Several flood control projects in Davao Region and Davao City merit a deeper investigation, according to Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, as most of the projects started way beyond their target completion date.
Ridon, in a press briefing on Tuesday, presented photos of several flood control initiatives in Davao Occidental and Davao City, which have not been finished yet, and classified them according to four categories – no structure or possibly ghost projects, incomplete, poorly situated and unconstructed.
According to the lawmaker, who is co-chair of the House of Representatives’ infrastructure committee, they checked on the projects in the area after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) found out that there are questionable projects, due to residents’ complaints about flooding despite these structures.
‘What was mentioned during the ICI inspection, particularly at the Matina Gravahan, was that the projects were damaged just months after their completion. [.] it is very important to check with the contractor if the project actually follows the specifications of the DPWH,’ he said.
‘So, the bidding for the projects took place in 2021. Contracts were awarded in 2022. But the statements from local residents said that the projects were never started despite being reported as completed [.], which is why we have reached this point,’ Ridon explained.
‘In the last two weeks, our team had been coordinating with several DPWH officials and staff to look further into the Davao region,’ he added.
The lawmaker then made a presentation that segregated the following projects under these categories:
No structureConstruction of Flood Mitigation Structure, Barangay Kinangan, Malita, Davao OccidentalConstruction of Flood Mitigation Structure, Barangay Little Baguio, Malita, Davao OccidentalIncompleteConstruction of Revetment along Talomo River, Sta. 3+880 to Sta. 4+120, Right Bank, Davao City (started December 1, 2021)Construction of Revetment along Talomo River? Sta. 3 + 542 to Sta. 3 + 817 Right Bank, Davao City (started December 16, 2021)Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure along Maa Creek, Sta. 0+487 – Sta. 0+937, Don Julian Rodriguez Ave Section, Left Bank Section, Davao City (started March 1, 2022)Construction of Revetment along Davao River, Barangay 8-A, Davao City (started April 13, 2022)Construction of Revetment along Davao River, Crocodile Park Section, Davao City (started April 13, 2022)Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure at Purok 16, Block 2, Barangay Catalunan Pequeño, Davao City (started April 13, 2022)Construction of Seawall from San Jose connecting Seawall of Brgy. Leon Garcia, San Jose, IKP and MASEA, Brgy. Gov. Vicente Duterte, Agdao? Davao City (started June 2, 2022)Construction of Revetment along Matina River, Matina Pangi Bridge II Downstream both Banks, Davao City (started August 4, 2023)Construction of Revetment along Matina River, Asico Bridge Upstream Section Right Bank, Davao City (started February 2, 2023)Construction of Revetment along Matina River, Matina Pangi Road Section, Right Bank, Davao City (started February 2, 2023)Poorly situatedConstruction of Concrete Revetment Barangay Pinalpalan? Malita? Davao OccidentalConstruction of Flood Mitigation Structure along Bunawan River, Sta. 2 + 020 to Sta. 2 + 440, Davao CityConstruction of Concrete Revetment along Davao River? New Valencia Section, Sta. 0 + 000 – Sta. 0 + 500, Davao CityUnconstructed
Construction of Revetment along Talomo River? Sta. 3+800 to Sta. 4+060? Left Bank? Davao City (actual start date is December 1, 2021)Construction of Seawall at Bucana? Sta. 0+000 – Sta. 0+400? Brgy. Lasang? Davao City (actual start date is February 16, 2021)Construction of Revetment – Construction of Concrete Revetment along Davao River, Pangyan, Davao City
According to Ridon, this classification is a more complex way of categorizing anomalous projects, noting that it is not merely a question of whether flood control initiatives are non-existent or substandard.
‘So, it’s a bit different from our typical understanding that there are only two things important to consider, whether projects are ghost or substandard. But I think as far as DPWH is concerned, they have a more detailed distinction between projects. So DPWH saw in Davao Occidental that what are deemed as ‘no structure’ projects. So this might be akin to what we typically know as ghost projects,’ Ridon said.
‘So, there is a distinction from DPWH [.] incomplete projects, basically as simple as unfinished projects. However, it is very important to note that these noted incomplete projects are not 2025 projects. They are 2021, 2022, and 2023 projects. So this means it should have been finished a long time ago,’ he observed.
Poorly situated projects, on the other hand, Ridon said, do not protect communities and only worsen flooding.
‘So ‘yon pong DPWH, they make a distinction on poorly situated projects, so when you say poorly situated projects, these structures don’t protect vital assets, it increases flooding downstream,’ he said.
‘This means that these projects should not have been proposed from the beginning. Because to be honest, these projects have no benefit, they cannot help communities, and it only worsens flooding for low-lying areas,’ he added.
This is not the first time concerns have been raised over flood control projects in Davao City. Last Wednesday, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio called for a more thorough investigation on flood control projects in Davao City’s first district, as he and his team allegedly found ‘red flags’ in 80 out of 121 projects worth over P4 billion.
Tinio conducted a separate analysis of projects in Davao’s first district – under Rep. Paolo Duterte – upon checking documents requested from DPWH.
Tinio identified five categories for classifying the red-flagged projects: total overlap, double funding, changed location and shortchanging, awarded contracts without details, and awarded contracts not in accordance with the General Appropriations Act.
According to the ACT Teachers solon, they red-flagged 54 of the 68 implemented projects along the Davao River, which were worth P2.65 billion, while 26 out of the 28 implemented projects near the Matina River, worth P1.70 billion, allegedly showed irregularities as well.
‘So basically we saw through a scan of flood control projects in Davao – and this is just partial – that there are disturbing indications of irregularity. And there is a huge possibility of ghost projects [.] clearly there is overpricing, and other indications of anomalies,’ he said.
In response, Duterte dared Tinio to visit Davao and ask residents there if they have experienced flooding – to debunk claims of irregularities in the city’s flood control projects.
Duterte, in a statement on Wednesday night, urged Tinio to stop using Davao for political drama.