Over P1B dike, other flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro missing — Lacson

Five flood control projects worth over P1 billion in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro cannot be found, of which one dike project was even declared “completed”, according to Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. 

According to Maki Pulido’s Thursday report on “24 Oras,” Lacson revealed a missing dike project in Sitio Dike, Barangay Apitong Section.

“Ang halaga ng kontrata P192.9 million. Ayon sa dokumentong ito ayon sa DPWH website, completed na ito ngunit nang puntahan ng aking team, wala silang nakitang proyekto,” Lacson said during his privilege speech on Wednesday.

(The dike project was worth P192.9 million. According to the document posted on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) website, the project was completed. But when my team checked, they did not see the said project.)

“Ito po ang Sitio Dike. kahit na isang project ng mega dike, wala kayong makikita. Ako 50 years na nakatira. Wala po kayong makita nung year of 2024. Kung nasagawa yan, sana hindi na naapektuhan itong barangay namin,” Barangay Apitong Captain Mel Eleponga said.

(Not even one mega dike project can be found in Sitio Dike. I’ve been living here for 50 years, and I have not seen any project in 2024. If it had been completed, our barangay would not have been affected by the floods.)

Oriental Mindoro Governor Bonz Dolor said that aside from the dike project, four of the six flood control projects, amounting to ?1 billion and listed in the 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Act, are also missing.

In the 2024 budget, there are two road dike projects worth P300 million and P200 million each for Sitio Dike.

“Kung na construct ba nila ito somewhere or hindi pa nila nagagawa. That I don't know, but definitely, wala,” Dolor said.

(Whether they constructed it or are about to build it. That I don’t know, but definitely, there’s none.)

In the 2025 budget, there are three projects worth P300 million each for Barangay Apitong.

Eleponga said the barangay had only located two of the projects, which are both in the said barangay.

One of the two projects was found to have two buried sheet piles and stockpiled steel materials.

According to Eleponga, the flood control project is under the contractor Sunwest Inc.

“Yun po yung nakikipag coordinate sa akin. Pinaalam nila na may project dito," Eleponga said.

(They're the ones coordinating with the barangay. They informed us there was a project here.) 

The project is beside a damaged dike along Mag Asawang Tubig River that is also under Sunwest.

GMA Integrated News has been trying to reach out to Sunwest for comment on the issue.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it will check if the funds for the four flood control projects were released.

The said projects could be of big help to the residents, especially during the last quarter of the year, as water from the river overflows and causes flooding in the area.

Aside from the missing flood control projects, Lacson also flagged the damaged flood control project in the towns of Baco and Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, which is part of the 1st District of the province that could be linked to congressional insertions.

Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep Arnan Panaligan denied the allegations, saying that the project listed in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) was prepared by the DBM before being presented to Congress.

“Gusto ko lang linawin na ang proponent niyan ay ang DPWH at yan ay kasama na NEP na dumadating sa Kongreso,” Panaligan said.

(I just want to clarify that the proponent is the DPWH, and it is included in the NEP, which is presented before the Congress.)

The DBM media office said it is not the one responsible, but the implementing agencies, such as the DPWH, who submit the list of projects to be included in the NEP.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to the DPWH for comment on the matter. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News