Unfinished riprap road left abandoned in Baao, Camarines Sur

When Severe Tropical Storm Kristine hit Baao, Camarines Sur in October last year, the residents of Barangay San Francisco experienced floodwaters that reached up to their heads. 

According to them, a riprap road spanning more than five kilometers could have prevented the flooding. But the residents were not expecting the project to protect them during heavy rains as it remained unfinished and now lies abandoned. 

In Mark Salazar’s report in “24 Oras” on Wednesday, the officials of Barangay San Francisco decided to speak up and complain about what they call the sloppy work of the contractor that was assigned to their flood control project.

“Kami nga nagsasabi sa kanila dapat pagandahin nyo yung programa nyo. Para kami naman na taga San Francisco, hanggang buhay pa ‘yan, maprotektahan sana,” said Barangay chairperson Orestes Rasonable. 

(We told them they should improve their program. So that we, the people of San Francisco, can be protected as long as it’s still there.) 

The barangay already voiced out the problem from the municipality up to the provincial government. But nothing has been done, the report said. 

“Nagbabantay kami doon. Wala kaming magawa sa kontratista. ‘Pag nagsasalita kami, ‘Paalam kayo kay boss’. Sino ang boss nila? Dapat kami sa barangay council bigyan nila ng asikaso,” said Rasonable. 

(We're watching over it. We can't do anything with the contractor. When we speak up, they say, 'Ask permission from the boss.' Who is their boss? They should be giving us, the barangay council, their attention.") 

Some residents shared that the construction of the flood control project was still ongoing before Kristine hit the country. 

“Hindi pa nagbabagyo ng Kristine, may naggagawa diyan,” one said. “Pero ngayon, wala na.” 

(Even before Typhoon Kristine struck, there were people working there. But now, there's no one working on it.) 

Right after the typhoon wreaked havoc in the province, the project site only remained as a marker of what could have solved Baao’s flooding woes every year. Although the back hoe of the construction firm is still at the site, the project board that was supposed to detail the amount of the project, the contractor working on it, and the timeline were nowhere to be seen. 

GMA Integrated News reached out to the Department of Public Works and Highways 5th District Engineering Office for an update on the project but no one was willing to face the media. 

No one also also spoke on behalf of the Baao Mayor’s Office and the Municipal Engineering Department. 

According to the data gathered by GMA Integrated News Research from the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, Camarines Sur has 250 projects amounting to P17.5 billion - the highest in Bicol Region. 

Meanwhile, there are 866 flood control projects which cost P49.61 billion in the whole Bicol Region - ranking third behind Central Luzon and the National Capital Region. This is also equivalent to 9% of the total number and amount of flood control projects nationwide. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News