MANILA, Philippines – Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Tuesday confirmed that some of the ₱5.9-billion worth of flood control projects in Bulacan were never constructed, exposing them as “ghost projects.”
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) |
He made the admission during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the government’s flood control program, where Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada asked if such projects existed.
“In all honesty, I think so. Yes,” Bonoan replied, explaining that district offices were still validating and that some projects were supposedly implemented in 2021 and 2022.
Estrada revealed that his office received reports of ghost projects in Calumpit, Malolos, and Hagonoy, allegedly involving Wawao Builders and SYMS Contractor.
Wawao Builders, owned by Mark Allan Arevalo, is among the contractors flagged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for cornering a huge share of flood control projects.
From 2022 to 2025, Wawao reportedly completed 58 projects worth ₱4.2 billion, but Bonoan said it bagged 85 contracts worth ₱9 billion nationwide, including several non-existent projects in Bulacan.
“There seems to be some ghost projects in Bulacan, and we will come up with a financial and physical report in one week’s time,” Bonoan told senators.
He said some projects were listed under the National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress, while others were added in the General Appropriations Act.
The DPWH chief assured lawmakers that the department will submit a full validation report within the week.
The Senate investigation was prompted by Marcos’ disclosure that ₱100 billion worth of flood control projects were awarded to only 15 contractors in the past three years.
Bulacan, along with Metro Manila, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro, and Ilocos Norte, has been identified among the most flood-prone provinces under the National Adaptation Plan of the Philippines (2023–2050).
— The Summit Express