ILOILO — The long-stalled Aganan Flyover in Barangay Aganan, Pavia town is now under direct orders to be completed in 2026, as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) moves to finally close out high-profile “bitin” (hanging) projects plagued by design flaws, sinking foundations, and years of delay.
Secretary Vince Dizon said the Aganan Flyover is among the unfinished projects elevated to Priority No. 2 under the Marcos administration’s infrastructure cleanup drive, which focuses on completing roads and bridges left incomplete for years — some for decades.
“Yung Aganan Flyover sa Iloilo, ‘yan tatapusin na rin natin this year. ‘Yang lumulobog na flyover na nakita mismo ng Pangulo natin, galit na galit si PBBM,” Dizon said during a press conference at the DPWH Central Office in Metro Manila on Monday, January 12.
The Aganan Flyover, located along a major Iloilo traffic artery, was among the projects personally inspected by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in August 2025, after reports of structural issues surfaced.
Dizon also cited the Oyungan Bridge in Miag-ao, Iloilo as another local project ordered repaired and maintained this year.
“Ang Oyungan Bridge sa Iloilo nakita niyo naman, kawawa mga kababayan natin na dumadaan dyan. Kailangan ayusin na rin at i-maintain ng maayos,” he said.
‘BITIN’ PROJECTS, DECADES-LONG DELAYS
Dizon acknowledged that across the country, many roads and bridges have remained unfinished for years — some only partially built — despite massive DPWH budgets.
“Mga tulay na kalahati lang o one fourth lang, mga kalsada na ang tagal-tagal na hindi matapos-tapos, bitin. Ang dami-daming pera ng DPWH, bakit hindi matapos-tapos? Well, alam na natin ang sagot doon, kasi nga ninakaw ang pera at hindi ginagamit sa mga proyekto na dapat tapusin,” Dizon said.
Despite the DPWH budget dropping sharply from P880 billion to just over P500 billion this year, Dizon said the agency intends to prove that infrastructure delivery can improve if public funds are used properly.
“Papatunayan natin na kapag ang pera ng taongbayan sa DPWH ay hindi ninanakaw, mas marami tayong magagawa, mas mababa ang presyo, mas mabilis at mas maganda ang quality. ‘Yan ang challenge na i-me-meet natin this year and hopefully sa mga susunod na taon na kahit wala na kami dito, wala na si Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, tuloy-tuloy na ang pagbabago dito sa DPWH,” he added.
P802-M PROJECT, MAJOR FOUNDATION FAILURE
The Aganan Flyover has already cost taxpayers P802 million. Construction was suspended in October 2022 due to structural issues similar to those that plagued the nearby Ungka Flyover, triggering severe traffic congestion in Barangay Aganan, Pavia during peak hours.
In September 2025, DPWH Region 6 director Engr. Jose Al Fruto told the Pavia Sangguniang Bayan that P285 million had been allocated under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to fund rectification and completion works.
Fruto said construction is expected to resume in February or March 2026 after intensive jet grouting to strengthen the foundation.
“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.
DPWH consultants confirmed that the flyover’s bored piles were more than 20 meters too short to reach hard soil strata — rendering the structure unsafe.
“The findings were very clear: the foundation was insufficient. That’s why jet grouting is necessary to stabilize the soil and strengthen the piles. We cannot proceed without ensuring safety,” Fruto said.
As of the work stoppage, P307.7 million remained unspent, while P15.3 million had already been used for geotechnical exploration and consultancy.
Construction of the Aganan Flyover started in 2020./PN
