ESPRESSO MORNINGS
By Joe Zaldarriaga
Under his guidance, Meralco achieved unprecedented milestones, clinching a historic 3-peat Company of the Year title at the IABC Philippine Quill Awards, scoring the only PR Team of the Year trophy bestowed at the Anvil Awards, and securing numerous honors at international and local communication awards.
Manong Joe’s leadership also extends as a respected member of the Board of Trustees for the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), concurrent with his role as Chairman of the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines (IABC Philippines) where he also served as its President.
Manong Joe is a distinguished awardee of the medallion of honor and scroll of commendation from the University of Manila, owing to his years in public service as a communications professional. He shares his insights through columns in renowned publications, including The Philippine Star’s The Z Factor, and Philippine News Agency’s ESPRESSO MORNINGS.
Last week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. revealed that since 2022, only 15 contractors were awarded some 20 percent of the total PHP545 billion flood control budget nationwide, equivalent to a staggering PHP100 billion in contracts.
Of the 15 contractors, five firms reportedly received flood control contracts in nearly every region of the country – a fact that the President flagged as “disturbing” as he highlighted the mismatch in the location of most of these flood control projects in contrast with the most flood-prone areas in the country.
While the President’s revelation is only the tip of the iceberg, it already paints a picture as to why year after year, Filipinos continue to wade through floodwaters that ruin homes, disrupt economic activity, and even claim lives. Now we know why: it’s because a select group of contractors has been living off the people’s money and the results are as murky as the waters they were supposed to control.
The 15 contractors named by the President who cornered nearly a quarter of the country’s flood control projects are Legacy Construction Corp., Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corp., St. Timothy Construction Corp., QM Builders, EGB Construction Corp., Topnotch Catalyst Builders, Inc., Centerways Construction and Development, Sunwest, Inc., Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp., Triple 8 Construction & Supply, Inc., Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp., Wawao Builders, MG Samidan Construction, L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc., and Road Edge Trading & Development Services.
It is highly unacceptable and downright immoral that a handful of companies are raking in billions while thousands, if not millions, of ordinary hardworking, tax-paying Filipinos wade through floodwaters and are left to drown in incompetence and corruption.
What’s worse is that it seems that official records have also been tainted with corruption. Case in point is President Marcos Jr.’s recent inspection of a river protection structure in Calumpit, Bulacan, which has been tagged as “completed” in 2023 based on official records but, in reality, remains unfinished. President Marcos criticized the project as substandard and demanded an explanation from the contractor – St. Timothy Construction Corp., which is also part of the top 15 contractors awarded with flood-control projects.
The recent revelation of the President demands not just a thorough and transparent accounting on the budget for flood control but is a clear call on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to bare the truth about these projects – publicize the contracts, the locations, the timelines, the actual budgets, and the true status of these projects.
The people deserve to know whether these projects have been completed or have even started, have met the necessary engineering standards, and are actually value for money.
If these contractors failed to deliver their promised projects or have lapses, it is simply not enough to shame them. They should be fined, blacklisted, stripped of future contracts, and be made to face the full extent of the law.
Given the “disturbing” revelation over these flood control projects, it is a must to have an independent audit of both completed and ongoing projects to check compliance with engineering standards, timelines, environmental safeguards, and budget.
I also call on the government, especially the DPWH, to provide the people with open-access status reports on all these flood control projects – an accessible website or online platform that details timelines, budgets, and status reports on the performance of each contractor. These status reports should be verified with site visits and quality inspections.
Flood control is not just a matter of technical expertise, it is a matter of governance, transparency, and public safety. People’s lives, property, and livelihoods are at stake here.
As no less than the President said: “Mahiya naman kayo.”
The call is clear: Accountability. Now.
