NIR DPWH reviews flood control projects for anomalies

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Bacolod City Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez said contractors should not be allowed to profit from the misery of the people.

Benitez told reporters Tuesday that Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district directors from the Negros Island Region are assessing and reviewing all flood control projects implemented since 2022, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive.

He praised Marcos for his decisive move to call out contractors and projects that require auditing and review.

Benitez noted that Marcos is the only president to have taken such an extensive step to ensure that national government projects are thoroughly checked for anomalies and irregularities.

More actions from the President are expected in the coming days, he added.

Among the companies listed for review is Legacy Construction, whose owner hails from Victorias City and has long been involved in the construction industry.

Initial information indicates that 20% of flood control projects in the region were awarded to Legacy Construction.

Benitez said the President has stressed that these projects — whether ghost projects or substandard — must be thoroughly validated.

Between 2022 and 2024, six projects were awarded to Legacy; of these, five have been completed in Bacolod City, while the last is nearing completion.

Benitez said that aside from flood control works, Legacy Construction is also building the Bacolod City Legislative Building.

As a homegrown contractor from Victorias, the company is among those the administration hopes to give more opportunities to participate in government projects, he added.

“Concrete solutions to our flooding problem begin by identifying those who may have failed to execute projects intended to protect communities and reduce the damage caused by heavy rains and typhoons,” Benitez said.

He pointed out that the President, by publicizing the names of contractors involved in flood control projects, has taken the first real step to hold accountable those who benefit from public funds without delivering results.

“The next step must be to ensure that every peso in our flood mitigation budget is spent on projects that actually protect lives and property — not fill the pockets of the corrupt,” he said.

Benitez added that while a thorough evaluation is conducted, the government should temporarily blacklist any contractor with a history of unfinished, substandard, or grossly delayed flood control projects until they are cleared of wrongdoing.

“This will immediately protect our budget from further waste while emphasizing that incompetence and corruption will have immediate consequences,” he said.

“Those who fail our people must be shut out from government projects until they prove they can be trusted again,” Benitez added.