📋 Tender Overview
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA)--A P3-billion flood control project in Barangay Tagumpay, Naujan town, described by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon as the most problematic infrastructure project he has encountered in government, has been officially reported as 100 percent completed despite being unfinished. The revelation emerged during Sec. Dizons inspection on Tuesday, Sept. 9, as part of the administrations intensified crackdown on questionable infrastructure practices following President Ferdinand Bongbong R. Marcos Jr.s directive to root out anomalous projects nationwide. This is the first time in my entire government career that I have discovered multiple, overlapping problems in a single project, Dizon said. The 1.5-kilometer flood control infrastructure project has consumed a substantial amount of public funds, flowing to Sunwest Construction & Development Corporation, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Elite General Contractor and Development Corporation, both linked to the Discaya family. Governor Humerlito Bonz Dolor branded the project as substandard and overpriced, adding fuel to growing concerns about construction quality standards in major government infrastructure projects. Dolor said that the project employed what he termed a piecemeal process or patse-patse, drawing alarming comparisons to another problematic flood control project recently inspected by President Marcos himself in Calumpit, Bulacan, suggesting a potentially widespread pattern of construction irregularities. Among the discrepancies discovered was the masterplan specification calling for 12-meter sheet piles, but Dizon and Dolors personal inspection and measurements revealed that less than 3 meters of sheet piles were actually installed. The timing of the revelations is particularly significant as the DPWH operates under heightened public scrutiny following several high-profile infrastructure controversies. Dizon said that the discovery raised serious questions about oversight mechanisms within the DPWHs project monitoring systems, particularly how a multi-billion peso project could be classified as fully completed while remaining visibly unfinished. In late August, former DPWH MIMAROPA Regional Director Gerald Pacanan was relieved from his post and replaced by Engr. Editha R. Babaran as officer-in-charge of the regional directors office. Dizon emphasized the need for accountability, citing the unresolved issues and delays surrounding the project stating, Contractors behind this failed flood control project must be held accountable. (AS/JBG/PIA MIMAROPA-Oriental Mindoro)
