Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F25100025329690504%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=""></iframe></div><p>MANILA — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday visited the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, the epicenter of the flood control corruption mess. </p><p>Dizon met with the new officers-in-charge, District Engineer Kenneth Fernando and Assistant District Engineer Paul Lumabas, at the very table once used to divide up hundreds of millions of pesos in alleged kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>“Ang ilalatag natin sa table ngayon, hindi pera, kundi solusyon. Symbolic ito din ng pagbabago,” said Dizon.</p><p>Fernando and Lumabas are civil engineers from the DPWH Central Office. </p><p>Trained under the agency’s cadetship program, Fernando pursued graduate studies in Japan with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) while Lumabas is currently completing his Master’s Degree at Bulacan State University.</p><p>They replace <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/brice-hernandez-dismissed-from-dpwh-0943">Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez</a>, who were earlier sacked and are now under investigation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/ex-dpwh-engineer-says-all-projects-in-bulacan-first-district-substandard-since-2019-1135">Ex-DPWH engineer says all projects in Bulacan First District &#x27;substandard&#x27; since 2019</a></div><p>“Ang kabilin-bilinan ko lang sa kanilang dalawa, wag kayong gagaya doon sa mga papalitan niyo kasi kung gumaya kayo, kung anong nangyari sa kanila, yun din ang mangyayari sa inyo… Let’s do this right,” Dizon told them.</p><p>Fernando, for his part, believes the right measures are already in place in the DPWH, saying it’s just a matter of following them.</p><p>“Regarding temptations, kailangan na po natin ng pananalig doon. So just keep the integrity, kagaya po ng namana namin sa previous mentors namin para po magawa nang tama yung trabaho,” he said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Rommel Tello will concurrently serve as Regional Director for Central Luzon.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/24/ex-dpwh-engineers-file-counter-affidavits-on-flood-control-projects-1750">Ex-DPWH engineers file counter-affidavits on flood control projects</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>CALUMPIT INSPECTION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Dizon immediately put them to work on their first day, showing them the ghost and substandard flood control projects they needed to correct in Barangay Bulusan in Calumpit, Bulacan. The site had earlier been inspected by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. </p><p>“Ito dapat meron ditong flood control. Ang problema, dahil nga ghost project, may 777 meters na gap (yung dike). Hindi natin maso-solve (ang baha) hangga’t hindi natin masara yan all the way,” said Dizon.</p><p>Residents say they are inundated with waist-deep waters seven months a year, a situation worsened by high tide. When the water recedes, thick mud remains.</p><p>“Naglalagay po yung barangay ng lubid, tinatali sa mga puno para makalakad mga tao. Tatangayin ka kung wala kasi malakas dyan ang agos,” shared Remedios Francisco.</p><p>“Gusto naming malaman kung may kasiguraduhan bang magagawa kasi sobrang hirap na. Ang gusto ko dito ilaban talaga yung aming baryo,” she said, after running after Dizon to complain about their plight.</p><p>Livelihoods have also been affected.</p><p>“Yung pagsasaka po rito almost 19 months nang hindi natataniman. Napakatagal nang panahon kaya wala na source of income dito,” said Barangay Chairman Danilo Marin.</p><p>Dizon has ordered the conduct of technical studies to properly seal the gaps in the dike. Since there is no funding for locally funded flood control projects next year, the remaining budget from 2025 will be used.</p><p>The DPWH is also planning to clear structures built too close to the river, to make way for proper flood control structures.</p><p>“Siyempre, ico-compensate naman sila pero habang ginagawa yung plano kailangan ma-clear na ‘to para tuloy-tuloy yung construction,” said Dizon.</p><p>The agency is working with Project NOAH Executive Director Mahar Lagmay and other experts to ensure all projects follow the master plan, while also accounting for land subsidence.</p>

<p>Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday visited the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, the epicenter of the flood control corruption mess.</p>

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday visited the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, the epicenter of the flood control corruption mess.

Dizon visits Bulacan DPWH office tagged in flood control mess, meets new officials

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Dizon visits Bulacan DPWH office tagged in flood control mess, meets new officials

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 15, 2025 11:04 AM PHT

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Updated December 16, 2025 04:09 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

corruption

flood control

baha

budget insertions

kickbacks

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