Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has launched an extensive investigation into the Philippine government's multibillion-peso flood control program following an internal review that exposed "disturbing" patterns in project awards and expenditures. The review revealed that 15 contractors received nearly 20% of the PHP500 billion budget allocated for the program.
According to Philippines News Agency, President Marcos announced the creation of sumbongsapangulo.ph, a new public platform that maps ongoing flood control projects and enables citizens to report irregularities. This initiative follows his directive during his fourth State of the Nation Address to audit the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) flood mitigation program, a significant component of the national budget.
Marcos emphasized the need for transparency, acknowledging that some individuals close to him might be implicated. "We have to clean our ranks," he stated, underscoring his commitment to prioritize the welfare of the Filipino people over personal connections.
During a media briefing, Marcos outlined initial findings from the review of the PHP545 billion flood control projects initiated since July 2022. Notably, while there are 2,409 contractors nationwide, just 15 secured contracts worth approximately PHP109 billion. Five of these contractors have projects spanning the entire country, a distribution that Marcos deemed "highly unusual" for the construction sector.
The review also identified 6,021 projects, valued at over PHP350 billion, lacking details on the type of flood control structure being constructed. Furthermore, several projects in different locations were found to have identical contract prices, a situation Marcos described as "impossible."
The President highlighted a mismatch between flood risk and project distribution, noting that regions with high flood risk, such as Pampanga, did not correspond to the number of projects initiated. Additionally, of the 170 pumping stations nationwide, 157 are in Metro Manila, many of which are ineffective due to garbage accumulation.
Despite these findings, Marcos stressed that no formal charges have been filed yet. He called for public vigilance, asserting that public participation is crucial for accountability. "This whole process will not work unless people are involved," he said, urging citizens to use the new website to report on project statuses.
Marcos concluded by reaffirming his commitment to addressing the issue, promising to personally review each report submitted by citizens. The sumbongsapangulo.ph platform aims to empower citizens to evaluate flood control projects and report on their quality and progress.