng mga kababayan natin. Mababawasan natin ang baha at, more importantly, hopefully, mas mabilis itong magsa-subside,” added Dizon.</p><p>Lagmay said these initiatives were science-based.</p><p>“Para po mas magaganda ang ating mga desisyon, maganda na ginagamitan natin ng siyensiya,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ACCOUNTABILITY</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>According to the DPWH, the original recommendation of its Korean consultants was to build a pumping station along the side of the creek— an approach the agency plans to implement once funding is secured in 2027.</p><p>“In the past, ang DPWH gumagawa, hindi natatapos, tapos iniiwan na lang. At imbis na makatulong, nakakasama. So kailangan nating ayusin pero ayusin natin nang tama,” said Dizon.</p><p>He assured the public that those responsible for the flawed design would be held accountable.</p><p>“Kasama ‘to sa mga sinubmit ng ICI (Independent Commission for Infrastructure) at ng DPWH sa Ombudsman, so undergoing ng preliminary investigation. At in fact, nagpunta ang ICI dito,” he added.</p><p>The DPWH earlier announced that it had <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/quezon-city-gov-t-terminates-four-projects-linked-to-discaya-firms-1654">terminated the contract of St. Timothy Construction.</a></p><p>The district engineer in charge of the project, Arturo Gonzales Jr. of the Quezon City First District Engineering Office, has also been replaced and placed on floating status.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/10/sc-dismisses-discaya-petition-vs-ombudsman-over-graft-malversation-raps-1619">SC dismisses Discaya petition vs Ombudsman over graft, malversation raps</a><br/><br/></div>

<p>The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday began dismantling parts of the nearly P97-million Matalahib Creek pumping station in Quezon City, built by Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction.</p>

DPWH tears down Discaya pumping station in Quezon City

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

DPWH tears down Discaya pumping station in Quezon City

Andrea Taguines

Published April 20, 2026 02:41 PM PHT

Read More:

Matalahib Creek Pumping Station

DPWH

Discaya

St Timothy

Quezon City

flood control

Project NOAH

Oplan Kontra Baha

San Miguel Corp

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.