The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-6) will establish a Regional Monitoring Task Force to scrutinize all flood control projects implemented in Western Visayas over the past three years.
DPWH-6 Director engineer Joel Limpengco said the move aligns with President Bongbong Marcos’ order for the agency to submit a comprehensive inventory of flood mitigation efforts nationwide.
“The DPWH will immediately submit to me a list of all flood control projects from every region that were started or completed in the last three years,” Marcos said during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Limpengco assured the public that there are no reported anomalies in the region, emphasizing that their projects are compliant with national directives.
“So far, I don’t see any signs of irregularities here in Region 6. The projects appear well-implemented and we will follow the President’s directive to form a regional monitoring team,” he said.
Despite this assurance, he admitted that the regional office has yet to consolidate a full list of flood control projects, but pledged to personally lead the review process.
This initiative comes as the President vowed to expose and prosecute those involved in corruption-tainted flood control programs, citing personal observations of useless or incomplete projects that failed to address widespread flooding.
“Kickbacks, initiatives, errata, SOP, ‘for the boys.’ To those conspiring to steal public funds and the future of our people — shame on you,” Marcos said bluntly.
The President further announced that the list of problematic or ghost projects will be made public, encouraging communities to verify, validate, and report anomalies.
“We will publish the list. Citizens who witness these projects firsthand are free to check the records and help us in our investigation,” he added.
He also warned that within the next few months, charges will be filed against individuals and contractors found guilty of fraud and collusion.
“The people deserve the truth. There must be accountability for the grave damage and corruption committed,” Marcos emphasized.IMT
