The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) admitted Thursday that the Philippines has no unified master plan for flood control projects.
During a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros flagged that of 331 flood control projects from 2022 to 2025 in Quezon City, only two were coordinated with the local government.
She said some projects have worsened flooding, while others were allegedly “ghost projects” that LGUs could not locate.
“May mga proyekto tuloy na imbes makabawas sa baha, nagdulot pa ng mas malaking baha… May ghost projects din daw na hindi makita, hindi mahanap ng LGU kahit ngayon,” Hontiveros said.
Asked if the DPWH followed a master plan, Secretary Vince Dizon replied: “Wala po.”
Dizon added that inspections often revealed contractors without project plans on hand.
“Ni plano po wala eh. Sabi ko nga po, every time po mag-inspection kami, ang una pong tinatanong ko pag sa site mismo, pag nakausap ko po yung contractor, subcontractor, foreman, ang hinihingi ko po agad plano, patingin ng plano. In almost all cases wala pong maipakita sa aming plano,” Dizon said.
The DPWH chief said the latest flood control master plan he knew of was drafted in 2013, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and World Bank are working on a new version—limited to Metro Manila. Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank is preparing a study for 18 major river basins nationwide.
Dizon’s predecessor, Manuel Bonoan, had also admitted in 2024 that the Philippines lacked an integrated flood control master plan.
In August, Malacañang disclosed that a P351-billion flood control master plan formulated during the Aquino administration was never turned over to succeeding DPWH leadership.
