P4B worth of flood control projects in Iloilo City unfinished, missing — mayor

Nearly P4 billion worth of flood control projects in Iloilo City were either poorly constructed, unfinished, or missing, according to its mayor.

Two of the companies behind these projects were among the 15 firms listed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. that cornered 20% of funds to address flooding in the country.

According to Maki Pulido’s Wednesday report on “24 Oras,” parts of Iloilo City were subjected to flooding due to the continuous downpour brought by the Southwest Monsoon and tropical cyclones. The ensuing floods have resulted in fatalities.

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas blamed two years’ worth of failed, unfinished, and ghost or missing infrastructures that have cost government P4 billion.

“Yung iba hindi namin makita kasi sometimes sa projects naka-specify lang, naka-general lang. slope protection for Iloilo, walang specific address. Kaya hindi din kami makabigay ng specific kung ano ba, details kung ano na, kumusta na yung project,” Treñas said.

(We can't find some of them because sometimes the projects are only general, like 'slope protection for Iloilo, without a specific address. That's why we also can't provide exact details about its progress.)

Treñas revealed that Timothy Construction Company and the Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation were two of the companies involved in these projects.

Each of the two companies was awarded over P7 billion.

Treñas said that four flood control projects in Iloilo City, undertaken by the two companies, have reached a cost of P600 million, but two of them have no description of where they will be constructed while the two listed areas have no ongoing projects.

The Iloilo City District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is the implementing agency of the said projects.

The Iloilo City local government unit is working on getting other details from DPWH.

“Kaya ghost talaga kasi hinahanap natin. Hindi natin mahanap, nagtatago, or maybe, with the help of DPWH, they can locate these and they can explain to us kung saan ba at makita na natin yung ghost. Baka buhay pala,” Treñas said.

(These are ghosts because we’re looking for them. We cannot find them because they are hiding, or maybe, with the help of DPWH, they can locate these and pinpoint their locations. Maybe these ghosts exist.)

Based on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s general information sheet, St Timothy and Alpha and Omega have the same office address in Pasig City.

However, the office address for both companies states the name “St. Gerrard Construction” displayed outside the establishment.

Even St. Gerrard has an allegedly questionable project in Iloilo City, the mayor said.

“The St. Gerrard Project, according sa barangay captain na andun, was to have an esplanade. Instead daw mas mataas daw yung esplanade, mas bumaba. Parang not according to specs,” Treñas said.

(St. Gerrard’s project, according to the barangay captain there, was supposed to have an esplanade. But instead, the esplanade turned out to be lower, not higher. It was not built according to specifications.)

GMA Integrated News has reached out to the said companies for comment, but they have yet to respond. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News