UP Diliman experts to lead probe on Iloilo flood projects

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Experts from the University of the Philippines Diliman will conduct a third-party study on waterway projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways–Iloilo City District Engineering Office (DPWH-ICDEO), which have been linked to the recent severe flooding in Iloilo City and nearby towns.

“We asked experts from UP Diliman to sit down with the DPWH because we will have a third-party study to conduct what are the effects of the projects that have been implemented,” Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas said on Monday, July 28.

Treñas said the budget for the study has yet to be determined.

She added that DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan has already expressed support for the initiative.

On July 24, Treñas issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) on the waterway projects along Buntatala Creek, Dungon Creek, Calubihan/Desamparados Creek, and the mouth of the Iloilo River in Barangay Mohon.

The order said construction will only resume after a scientific and objective study is conducted and reviewed to assess their environmental and public safety impact.

Among the projects flagged is one in Barangay Mohon, which involves the construction of slope protection with a bike lane and access road.

The flooding, which affected several barangays in nearby Oton, prompted town Mayor Sofronio Fusin Jr. to support Treñas’ CDO.

“The waterways and creeks affected by this project are supposed to serve as catch basins and should be protected from unnatural intervention, obstruction, or any non-essential construction, which tend to do more harm than good,” Fusin said.

The DPWH-ICDEO responded by calling the CDO “legally invalid,” citing the lack of legal and factual basis.

ICDEO officer-in-charge Roy Pacanan said local governments cannot stop national government projects unless ordered by the Supreme Court, as stated in Republic Act No. 8975.

He also cited DPWH Circular No. 01, series of 2024, which reinforces the prohibition on work stoppage orders issued by local government units against national infrastructure projects.

Pacanan argued that the mayor’s authority to stop construction under the Local Government Code only applies when the city issued a permit and later discovered a violation.

He warned that if Treñas insists on halting the projects, ICDEO will pursue legal action, including invoking the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Treñas said that despite the CDO, Secretary Bonoan has committed to suspending the project.

“If he will push through with it, that will be his call to his superior. Bonoan wrote to me and said he will support the study,” she said.

She added that she will review the persona non grata declaration against Pacanan, but emphasized that the status should not prevent ICDEO from coordinating with the city.

Pacanan was declared unwelcome in Iloilo City through an executive order signed by former Mayor Jerry Treñas and a resolution by the City Council.