Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17554895878551755489586477.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor inspects a flood control project in Barangay Tagumpay, Naujan, August 17, 2025. <em>Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor is asking why the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Quality Assurance Section and the Commission on Audit (COA) allowed several flood control projects in the province to pass inspection and state audit despite allegedly being substandard.</p><p>The governor claimed that a flood control project in Oriental Mindoro, which collapsed just a year after it was constructed, costs P1 billion per kilometer.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/17/oriental-mindoro-governor-rues-substandard-flood-control-project-nakakapangilabot-0011">Oriental Mindoro governor rues &#x27;substandard&#x27; flood control project: &#x27;Nakakapangilabot&#x27;</a></div><p>“Tanong ko nga paano ito pumasa sa inspection eh, sa technical inspection. Paano pumasa sa COA, &#x27;di ba may quality control?” Dolor said.</p><p>The governor was outraged after discovering that the sheet piles used for the projects along Mag-asawang Tubig and Bucayao Rivers were allegedly split into smaller sections to increase quantity and save on cost.</p><p>&quot;Nakakita na ba kayo nagagawa ng flood control project at nagbabaon sa gabi? Kalian mas madali magbaon ng sheet pile sa gabi o sa araw na kita mo?&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Sa halip na ang sheet pile ay buo, 6, 9, 12 meters, mahigit lang tatlong metro ang ibinaon? Proven yan. Bakit? Dokumentado, may video kami, may pictures, 2023 ko pa rin po yan ini-report sa DPWH,&quot; Dolor said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/a-deeper-look-into-marcos-s-list-of-top-flood-control-contractors-0037">A deeper look into Marcos’s list of top flood control contractors</a></div><p>Dolor also revealed that he already raised concerns to DPWH last year when a flood control project in Brgy. Tagumpay, Naujan collapsed.</p><p>“Gumuho na yan noong 2024. Project noong 2023, gumuho July 18. Ni-report na yan, sinabi ko rin kay director  tapos ganito na naman. Hindi ako nagkulang tatlong taon ko itong ipinipilit sa DPWH,” he added.</p><p>According to Dolor, the flood control projects are not only substandard but also overpriced.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/17/dpwh-engineer-in-collapsed-flood-control-project-in-oriental-mindoro-fired-2312">DPWH engineer in collapsed flood control project in Oriental Mindoro fired<br/></a></div><p>“Ang tanong dito bakit gaanon kahuna? Eh kasi kailangang may bawiin. Kung walang babawiin sa paggawa niyan, hindi yan ganyan,” he stressed.</p><p>Dolor said DPWH Mimaropa has allocated ₱39 billion for flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro from 2023 to 2025, but until now, they remain incomplete.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/15/some-flood-control-projects-incomplete-despite-finished-contracts-marcos-1656">Some flood-control projects incomplete despite finished contracts: Marcos<br/></a></div><p>“Sino ba nagpondo nito? Sino ba nag-insert ng pondo na ito?&quot; he asked.</p><p>“Wala naman project na hindi dadaan ng Kongreso, lahat ng project dumadaan ng Kongreso. Lahat naman ng funds dumadaan sa kanila, kapag dumadaan sa kanila public funds ito at kung public funds ito dapat ito ay open sa public scrutiny,“ he added.</p><p>DPWH Mimaropa Regional Director Gerald Pacanan earlier said that only 38 kilometers—or about 12%—of rivers in Oriental Mindoro currently have flood control, and that ₱160 billion is still needed to complete the remaining works.</p><p>A total of 284.78 kilometers need flood control, but priority is given to the most critical and vulnerable areas.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" 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><p>However, during his visit to Naujan on Sunday, Pacanan clarified that the flood control projects did not cost ₱1 billion per kilometer, saying his staff had given him the wrong figure.</p><p>He said the actual cost of road dikes is around ₱700,000 to ₱750,000 per linear meter.</p><p>“So ipagpalagay na lang natin 700,000 per linear meter, ang isang billion ay aabot po ng mga 1.4 plus kilometers,” Pacanan explained.</p><p>He also said that only around 7 kilometers of flood control structures have been completed so far.</p><p>“Ang paggawa po natin ng flood control ay hindi po parang isang linya na idudugtong-dugtong natin lahat kasi po may mga bayan, lugar, barangay na kailangan din po ng flood control, so ina-allocate natin yung flood control base on needs,“ he explained.</p><p>“Inuuna po natin yung mga barangay na may vulnerabilities. Kritikal po para po maproteksyonan natin ang kanilang hanapbuhay, ang kanilang mismong buhay,” he added.</p><p>Pacanan personally inspected several flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro to verify Dolor’s allegations of substandard construction.</p><p>But he said he cannot yet confirm if he found any substandard work during the inspection.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/16/oriental-mindoro-governor-barred-from-inspecting-collapsed-flood-control-project-0118">Oriental Mindoro governor barred from inspecting collapsed flood control project</a></div><p>“Ang DPWH po particularly ang DPWH Mimaropa, kami po ay talagang nago-observe ng pinakamataas na quality ng standard, ng efficiency, transparency at saka walang tolerance sa corruption,” Pacanan said.</p><p>The contractors involved in the allegedly substandard projects, some of which were previously flagged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., have yet to issue a statement.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EixMR8qC7l8?si=lvl26oFiC5v5471l" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor is asking why the DPWH Quality Assurance Section and COA allowed several flood control projects in the province to pass inspection and state audit despite allegedly being substandard.</p>

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor is asking why the DPWH Quality Assurance Section and COA allowed several flood control projects in the province to pass inspection and state audit despite allegedly being substandard.

Oriental Mindoro governor asks how 'substandard' flood control projects passed audit, inspection

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Oriental Mindoro governor asks how 'substandard' flood control projects passed audit, inspection

Dennis Datu,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 18, 2025 01:01 PM PHT

Read More:

FLOOD CONTROL

DPWH

NAUJAN

ORIENTAL MINDORO

GOV. BONZ DOLOR

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