ILOILO City – Department of Public Works and Highways – Iloilo City District Engineering Office (DPWH-ICDEO) officer-in-charge District Engineer Roy Pacanan has distanced his office from the controversial Mansaya Creek flood control project, stressing that the initiative was handled by the DPWH Region 6 office and not by the city district office.
In a letter to Councilor Romel Duron – chairman of the Iloilo City Council’s Committee on Environment – dated Aug. 26, Pacanan said the project was “procured and implemented by the DPWH Regional Office and not the DPWH-ICDEO.”
He added that questions on the Detailed Engineering Design (DED), Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC), and Feasibility Study “must be directed to the Regional Office, not the ICDEO of DPWH.”
The City Council held yesterday its second hearing on last month’s flooding blamed on several waterways projects of DPWH. For the second time, Pacanan did not attend.
Pacanan argued that the flooding in the affected area stemmed from external factors, not the Mansaya Creek project project itself.
“The primary causes of flooding… were the presence of informal settlers along the creek and the evident lack of solid waste management which blocked the flow of water,” he said, emphasizing that these issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Iloilo City Government.
He further noted that a joint inspection of the project was conducted on August 15 by DPWH Central Office Quality Assurance Unit teams, representatives of the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Iloilo City Government.
“We now await the official report of the DPWH teams for appropriate action. We are also aware that COA is conducting its own validation pursuant to its constitutional mandate,” Pacanan stated.
In deciding not to attend yesterday’s hearing, the district engineer cited the council’s earlier declaration of him as persona non grata.
“It must be regarded that the invitation… is anathema to the declaration of persona non grata against the undersigned. It is like entering a house where we are not welcome,” he said.
Pacanan recalled that the June 2024 declaration, initiated by Councilor Miguel Treñas, did not observe the council’s three-reading rule, in contrast to DPWH projects that undergo strict procedural requirements.
Despite tensions with city officials, Pacanan assured Ilonggos that his office will continue its work.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to transparency and accountability, and shall continue to fulfill our mandate of delivering essential infrastructure projects to the Ilonggos,” he said./PN
