Dizon halts repairs on Tondo's Sunog Apog Pumping Station

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday has ordered to stop the repairs on the Sunog Apog Pumping Station in Tondo, Manila that has been inoperative for five years.

According to Super Radyo dzBB’s Luisito Santos, the DPWH found out that the project started in 2017 but it has yet to resume operation since then.

“Papahinto ko muna ‘yan tapos ipapa-asses ko muna ito. Baka kasi nagtatapon na naman tayo ng P100 milyon dito,” the DPWH chief told reporters. 

Ipinapahinto ni DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon ang pagsasaayos sa Sunog Apog Pumping Station sa Tondo, Maynila para ipa-third party assessment @dzbb pic.twitter.com/wLmBugBv2n

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— Luisito Santos (@luisitosantos03) September 24, 2025

(I'll have that stopped first to have it assessed. We might be throwing away another P100 million here.) 

Dizon said the repairs were supposed to raise the level of the inlet, but he said that he does not trust anyone behind the flood control facility. 

“It’s an engineering solution that they want to raise the level of the inlet, yung humihigop ng tubig. So hindi ko alam, hindi ako engineer. To be honest, I don’t trust them, I don’t trust people who said that’s the solution,” he said. 

Dizon was joined by Independent Commission for Infrastructure adviser and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso. 

“Dapat gumagana, five years na hindi gumagana. Tapos ngayon papache-pachehin niyo na naman. Anong akala niyo sa amin? Tanga?” Dizon reprimanded the DPWH assistant regional director in Manila. 

(It should be working, but it hasn't for the last five years. And now you will just patch things up there again. What do you think we are? Stupid?) 

Sinermunan ni DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon ang kanyang assistant regional director sa Maynila kaugnay sa Sunog Apog Pumping Station sa Tondo na limang taon na umanong hindi gumagana

????@luisitosantos03 pic.twitter.com/FthYH1WeTj

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) September 24, 2025

Domagoso also expressed disappointment with the pumping station: “Despite of all the resources utilized, hindi tumatakbo.” 

(Despite all the resources utilized, it's not working.) 

The pumping station reportedly has a P700 million budget and was supposed to mitigate flooding during high tide in the Sunog Apo area. 

“Nung wala itong pumping station na ito, manageable ang tubig dito kasi katabi namin ang ilog. Until mag-overflow ang ilog, tsaka lang kami makakatikim ng baha. In the absence of overflow, normal ang buhay namin. Nung nagkaroon ng pumping station, supposedly flood control, it became flood uncontrol,” said Domagoso.

(When we didn't have this pumping station, the water here was manageable because we're next to the river. We would only experience flooding once the river overflowed. In the absence of an overflow, our lives were normal. When we got the pumping station, which was supposed to be for flood control, it became flood 'uncontrol'.) 

P94 million was allotted for the upgrading of the pumping station, the report said. But Dizon has doubts that the contractor can finish the repairs, hence, the DPWH chief will tap a third-party assessor to look into the facility. 

“Nakakagalit talaga, ayun din ang nakita ng ICI, ni Sir Benjie sa Quezon City,” said Dizon. 

(It's really infuriating. The ICI, Sir Benjie, saw the same thing in Quezon City.) —RF, GMA Integrated News