ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has stepped up pressure on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), demanding concrete answers and swift action on the long-delayed P802-million Aganan Flyover project in Pavia, Iloilo — now widely condemned by residents and protest groups as a “monument of corruption.”
In a letter dated September 29, 2025, addressed to DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, Defensor expressed alarm over the project’s paralysis that has snarled traffic and eroded public trust in government infrastructure delivery.
“I trust that under your leadership, the DPWH will prioritize transparency, accountability, and swift action to complete the Aganan Flyover,” he wrote.
The project, launched in July 2020 with a 24-month completion target, has instead languished for more than five years.
Defensor detailed the stumbling blocks that continue to cripple the construction:
* faulty foundation assessments by original contractor United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) rejected by DPWH regional office
* flawed soil testing that may require design revisions and additional funds estimated at P275–P300 million
* a deadlock between DPWH Region 6 and central office over rectification measures, with no final approval or secured budget
Copies of the governor’s letter were also sent to DPWH Region 6 officer-in-charge director Joel Limpengco, 2nd District’s Cong. Kathryn Joyce Gorriceta, and the Regional Development Council 6’s Infrastructure Committee, underscoring a push for collective accountability.
Defensor made it clear that Iloilo can no longer wait: “I’ve been following up the process of that… mga status sang aton infrastructure. Ginadalian ina naton. We join any call to fast-track the implementation or completion of the project. Importante nga maubra nila sang husto. Muna ginaduso naton, nga may nagakaigo nga budget para matapos na.”
The controversy has spilled to the streets. On September 18, around 200 protesters led by transport groups and civic organizations staged a demonstration at the Aganan Flyover site, calling the unfinished flyover a symbol of mismanagement and corruption. Their chants amplified earlier demands from the Pavia local government, which had already sought a probe by the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Office of the Ombudsman in 2023.
Defensor has backed these investigations, warning that accountability must be pursued after years of technical lapses, ballooning costs, and mounting corruption allegations.
Early this week, Assistant Regional Director Jose Al Fruto of DPWH-6 said P285 million has been included in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to fund the rectification and finishing works of the stalled project.
He assured the Sangguniang Bayan of Pavia that construction will resume in the first quarter of 2026 — either February or March — once critical foundation strengthening is carried out through intensive jet grouting.
“If we start with February 2026, we have an estimated time duration that leads us to the completion of all, including the foundation works and remaining civil works, by the first quarter of 2027. (But) earlier I also said that if we can reduce the construction period, that we can open the Aganan Flyover by December, at the end of the year 2026,” Fruto said.
Suspension of works at the Aganan Flyover in October 2022 stemmed from flaws similar to that of the nearby Ungka Flyover. But this has caused traffic congestion in Barangay Aganan, especially during rush hours in the early morning and late afternoon to early evening.
“The Ungka Flyover experienced vertical displacement. We could not risk continuing the work at the Aganan Flyover without further study. Both flyovers are along the same road, and both had the same design origins. That is why we conducted confirmatory boring, and later hired a third-party independent consultant to validate the results,” said Fruto.
Local leaders, however, say people are still waiting to see results. “Last August 8, when Sen. Loren Legarda came over, I personally asked for her help. I told her this project has dragged on for five to six years. The council is doing everything to request support and push for its completion. We hope this time it will truly be finished,” said Vice Mayor Bibo Gerochi.
The Aganan Flyover is intended to improve traffic flow at the intersection of the President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue (going to the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan town or going to Iloilo City) and the Felix Gorriceta Jr. Avenue./PN
