MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has raised concerns over the awarding of government flood control contracts, following an initial review that revealed 15 companies secured about 20% of nearly 10,000 projects since 2022.

The review, conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), covered 9,885 projects worth ₱545.64 billion between July 2022 and May 2025.

Officials said ₱100 billion of this amount went to 15 contractors, including firms with political links. Five companies – Legacy Construction Corporation, Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., St. Timothy Construction Corporation, EGB Construction Corporation, and Road Edge Trading & Development Services – won projects in almost all regions.

One contractor, Sunwest Construction, has ties to Ako Bicol congressman Zaldy Co, while St. Timothy Construction is linked to a former Pasig City mayoral candidate, Sarah Discaya.

Marcos also highlighted that 6,021 projects, worth more than ₱350 billion, did not specify what type of structures were built, repaired, or rehabilitated. In some cases, designs, materials, and dimensions were identical despite differences in terrain and location.

“We are not accusing anyone yet,” the president told reporters on Monday. “But it gives us an idea of how these have been conducted.”

Regional Distribution Questioned

The highest number of flood control projects were recorded in Central Luzon with 1,617 projects worth ₱98.01 billion, followed by Metro Manila with 1,058 projects worth ₱52.57 billion, and the Bicol Region with 866 projects worth ₱49.61 billion.

However, these figures do not fully match the government’s list of the country’s most flood-prone provinces, which includes Nueva Ecija, Maguindanao, and Oriental Mindoro.

Bulacan topped the list of provinces by number of projects (668), followed by Cebu (414) and Isabela (314).

Of the country’s 170 pumping stations, 157 are in Metro Manila.

“I think you will notice they do not necessarily match. I’m sure there are explanations for that. We have to study this further but you could intuitively say… na yung pinaka flood prone, yun dapat ang may pinakamaraming projects. Kailangan natin tingnan bakit naging ganiyan,” the President said.

“Many projects also in different locations have exactly the same contract cost… It is impossible for one barangay to have the same projects, with the exact same amount, with the exact same contractor… Imposible yan,” he added.

‘Sumbong sa Pangulo’ Launched to Flag Incomplete or Suspicious Projects

The president announced the launch of a “Sumbong Sa Pangulo” (“Report to the President”) website, allowing citizens to check and report on projects in their area. Users can submit photos, videos, and descriptions of unfinished or questionable works.

“If there is evidence of corruption, of embezzlement, of any kind of wrongdoing… We need the citizen to play their part, their civic duty to report to the government what they see is wrong,” Marcos said.

“We need everyone involved because 80 million, 90 million pairs of eyes are better than all the eyes in the entirety of government… It is exceedingly important that people get involved,” he added.

The website also allows users to send videos, pictures, or messages to flag unfinished or questionable projects in their areas to be reported to the President.

“Ang isusulat ninyo sa report, ako mismo ang babasa. ‘Yan ang asahan ninyo: babasahin ko bawat isa,” Marcos stressed.

In a recent podcast, Marcos said some individuals and corporations involved in DPWH corruption had been identified and would be barred from future projects. Charges, he added, would follow for those who delivered substandard work.

“We are very much open to suggestions if the people want us to put more information into the website… I hope people will take advantage of this,” he said.

“This is the first step, we have to keep on going. We have to clean up nice… It might be a little painful, baka masangkot diyan yung mga taong malapit sa atin pero kahit na malapit sila sa atin, mas malapit naman sa puso natin yung ating mga kababayan,” the President emphasized.

The DPWH’s budget for flood control projects has grown steadily since Marcos took office in 2022 — rising from ₱128 billion that year to ₱182 billion in 2023, ₱244 billion in 2024, and ₱248 billion in the current budget.

📷 Presidential Communications Office