Malacañang on Wednesday called for a necessary review of the more than 500 flood control projects in Cebu province, which was among the worst-devastated by Typhoon ‘Tino’ (international name: Kalmaegi).
President Marcos Jr. will also make another visit to Cebu to personally oversee the government’s response in the aftermath of the disaster that left the province, as well as other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao with trails of destruction.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the President also shared the frustration and anger of Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro over the seeming uselessness of billions worth of flood control projects in the province.
‘That’s also the reason why President Marcos ordered an investigation [over flood control projects]. Budgets have been allocated for these, yet they seem to be not functioning at all,’ she told reporters. ‘So it’s understandable that if she’s angry, President Marcos feels the same way.’
Citing data from the Department of Public Works and Highways, Castro said there were 511 flood control projects in Cebu province from 2016 to 2025.
Of these 343 were done during the Duterte administration (two of the projects were terminated), while 168 were in the current Marcos administration (of which 55 were still ongoing).
According to Castro, all of the flood control projects, including those made under President Marcos, should be examined, but more so those completed under the Duterte administration, ‘since they should have been functioning by now.’
‘So, we must work together to identify and hold accountable those behind the irregularities in these flood control projects,’ she said.
‘If Governor Baricuatro has additional information, facts, or data that could help the government hold accountable those responsible, such input is welcome,’ Castro added.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday at the height of Tino’s devastation in the island province, Baricuatro said: ‘P26 billion of flood control funds for Cebu, yet we are flooded to the max.’
The governor described Cebu’s situation as ‘tragic,’ noting that Tino struck just over a month after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake killed 79 residents in Bogo City.
Of the 66 reported dead due to Tino as of Wednesday, 49 were from Cebu ‘fallen debris, landslides, and flooding.’
The death toll may still increase as 26 more were still missing, of which half were Cebu residents.
Castro also confirmed that President Marcos has a scheduled visit to Cebu province, but she declined to give more details, including the specific date and the localities he would inspect.
The president’s scheduled engagement would be the third time in about a month that he would visit Cebu province.
He first went to the province on Oct. 2, to lead the national government’s efforts in the aftermath of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake, and later on Oct. 17 to check on the situation of earthquake-affected residents and the progress of government assistance and recovery efforts.
President Marcos on Tuesday directed members of his Cabinet to visit the provinces hardest hit by Tino to personally assess the situation on the ground and to ensure that essential services, including water and electricity, are restored immediately.
‘The government is making sure that all necessary actions are taken to hasten the recovery of our affected countrymen,’ he said.
According to the president, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had prepositioned food packs and relief goods in the affected areas, which were ready for distribution.
He also directed the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Electrification Administration (NEA) to address reports of power outages in different areas.