Flood control projects under scrutiny as heavy rains again batter parts of Luzon

Floods once again hit several parts of Luzon as storms and the southwest monsoon, or habagat, brought heavy rains over the past two weeks, damaging homes, roads and flood control structures.

In Baguio City, a landslide buried a family, leaving at least 10 people confirmed dead. Flash floods also hit Benguet, while part of a dike in Ilocos Sur collapsed.

In La Union, motorists were unable to pass through roads after the Baroro River overflowed in San Juan. In Dagupan City, Pangasinan, 31 barangays were submerged, while floodwaters reached neck-deep levels in parts of Pampanga.

Flooding also affected parts of Cavite and Batangas, where residents helped rescue people stranded by rising waters. In one incident, a fisherman was nearly swept away by strong currents but was rescued by his companions.

According to “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” the severe weather also damaged flood control projects in several areas, including a project in Tigbauan, Iloilo, worth nearly P140 million that was completed only about three months earlier.

Govt. says flood control work is helping

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday visited Las Piñas City, one of the areas affected by flooding caused by the Habagat.

Marcos said continued dredging ordered by his administration appeared to have helped reduce flooding in some areas.

“Binigay kong instruction sa DPWH, patuloy ang dredging na ginagawa ay mukhang nagkaroon naman ng epekto. Hindi ganon kalala ang pagbaha, medyo nabawasan. Dati hanggang dibdib ngayon kulang sa tuhod. Effective ang ginagawa pero alam nating kulang pa iyan.”

["The instruction I gave to the DPWH was to continue the ongoing dredging, which seems to have had an effect. The flooding isn't as severe—it has decreased a bit. Before, it was chest-deep; now, it's below the knee. What we're doing is effective, but we know it's still not enough."]

Presidential Assistant for Strategic Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro also claimed floodwaters had receded more quickly in parts of Navotas, Valenzuela, Manila, G. Araneta Avenue and E. Rodriguez.

She called for cooperation among national and local governments and residents, including proper waste disposal, as part of efforts to address flooding.

Hagonoy residents say flooding remains a daily problem

Among the areas heavily affected by floodwaters is Hagonoy, Bulacan, where residents said they continue to deal with rising water despite years of flood control projects.

Jessica Soho personally visited the flooded areas.

Mayor Rosario Sy-Alvarado Mendoza said residents should not be described as accustomed to flooding.

“Ayaw po namin sabihin na sanay na. Dapat po sinasabi na namin ngayon ay sawa na. Sawa na po ang taong bayan ng Hagonoy sa baha po na aming nararanasan araw-araw,” she said.

["We don't want to say that we're used to it. What we should be saying now is that we're sick of it. The people of Hagonoy are sick and tired of the flooding we experience every single day."]

According to the mayor, 13 barangays experience high tide flooding daily. Fishing, one of the town's main sources of livelihood, is also affected when water levels and winds become too strong.

Mendoza added that Hagonoy's location makes it vulnerable to both high tide and water flowing downstream from other parts of Central Luzon.

Data cited by the program showed more than 40 flood control projects in Hagonoy from 2023 to 2025, with a combined cost of around P3.52 billion.

The mayor said projects were spread across different barangays and did not sufficiently address the town's flooding problem. She also explained that the local government was not consulted about where some of the projects should be placed or how they should be carried out.

The program's investigation also found several projects in Hagonoy that were identified as ghost projects, while some existing structures were unfinished or not functional.

One example was a flood gate in Barangay Iba. Hagonoy's municipal engineer Engr. Eugene Miguel said it was a DPWH project and was not undertaken by the municipal government.

“Sa ngayon po, hindi pa po siya functional. Nakaharang po siya sa waterway.”

The project was among those halted amid the controversies surrounding flood control projects and that DPWH had said it would be repaired, Engr. Miguel said.

The contractor involved was identified as Ferdstar Builders and Contractors.

In a statement, Ferdstar Builders and Contractors said “Further, the DPWH and the Company have mutually agreed to terminate the contract for the Project, which has been halted in light of the ongoing investigations involving other projects of other contractors within the same DPWH district in Bulacan.”

Residents left flooded homes

In Hagonoy's Mary the Queen Home Subdivision, only around 50 of nearly 200 houses are still occupied. Many homeowners had reportedly left because of the continuing flooding.

Homeowners' president Luisito said the subdivision had been built at a higher elevation and residents did not expect it to experience flooding at its current level.

Luisito said his family had continued living in their flooded home because they could not afford to move elsewhere.

Residents have also developed ways to cope with the flooding. Some tricycles were raised to make them usable in deep water, while a barangay program exchanged collected garbage for rice.

