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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider Mayor Joy flags P14B in uncoordinated DPWH flood control projects

Mayor Joy flags P14B in uncoordinated DPWH flood control projects

Published Aug 29, 2025 02:17 pm
Mayor Joy Belmonte flagged at least P14 billion worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control projects in Quezon City, revealing that only two out of the 254 identified projects had been cleared by the local government.
Executive Director, UP Resilience Institute and NOAH Center Dr. Alfredo Lagmay, City Engneer Atty. Dale Perral, Mayor Joy Belmonte, City Legal Atty. Carlo Austria, and QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Bianca Perez during the press conference on Friday, August 29. (Santi San Juan)
Executive Director, UP Resilience Institute and NOAH Center Dr. Alfredo Lagmay, City Engneer Atty. Dale Perral, Mayor Joy Belmonte, City Legal Atty. Carlo Austria, and QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Bianca Perez during the press conference on Friday, August 29. (Santi San Juan)
In a press conference on Friday, August 29, Belmonte stated that the city’s review revealed that many of the DPWH’s projects had proceeded without securing the required Certificate of Coordination, as mandated under Ordinance No. SP-2939, Series of 2020.
Out of 1,652 DPWH projects in the city since 2020, only 315 applied for coordination, and just 138 have been approved. Of those, only two were flood control projects.
“Based on our initial review, only 315 of 1,652 DPWH projects in Quezon City, and I'm referring to all projects, not just flood control projects, a mere 19% applied for a certificate of coordination,” she said.
“Of that number, only 138 or 8.4% were approved. 136 of these were vertical projects, katulad ng mga multi-purpose hall, barangay hall, covered courts, etc. And only two were flood control projects,” she added.
Belmonte also stated that the ordinance was enacted to ensure that all national government projects undergo public consultation, avoid duplication, and align with the city’s development and disaster risk reduction plans, including the Drainage Master Plan, which was completed in 2023. However, she said most flood control initiatives did not follow this process. 
According to the city’s validation, there are a total of 254 flood control projects in Quezon City. Of these, 141 were listed in the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, while 113 more were discovered through reports from barangays, residents, and the DPWH’s own project monitoring platform. These projects amount to more than P14 billion in public funds.
The city mayor also said that the Engineering Department’s validation revealed several irregularities. Some projects were recorded with mismatched titles and actual locations, while others did not specify clear site details.
“May mga projects na dineklara na completed pero nang binisita namin ang site, nakita namin na ongoing pa ang pagpapagawa. ng ating team, nakita naming ongoing pa. may mga proyektong hinati sa napakaraming phases, meron pa nga umabot ng 66 phases (Some projects were declared completed, but when we visited the site, we saw that the construction was still ongoing.  Some projects are divided into many phases, some even have as many as 66 phases),” mayor Belmonte explained.
The mayor said these findings show that the city government could not assume regularity in the implementation of national projects, despite provisions in the Local Government Code and Executive Order No. 124 requiring coordination and prior consultation with affected LGUs.
“I want to reiterate that we are not against the implementation of national projects in our city. We are always open to collaborate with our national counterparts. But let me also make it clear, tapos na ang panahon na mga proyektong basta na lang ibinabagsak sa ating lungsod ng walang konsultasyon o pakipag-unayan ( I want to reiterate that we are not against the implementation of national projects in our city. We are always open to collaborating with our national counterparts. But let me also make it clear, the time for projects to be simply thrown into our city without consultation or agreement is over),” she said.
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