The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started reviewing thousands of flood control projects nationwide, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to identify unfinished, failed, or questionable initiatives.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan confirmed that his agency is preparing a comprehensive report covering over 15,000 projects carried out from 2022 to 2026, with nearly 10,000 completed so far and the rest scheduled for the next two years.
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Crafting New Audit Protocols
In line with this directive, the Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC), which operates under the Regional Development Council (RDC), is also setting up detailed protocols to guide the audit.
“The Regional Project Monitoring Committee is really composed of regional line agencies and also includes private sector representatives,” said Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon in a post-SONA briefing.
Edillon explained that while awaiting the official project list from DPWH, the committee is drafting parameters, verification methods, and plans to consult engineers to ensure an objective review.
Focus on Transparency and Accountability
President Marcos recently inspected flood-hit areas and observed substandard or collapsed infrastructure, prompting concerns about misuse of the P1 trillion spent on flood mitigation over the past decade. In his State of the Nation Address, he ordered the DPWH to submit the list of flood control projects since his term began in 2022 and warned that charges would follow if anomalies are confirmed.
“Magiging maagap din kami sa pag-report nito sa RDC at sa Pangulo (We will promptly report this to the RDC and to the President),” Edillon added.
Bonoan, for his part, stressed that the agency is trying to maximize resources. “The rivers are also heavily silted… we need to increase the carrying capacity and discharge capacity of our rivers, particularly the big ones,” he pointed out.
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Calls for Independent Review and Legislative Caution
However, economist Manuel Leyco from the Center for People Empowerment and Governance argued that DPWH might not be the right body to lead the audit, given corruption allegations. He suggested forming an independent committee instead.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson urged lawmakers to heed the president’s warning about inserting suspicious items in the budget.
“The pronouncement should cut to the bone. Those who don’t feel any shame would simply be bad to the bone,” Lacson said.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced plans to include civil society observers in budget discussions, mid-year agency reviews, and a broad congressional audit of infrastructure projects to improve oversight.
