In Oriental Mindoro, what happened to P8-B flood control works?
CALAPAN CITY—The House of Representatives will investigate flood mitigation projects in Oriental Mindoro that cost billions of pesos to build but apparently failed to prevent last week’s massive flooding caused by the southwest monsoon (“habagat”) and three successive storms.
Both the province’s congressman and governor are asking questions mainly addressed to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“We will call on the (DPWH) to explain what had happened to their engineering interventions to our perennial flooding problem,” Deputy Majority Leader and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan told local media in an interview on Friday.
Oriental Mindoro was one of those severely affected by last week’s floods.
Altogether, Panaligan said, the province’s flood mitigation projects cost at least P8 billion.
Substandard
He singled out the P1.2-billion project at Barangay Mulawin in Naujan town whose protection dikes collapsed and were apparently made from substandard materials. He said it was finished only last year but had already shown signs of damage.
Panaligan said he had been asking the DPWH to investigate the flood control projects in the province since last year, particularly the one in Naujan.
“I requested the DPWH through Secretary Bonoan to take the necessary measures to rectify the matter and to undertake the appropriate action to ensure that all flood control projects implemented by the agency in my district adhere to rigid structural designs and standards in order to prevent the wastage of public funds,” he said.
Panaligan showed reporters a letter to Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan dated July 31, 2024, asking the official to look into the condition of the Naujan flood mitigation project implemented by the DPWH Mimaropa (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) region.
Senators earlier decried how the flooding problem has persisted despite the huge budget poured into flood control projects annually.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson estimated that P2 trillion had been spent on flood management for the past 15 years, or P350 million a day.
Without specifying the areas, the senator said a small barangay and a small town in Oriental Mindoro had received P1.9 billion and P10 billion, respectively, for flood control projects.
Lacson plans to grill the officials behind these projects at relevant Senate committee hearings.
The provincial government of Oriental Mindoro said it would also conduct its own investigation.
SP probe
In a letter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) on Friday, Gov. Humerlito Dolor requested the provincial board to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into flood mitigation projects implemented in recent years.
Dolor cited President Marcos’ directive from his fourth State of the Nation Address to hold accountable those who profited from the implementation of substandard public infrastructure projects, particularly those for flood control and mitigation structures.
“In light of the President’s directive and the undersigned support for transparency and accountability, it is respectfully recommended that the SP determine the status of flood control and mitigation projects implemented in Oriental Mindoro, the funding sources and disbursement details for said project and whether the projects underwent the mandatory consultation process as required under the Local Government Code,” Dolor said in his letter.
Vice Gov. and SP presiding officer Antonio Perez Jr. said the governor’s request would be taken up in the regular session on Aug. 4.
