Marcos on ghost flood projects in Bulacan: I'm not disappointed but very angry

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said Wednesday that he is getting ''very angry'' with the ghost flood projects in Bulacan province. 

Marcos said this as he inspected the reinforced concrete riverwall project in Barangay Piel, Baliuag.

''Extremely, more than disappointed, I'm actually... I'm getting very angry with what's happening here... Nakaka... Papaano naman, 220 meters, P55 million completed ang record ng Public Works, [pero] walang ginawa. Kahit isang araw hindi nagtrabaho... Puntahan ninyo, wala kayong makita kahit ano... Tuloy-tuloy ang pagbaha doon sa kabila,'' Marcos told reporters.

(How's this, it's 220 meters, P55 million. It was 'completed' based on Public Works record; but nothing was done here. They did not even work for a day. You go here and you'll see nothing. The flood on the other side continues.) 

Marcos said if this project was properly implemented, it would have greatly helped in the province's irrigation system.

''I'm not disappointed, I'm angry,'' Marcos said.

Based on the Department of Public Works and Highways document, the contractor of the reinforced concrete riverwall project in Purok 4 was Syms Construction Trading, with a total contract cost of P55,730,911.60. 

The actual start date indicated was February 2, 2025 and the contract expiry date was October 22, 2025.

In his inspection, Marcos said that as of June 2025, the report said the project was already completed and fully paid. 

He said the project was reported in the recently launched sumbongsapangulo.ph website, an online portal where the public can lodge complaints about anomalous flood control programs. 

''Wala kaming makita na kahit isang hollow block, isang ano ng semento, walang equipment dito. Lahat ng project na ito, ghost projects,'' the President said. 

(We didn't see even one hollow block, or cement. There's no equipment. All of these projects were ghost projects.) 

During a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on Tuesday, DPWH Secretary Manny Bonoan disclosed that there were P5.9 billion worth of ghost flood control projects in the province of Bulacan.

This as Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada mentioned that his office had received reports that there were "ghost projects" in Malolos City and the municipalities of Calumpit and Hagonoy in Bulacan.

Estrada said that among the contractors allegedly involved is the Wawao Builders—one of the 15 contractors named by Marcos, which supposedly got 20% of the total P545-billion budget for flood control projects in the country.

Wawao Builders had no representative in the hearing. —KG, GMA Integrated News