The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-6) conducted an ocular inspection at the Mansaya-Budburan Creek in Lapuz district, Iloilo City, to assess the stalled rehabilitation project and flood control measures that had earlier been terminated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-6).
Joining the inspection were eight punong barangays from Lapuz: Thomson Alacre (Jalandoni Estate), Ryan Tachado (Lapuz Norte), Wilson Allona (Lapuz Sur), Erico Hortillosa (Mansaya), Efren Cenayo (Don Esteban), Arnel Asturias (Punong), Felix Ventura (Sinikway), and Jofel Ladiet (Alalasan).
Investigators noted disconnected sections of revetment walls, thick vegetation, piles of garbage, and stagnant water—conditions that worsen flooding in the area during heavy rains.
The NBI also brought documents and a project list for validation and compiled photographs for submission to its central office in Manila.
The inspection came days after the DPWH-6 terminated the P101.32-million creek rehabilitation project on September 16, citing repeated delays and the presence of informal settlers that made the site “inaccessible” and “beyond the agency’s control.”
In a September 18 letter to Mayor Raisa Treñas, then-DPWH regional director Joel Limpengco said the project had failed to proceed due to unresolved obstructions.
The contract had been awarded nearly two years earlier, on February 10, 2023, to YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc., owned by Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya.
The rehabilitation plan covered 2,396 lineal meters of Mansaya Creek, spanning the barangays of Lapuz Norte, Don Esteban, and Sinikway. The structure was designed to be 14.5 meters wide and 3 meters high.
But records showed that as of its termination, work progress had reached only 0.02 percent, with DPWH yet to disclose whether funds were released before the contract was cut.
The failed project highlights persistent challenges in implementing flood-control measures in the city’s vulnerable districts, where unresolved obstructions and poor site management continue to undermine government interventions.IMT
