President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has raised alarm over “disturbing” findings in the government’s flood-control projects, citing questionable contractor distribution, vague project details, and mismatched priorities.
In a press conference held Monday morning, August 11, Marcos revealed that 20 percent of the entire P545-billion flood-control projects nationwide were awarded to only 15 contractors, with five of them handling projects in nearly every region.
Marcos called this “the most striking” detail and emphasized the need for a thorough investigation.
Marcos also disclosed that more than P350 billion worth of projects lacked clear descriptions of the type of flood control being built, repaired, or rehabilitated.
He noted that 6,021 projects had identical contract costs despite being located in different areas with varying terrain, calling the uniformity “impossible”.
“It is impossible for one barangay — even if they are the next barangay — to have the exact same project, to have exact same amount with the exact same contractor,” he said.
Another red flag was the mismatch between the provinces with the most flood-control projects and those most prone to flooding.
The 10 provinces with the most projects are Bulacan (668), Cebu (414), Isabela (341), Pangasinan (313), Pampanga (292), Albay (273), Leyte (262), Tarlac (258), Camarines Sur (252), and Ilocos Norte (224).
While the top 10 flood-prone provinces include Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro, and Ilocos Norte.
The regions with the most projects and highest spending, on the other hand, were National Capital Region with 1,058 projects, costing P52.57 billion; Central Luzon with 1,617 projects, costing P98.01 billion; and Bicol Region with 866 projects, costing P49.61 billion.
Marcos questioned the logic behind the distribution and called for a closer review of how project locations were chosen.
To promote transparency and public involvement, Marcos launched the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website listing all flood-control projects nationwide.
The platform allows citizens to report anomalies or confirm proper implementation.
He assured the public that he would personally review all submissions and emphasized that this initiative marks the beginning of a broader investigation into the flood-control program.(Betheena Unite)
