ILOILO City – Two flood control projects implemented here this year face scrutiny after being suspended due to inaccessibility of the project sites, raising questions on planning and design.
Based on the collaborative report of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO), as of July 31, 2025, the concerned projects with unspecified locations are:
* Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure and Promenade along Batiano River, Section 1, Iloilo City, with programmed amount of ₱150 million; and
* Construction of Flood Control Structure along Batiano River, Section 2, Iloilo City, with programmed amount of ₱100 million.
These were later identified to be located in the boundary of barangays Calumpang and Compania Central, Molo district. Funding for both projects was facilitated by the Iloilo City Lone District congressional office of Cong. Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda.
A source with knowledge on public works explained that the suspension remarks mean the contractors could not access the sites, mostly due to the presence of informal settlers. He questioned why site accessibility was not considered during project design and conceptualization.
“Before you finalize the project design, you should already see these issues. If there’s no access road, then such a design should not have been approved,” he stressed.
He added that coordination with the concerned local government unit (LGUs) should have been done at the outset.
“If this is what happened, then most likely there was no proper coordination,” he said.
Section 1 of the projects, which was supposed to start on February 20, 2025 and end on December 11, 2025, had an actual accomplishment of only 0.09 percent as of July 31 — far below the 21.54 percent target, resulting in a -21.45 percent negative slippage.
“Once a project reaches more than -15 percent slippage, the contract should already be terminated. But in this case, remarks were added,” the engineer claimed, questioning if this was meant to shift blame away from the contractor and prevent contract termination.
Section 2, scheduled from June 16, 2025 to February 15, 2026, had only 0.16 percent completion as of July 31, slightly behind the 0.28 percent target, with a -0.12 percent slippage.
Another project under scrutiny is the “Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure Section 1, Iloilo City” in Barangay Alalasan, La Paz district. The project commenced on February 20, 2025 and is set to expire on August 31, 2025.
Based on the same DPWH-ICDEO report, its scheduled accomplishment should have already reached 84.84 percent, but as of July 31, 2025, the project posted only 0.30 percent actual accomplishment — a negative slippage of 84.54 percent.
According to the project remark, the project was suspended as of May 28, 2025 pending the completion of related sections.
The source, meanwhile, questioned why the projects already posted accomplishments when only billboards were seen on-site.
He wondered aloud whether the billboards and minimal on-site presence were enough to justify claiming the 15 percent mobilization fund under procurement rules.
Observers also noted that the billboards appeared newly installed, pointing out that the bamboo used still looked freshly cut. They added that certain details — including the project cost and target completion date — raised further suspicion.
Under Republic Act No. 9184, also known as the Government Procurement Reform Act, and a DPWH department order, a contractor may claim up to 15 percent mobilization fund of the contract price once the project is deemed started — meaning a billboard, bunkhouse, and some equipment must already be mobilized.
“But what happens if you’re not given access and can’t push through with the project? Will the 15 percent advance payment be returned?” he asked.
Meanwhile, a resident of Molo who requested anonymity voiced concern that the new projects might share the fate of two unrealized flood mitigation projects worth ₱150 million each along Mansaya-Budburan Creek.
Barangay captains in Lapuz district earlier questioned these projects, which were supposed to cover parts of their barangays but remain unimplemented.
Barangay Mansaya captain Enrico Hortillosa said the creek rehabilitation, planned in 2023, has yet to begin. He noted that flooding persists in Lapuz as the district’s natural waterway remains untouched, affecting barangays Lapuz Norte, Don Esteban, Mansaya, and Sinikway.
“Wala sang nagtupa ukon ginsuguran nga ₱150 million nga proyekto sa amon barangay,” Hortillosa told DYRI RMN-Iloilo.
Barangay Don Esteban captain Efren Senayo confirmed a similar project was also lined up in their area in 2023. He said they were shown the rehabilitation plans in the Iloilo City Lone District congressional office and even joined site inspections.
“Ginplano lang kag gin-survey, pero wala sang may gintukod nga proyekto?” he asked.
Lapuz barangay captains are now demanding answers on where the two ₱150-million projects went, as neither has made visible progress.
Other ICDEO projects also facilitated by the Iloilo City Lone District congressional office have also drawn criticism — particularly the flood control and bike lane works along Buntatala Creek and the Batiano River in Mohon, Arevalo district.
Instead of easing floods, residents said the projects worsened them by narrowing waterways, a flaw they blamed for the deadly flooding last July that also hit nearby barangays in Oton, Iloilo and claimed two lives.
Just last Friday, September 26, heavy rains enhanced by Typhoon “Opong” again brought severe flooding. Residents of Oton decried what they described as “palpak” flood control projects along the Batiano River, which they believe aggravated their plight./PN
