Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

'Ghost' flood control project sa Bgy. Calero sa Malolos, Bulacan.

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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Johnson Manabat

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/1755838976690cropped-Screen Shot 2025-08-22 at 1.00.50 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">ABS-CBN News inspected the alleged &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood control project in Bgy. Calero, Malolos, Bulacan mentioned by Sen. Ping Lacson. Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MALOLOS, Bulacan — During his speech earlier his week, Senator Panfilo Lacson said his team discovered a “ghost” riverbank protection project in Bgy. Calero worth more than P77 million.</p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/20/lacson-details-corruption-in-flood-control-projects-1924">Lacson </a>said based on the Sumbong ng Pangulo website, the “ghost” flood control project in question was already completed in October 2024.</p><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><p>ABS-CBN News visited the site on Thursday.</p><p>Bgy. Calero chairman Ruben Paraiso agreed with Lacson that the project is almost non-existent.</p><p>“Bakit naging completed eh ang nakikita ko lang na nayayari… kakapiraso pa. Nayari po yun 2024 pa, ngayong 2025 wala pa kaming nakikita na nayayari kundi 175 meter.... Hindi pa po tapos, ongoing pa po ang construction,” Paraiso said.</p><p>According to Paraiso, construction of some parts of the said project started in 2024 and other parts just this year.</p><p>“Hindi po namin natanong dun sa mga subcontractor kung kailan matatapos yan. Wala naman silang ikinakabit na kahit na anong mapagbabatayan namin kung kailan matatapos yung project na yan,” Paraiso added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CLUELESS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Paraiso said he did not know the actual contract price of the said river protection project.</p><p>“Yun po ang hindi namin alam na ganon po ang mga presyo ng mga itinatayo ritong ano ng gobyerno,” Paraiso said.</p><p>He believes if the project will finally be completed, it will solve the persistent flood problems in their village, aggravated by high tide.</p><p>“Malaki po ang maitutulong niyan sa amin—yung masasakop ng flood control na yan, dahil nga po sinasabi ng gobyerno na mapipigil ang pagbaha kagaya nga po noong nakaraan naming hightide at tsaka itong bagyo at habagat eh talaga pong lahat ng pilapit dito sa amin eh lubog pati yung flooring ng bahay eh lubog,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Ngayon, kung iyon po ay lahat mayayari at magkaka-dugtong-dugtong eh maaari pong hindi na papasukin ng tubig—magkakaroon po ng improvement,” Paraiso added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PUMPING STATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Aside from the “ghost” riverbank protection project mentioned by Lacson, a pumping station in Bgy. Calero is also under construction.</p><p>Based on posters in the area, the project costs more than P92 million.</p><p>“Ang nakita lang namin ay yun lang pumping station na itinatayo malapit sa eskwelahan na P92.5 million. Hindi rin po namin alam kung kailan matatapos,” Paraiso said.</p><p>Paraiso emphasized that there was no formal communication pertaining to the project.</p><p>“Wala pa kaming pinipirmahan diyan—basta po lahat ng inano diyan, wala kaming natanggap na pinirmahan. Basta sinabi lang nila, dumating dito…kap, magatatayo kami sa lugar na ito—100 meters ganon lang po, wala na,” according to Paraiso.</p><p>Bulacan is among the provinces with the most number of flood control projects. However, it is also still among the most flooded.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/19/coa-gets-critical-docs-on-bulacan-flood-control-projects-amid-fraud-audit-1633">COA gets ‘critical’ docs on Bulacan flood control projects amid fraud audit<br/></a></div><p>According to the Sumbong ng Pangulo website, there are 3 projects in Bgy. Calero, namely a reinforced concrete flood control structure (P72 million), a riverbank protection structure (P77 million) and a revetment project (P72 million) under 3 different contractors.</p><p>Two more river protection projects along the Calero River were also listed on the website, which were awarded to a different contractor.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/21/villanueva-looks-into-alleged-ghost-flood-control-projects-in-bulacan-1342">Villanueva looks into alleged &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood control projects in Bulacan</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gN3kzt2WCbE?si=71kHhB2t6D8yUPIq" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Bgy. Calero chairman Ruben Paraiso agreed with Sen. Ping Lacson's report that a P77-M riverbank protection project is almost non-existent.</p>

Bgy. Calero chairman Ruben Paraiso agreed with Sen. Ping Lacson's report that a P77-M riverbank protection project is almost non-existent.

Malolos barangay officials back Lacson's claims on 'ghost' flood control projects

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Malolos barangay officials back Lacson's claims on 'ghost' flood control projects

Johnson Manabat,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 22, 2025 01:04 PM PHT

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Malolos Bulacan

flood control project

Calero

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