Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17553645760851755364574651.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor was dismayed to find that the dike was filled mostly with sand, had thin concrete, and was supported by only small steel bars. ABS-CBN News"/>Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor was dismayed to find that the dike was filled mostly with sand, had thin concrete, and was supported by only small steel bars. ABS-CBN News </div>Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor lost his temper after he was barred from inspecting a portion of a flood dike that collapsed in Naujan town on Saturday.Dolor and his team were on their way to inspect the damaged dike in Barangay Mulawin when a security guard blocked them saying the project&#x27;s contractor had ordered that no one can enter the site without a written permit from the Department of Public Works and Highways.The inspection was supposed to be conducted jointly by the provincial government and the DPWH Mimaropa.“Ang ibig sabihin kahit ako hindi puwdeng pumasok sa lalawigang ito? Ay papasukin ko ito sa ayaw ninyo at sa gusto dahil ito ay lugar ng lalawigan, public ito,” said Dolor.“Grabe kayo tatandaan ninyo ito, ako ang gobernador sa probinsyang ito. Pinoprotekyonan ko lang tapos kayong nagnenegosyo sasabihin ninyo hindi puwedeng pumasok dahil walang written permit?&quot; he added. The governor expressed dismay at DPWH Mimaropa Regional Director Engr. Gerald Pacanan, saying they had already agreed on the joint inspection to check the progress of repairs. “Aba director Gerald, hindi ko ito gusto, ako ay taong nakipag-usap sa inyo tapos sasabihin sa akin dito ng kumpanya hindi ako pupwedeng pumasok ng wala kayong order, at ang sabi walang written order ninyo,” Dolor said. Dolor suspects they were being prevented from discovering issues with the flood control project. “Ngayon ipuputok ko lahat ito, nanahimik ako ng ilang buwan, tingnan natin kung gaano kapalpak ang trabaho ninyo dito,” he warned. After 30 minutes, Dolor proceeded with the inspection without DPWH representatives and threatened to declare both DPWH personnel and the contractor persona non grata. At the site along the Bucayao River in Barangay Mulawin, about 100 meters of the dike collapsed during massive flooding last month. Dolor was dismayed to find that the dike was filled mostly with sand, had thin concrete, and was supported by only small steel bars. The flood control project reportedly cost over ₱200 million and was only built in 2024. Dolor recalled that he had already raised objections to the project’s design as early as 2023, suggesting a more durable solid concrete structure, but the DPWH insisted on pushing through with the current design. “Ang original na design na gusto ko dito sa halip na buhangin ang gitna, kongkreto na buo, iniexplain ko na yan kay director noong 2023, sabi ko ayaw ko niyan, sabi niyo maganda gov ang desinyo yan, ilang  buwan ko yang pinatigil ang construction, sabi ninyo gov, maganda yan, napakaganda ho niyan,” Dolor said. He also criticized the cost, saying some flood control projects in the province were worth up to P1 billion per kilometer, yet had already collapsed in less than a year.“Saan kayo nakakita  20 plus meters ang lapad tapos puro buhangin, puro ganito... samantalang kung kahit maikli, kahit manipis kung kongkretong buo mas matibay, nakakita na ba kayo  P1 billion per 1 kilometer?&quot;&quot;Ibang klase, ibang klase dito ang kontratista!” the governor said.He compared this with a 600-meter gabion built by the province 10 years ago for only P40 million, which remains intact to this day.“P40 million as against P1 billion per kilometer na hindi pa nakaisang taon sira na,“ Dolor said, adding that ₱1 billion could have built five kilometers of sturdier flood control structures if funds were spent wisely. Dolor stressed that from 2023 to 2025, about P39 billion has already been poured into flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro, yet flooding remains unresolved.Pacanan explained that based on DPWH’s study, 284.78 kilometers of rivers in Oriental Mindoro need flood control structures, but only 37 kilometers—or about 12 percent—have been completed so far. He added that over ₱160 billion is still needed to finish all necessary projects. “So yung P37 billion almost P38 billion na napondohan ng ating pamahalaan sa loob ng tatlong taon ay nagrerepresent lamang po yan ng mga nasa more or less 30 plus or 38 or 37 kilometers, so kulang pa po talaga doon sa pangangailangan natin kasi kung estimate natin ang pangangailangan  talaga natin is aabot ay aabot yan ng 160 plus B kung talagang ating iaanalyze ng maayos , kung ipercentage natin  baka nasa 12 percent pa lang ang nagagawa natin,” Pacanan said.Dolor appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to investigate what he called substandard flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro.“Kagalang-galang na Pangulo, kita ninyo naman po ang pinaggagawa sa aming probinsya,&quot; he said. &quot;Sana po Mr. President, sana po ay una tama muna po ang paggawa ng flood mitigation or flood control projects kung ang gagawa din lamang po at magdidisenyo ay the same people na gumawa noong 2023, 2024 at 2025, ikalawa ho sana ho ang mag-iplementa nito Mr. President  eh hindi na ho &#x27;yung mga taong nag-implementa rin at ikatlo ho sana ho yung mga local government unit, mga gobernadors, mga mayors, mga kapitan tinatanong,” Dolor urged. Pacanan said a fact-finding team has been created to investigate Dolor’s complaints and assured that negligent contractors will be held accountable.“Bibigyan natin ng due process, mahirap naman na magsalita agad baka sabihin masyado akong nagdedepensa, denedepensahan ko ang contractor o kung sinoman, kapag napatunayan  po natin na talagang may pagkukulang  itong contractor , hindi ko ito papalampasin,” Pacanan said. Oriental Mindoro is one of the provinces earlier identified by President Marcos as highly flood-prone.<div> <iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s2YE93KFa8w??si=dCtmt_qYAaFRZShc&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor later discovered that the dike was filled mostly with sand, had thin concrete, and was supported by only small steel bars.

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor later discovered that the dike was filled mostly with sand, had thin concrete, and was supported by only small steel bars.

Oriental Mindoro governor barred from inspecting collapsed flood control project

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Oriental Mindoro governor barred from inspecting collapsed flood control project

Dennis Datu,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 17, 2025 01:18 AM PHT

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Oriental Mindoro

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