MALOLOS CITY — A citywide investigation has uncovered what could be one of the most significant local corruption scandals in recent memory. Malolos City Mayor Christian “Agila” Natividad revealed that dozens of so-called “ghost projects” — flood control works that exist only on paper — were discovered across several barangays, allegedly siphoning off hundreds of millions of pesos in public funds.

In an exclusive interview with ANC, Natividad said a special probe team formed by the city government uncovered numerous questionable projects listed as completed, despite showing no trace of implementation.

“There are ghost projects because there are ghost funds,” Natividad declared. “There are so many loopholes, not just in the procurement process, but in the budgetary process itself.”

He explained that the problem runs deep — from procurement irregularities to fund disbursements made without proper oversight or documentation.

One of the most alarming cases involves Barangay Calero, a small, remote coastal village with only about 100 households, yet it was allocated a staggering ₱1.4 billion in flood control projects.

“Calero is geographically detached and has fewer residents. It’s the perfect place to hide irregularities because there are fewer eyes watching,” the mayor said.

Other barangays flagged in the probe include Babatnin, Panasahan, Mambog, Anilao, and Bagna, where multiple projects were marked as “completed” despite residents claiming nothing was ever built.

Audit Team Uncovers 52 Suspicious Projects Across 30 Barangays

The findings stem from a sweeping investigation by the Malolos City People’s Audit Team (MCPAT), which reported 52 anomalous flood control projects across 30 barangays between 2022 and 2025.

The projects were implemented by the Bulacan 1st Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Out of 106 projects inspected, MCPAT found only 54 were either completed or ongoing. The rest were labeled as “ghost projects” — nonexistent on-site, or built with substandard materials and reduced scopes.

Natividad, who personally led the MCPAT, submitted an 1,800-page “Summary of Flood Control Projects Inspection Report” to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) earlier this month. The document includes photos, narratives, and technical findings for every inspected site.

Created under Executive Order No. 39 on August 29, 2025, MCPAT is composed of the city’s legal and engineering teams, over 1,000 private volunteers, residents, and law enforcement officers. The team completed its probe on October 3, 2025.

Two of the contractors named in the report — Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction — had already been blacklisted by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon for their involvement in other questionable projects in Bulacan.

📷 Malolos City Information Office