BAGONG Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Panay takes note of the announcement by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon that the long-stalled Aganan Flyover in Pavia, Iloilo — now costing more than P1.1 billion — will be “finished this year.”
While the public naturally wants this eyesore and safety hazard resolved, we stress that completion without accountability is not justice — it is tolerance of corruption and incompetence.
The Aganan Flyover stands as a concrete monument to poor planning and possible corruption. The original cost of P802 million ballooned by an additional P285 million due to serious structural issues. The sinking piers, prolonged delays and safety risks have caused years of hardship for commuters, workers, small businesses and residents of Pavia and Iloilo City. Yet until now, no individual or institution has been held accountable.
This project did not merely “encounter problems.” It flopped despite having a massive budget, raising questions about the integrity of feasibility studies and soil assessments, the quality of construction and materials used, and the role of contractors and DPWH officials who approved, implemented and supervised the project. These failures point not to mere technical or consulting issues, but to systemic negligence and possible corruption that must be confronted.
The public is deeply concerned with how funding is being handled. Under the 2026 national budget approved by the Marcos Jr. administration, there is no specific line item for the Aganan Flyover despite the urgent need for corrective works. Instead, such allocation is lumped under a general item for flyovers, interchanges, and bridges.
Lump-sum funds are breeding grounds for corruption, allowing failed projects to be repeatedly patched up using taxpayers’ money — without transparency and consequences for those responsible.
For BAYAN Panay, accountability must come first. We cannot and should not allow an Ungka Flyover 2.0. There must be a full, independent and transparent investigation into the Aganan Flyover project, from planning and design to procurement and construction.
Contractors, engineers, consultants and approving officials that will be found responsible for negligence, corruption or gross incompetence must be held criminally, administratively and financially liable.
The public should not be made to pay — again — for a failure caused by those who already profited from public funds. Those responsible must shoulder the cost of correcting and completing the project.
BAYAN-Panay rejects the narrative that simply “finishing” the flyover is enough. The people of Panay deserve infrastructure that is safe, well-planned and genuinely responsive to public need, not projects rushed for political optics, marred by corruption, and fixed only after public outrage.
True development means prioritizing public welfare over politically motivated deadlines, ensuring full transparency and accountability in infrastructure spending, and proving through concrete action that no official or contractor is above the law. Until accountability is delivered, the Aganan Flyover will join the Ungka Flyover as symbols of how public money is abused while the people bear the cost. – ELMER FORRO, secretary general, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan <bayanpanay2014@gmail.com>