One resident said their family had even slept and eaten inside a tricycle because of the flooding.

“Sana naman po, eh, marinig n’yo ang hinahing namin. At talaga ho kami, ayaw lang namin umalis dito. Eh, nagtitiis na lang po kami. Hindi namin naranasan tag-araw dito.”

["We really hope you hear our plea. The truth is, we just don't want to leave this place, so we're just enduring it. We haven't even experienced a dry season here."]

Flood control structures damaged

In Marilao, Bulacan, a newly built retaining wall collapsed after heavy rains. The structure was not a DPWH project, according to the report. Resident Meiji said the structure had been standing for only about two months.

Residents requested that it replace a riprap built in 2009, and it was approved by the Marilao local government and started in January. It was completed in June before collapsing on August 10.

In a statement, Marilao Mayor Atty. Jemina Sy said “Una, hindi po ito flood control project. Ang purpose ng project ay riverbank protection at pagtugon sa soll erosion sa isang lugar na matagal nang prone sa erosion. Patuloy pa rin nating inimbestigahan kung ano talaga ang naging dahilan ng pagkasira.”

["First of all, this is not a flood control project. The project's purpose is riverbank protection and addressing soil erosion in a location that has long been prone to erosion... We continue to investigate the actual cause of the damage."]

In Ilocos Sur, a flood control structure along the Santa Maria River in Narvacan was also damaged during heavy rains.

The project began in March 2025, with the contract completed in March 2026. Its allocated funding was around P112.3 million, with DPWH Regional Office 1 as implementing agency and SATRAP Construction Co., Inc. as contractor.

SATRAP President and General Manager Engineer Harold Molina said the project had experienced delays and was only completed in July.

“Siyempre, that is the force of nature. Alam mo naman ‘yung bagyo, ‘di ba dumaan ‘yung Luis at saka si Maymay. Siyempre, malakas ang tubig. So ang concentration ng tubig is lumapit dito, kaya dito ang tinamaahan ‘yung slope protection natin.”

["Of course, that is the force of nature. You know how storms are—Luis and Maymay just passed through, right? Naturally, the water was strong. So the water concentrated and surged toward this area, which is why our slope protection structure was damaged."]

Molina said the contractor was responsible for repairing damage during the project's warranty period.

The repair is estimated to take an additional three months.

In a statement, DPWH in Ilocos Sur said that the main scope of the project is the construction of a permanent bridge in Barangay Nanguneg West, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. The contract also includes the construction of flood control structures (FCS).

They added that the project is currently ongoing, with only the installation of the bridge railings underway. Because the bridge is not yet open for regular use, people and vehicles are temporarily passing through an access road constructed from earth fill underneath the bridge.

Due to several days of continuous heavy rains and rising water currents, the FCS was repeatedly exposed to intense hydraulic forces, resulting in the weakening of the foundation and the ultimate collapse of a portion of the structure, according to them. Because of this, the immediate damage to the FCS does not mean that its construction was substandard.

DPWH said in their statement that the contractor remains responsible for the necessary remedial works and they immediately coordinated with the contractor to take the required measures to prevent further damage to the project.

DPWH vows changes amid corruption allegations

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon acknowledged public frustration over the continued flooding despite the billions of pesos spent on flood control projects.

Dizon said the agency was repairing substandard projects and addressing problems left by previous projects.

The secretary also said the agency was moving toward a merit and performance-based organization.

“Pinipilit natin baguhin ‘yan, kasi may mga maaayos naman na tao diyan eh, Kailangan lang mahanap sila at sila yung paaangatin natin, sila ‘yung bigyan natin ng responsibilidad.”

["We are striving to change that because there are good, competent people there. We just need to find them, lift them up, and give them the responsibility."]

Dizon was also asked about allegations involving a “leadership fund” in the 2025 DPWH budget. Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan recently testified before the Sandiganbayan that each senator in the previous Congress allegedly received at least P500 million in allocations from such a fund for pet infrastructure projects.

The allegation remains part of the broader investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control and infrastructure spending. He said such arrangements would no longer be allowed in the agency's current budget process.

“Hindi na po pupuwede ‘yan. Kailangan lahat eh base sa pangangailangan ng mga kababayan natin, at hindi lang ‘yun, pagka ‘yan ay iimplement na, babantayan na natin. So that's the assurance na binibigay natin sa mga kababayan natin,” he said.

["That is no longer acceptable. Everything needs to be based on the actual needs of our fellow citizens, and beyond that, once those are implemented, we will closely monitor them. So that's the assurance we are giving to our people."]

The government has previously said investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects are ongoing, with some officials and other individuals already facing cases.—JCB, GMA News