ILOILO City – Billions have been poured into flood control projects in Iloilo City, but when heavy rains fall, residents still find themselves knee-deep in floodwaters, questioning where the money went.
Newly obtained documents show that more than P1 billion worth of flood control allocations flowed into the city in 2025 alone.
The figure tops P737.3 million in 2024 and P71.1 million in 2023, raising the three-year flood control spending in Iloilo City to nearly P1.75 billion.
Behind the big numbers are familiar names. In 2025 alone, Discaya-linked firms St. Timothy Construction Corporation, St. Gerard Construction General Contractor and Development Corporation, and Alpha & Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation clinched P526.8 million worth of project.
In 2024, the same group secured P374.6 million, cementing their hold over the city’s flood control contracts.
Yet despite the spending spree, many barangays remain vulnerable. Embankments built along the Iloilo River have been blamed for worsening floods downstream in adjacent Oton, Iloilo where seven villages were submerged for four straight days in July.
Residents complain of being left in the dark. Several projects, including the Bo. Obrero seawall, were flagged in complaints filed with Malacañang but are absent from the President’s online flood control tracker “Sumbong sa Pangulo”.
Funding for several flood control projects in the city were facilitated by the Iloilo City Lone District Congressional Office.
In a statement issued yesterday and reported by DYFM Bombo Radyo Iloilo, Cong. Julienne Baronda said: “As to nga-a sila (Discaya firms), I think ang Iloilo City District Engineering Office kag ang regional office (of the Department of Public Works and Highways) amo ang magasabat sina. Indi ta man siguro makontrol kun sin-o ang naga-bid. Indi ko kaintindi nga nag-alamo ni. As to the bidding process, wala man kita gaintra dira.”
Contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya and wife Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya are currently at the center of parallel Senate and House of Representatives investigations on alleged anomalous flood control projects
Yesterday, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ordered Curlee detained under contempt for allegedly “lying” and issued Sarah a show-cause order compelling her to explain her absence from the hearing.
“Maayo man ini natabo, nationally, nga may yara sang mga investigation and we really welcome that because it is unfair for those local districts nga nagatinguha nga masolbar ang mga problema sa ila distrito,” said Baronda./PN
