Or. Mindoro gov hits P30-B flood projects
CITY OF CALAPAN—“Nakakapanlumo (Appalling)!”
This was how Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor described the flood control projects in his province during Monday’s Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, which is investigating widespread irregularities in flood control projects funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) nationwide.
During the hearing, Dolor disclosed that the government spent up to P1 million per linear meter on what he tagged as “overpriced and substandard” flood control structures that ultimately failed to prevent widespread flooding in his province.
“Simula pa lang po, may mali na. ’Di akma ang disenyo (Something was already wrong from the very start. The design was inappropriate),” the governor said, as he decried questionable cost estimates and budget insertions amounting to billions.
Dolor lamented that although Oriental Mindoro was allocated about P30 billion for flood mitigation projects between 2022 and 2025—P17 billion of which he claimed were “budget insertions”—the province remains inundated by severe and recurring floods.
According to the governor, his province continued to endure relentless flooding, pointing out that as early as 2014, the provincial government had constructed a gabion dike spanning 40.6 million meters, which remains standing to this day, as compared to the “substandard” DPWH-funded flood control projects.
Dolor said since 2023, he has already called the attention of DPWH and its contractors regarding the supposed irregularities on these projects, noting that the provincial government was not consulted and that he ordered the temporary halt on the construction.
Dolor said most of the contracts were awarded to Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., a company founded by Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.
He pointed out a questionable increase in the province’s flood control allocation based on the data from the DPWH and the Department of Budget and Management.
Questionable increase
Oriental Mindoro was initially allotted P12.8 billion for flood mitigation under the 2025 National Expenditure Program , but this ballooned to P30.3 billion in the final General Appropriations Act. Dolor noted that this represented an insertion of P17.8 billion into the government’s spending plan.
He noted that since 2022, Oriental Mindoro had already received more than P30 billion for flood control projects.
The governor added that DPWH Mimaropa regional director Gerald Pacanan admitted that the agency spent P1 billion for every kilometer of flood mitigation structure.
“That means P1 million per linear meter … Not only overpriced but also substandard,” Dolor said.
Dolor also disclosed to the committee that Pacanan told him that 50 percent of the projects goes to kickbacks.
The Inquirer sought Pacanan’s comment, but he could not be reached. Following the controversy, he was reassigned to the DPWH Central Office and replaced by Engineer Editha Babaran, who now serves as officer in charge.
Oriental Mindoro DPWH First District Engineer Salvador Abad said that he could comment on the revelations of Dolor before the Senate blue ribbon committee.
“Those are beyond our control as the projects are implemented by the regional office. We do not have any intervention whatsoever to those project and we are not even aware of the locations of them,” Abad said.
According to Dolor, firms such as Elite Construction and St. Timothy Construction were likewise involved in irregularities, allegedly implementing “ghost projects” as well as “manananggal projects,” a term he used to describe flood control structures that were started but abandoned before completion.
