LGU execs rip ‘ampaw’ flood control projects

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fiery call during his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) to end corruption in flood control projects has cracked open a widening scandal, as governors and mayors across the country revealed “ampaw” or substandard and grossly overpriced works worth billions of pesos.

An explosive revelation came from Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor, who, on Saturday, was blocked by a contractor company’s security guard from inspecting a collapsed flood dike in Naujan town, a project that reportedly cost over P200 million but crumbled in less than a year.

“Does this mean that even I, the governor, am not allowed to enter this province? I will enter whether you like it or not because this is public land,” Dolor fumed, after a guard barred him from entering the site without a written permit from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), ABS-CBN News reported.

Dolor later found the dike filled mostly with sand, thin concrete, and undersized steel bars. “Now I will expose all of this… let’s see just how badly you did your work,” he warned.

The governor also blasted the staggering costs of some projects, alleging that up to P1 billion per kilometer was spent on structures that collapsed within a year. “Contractors here are something else,” Dolor said.

From 2023 to 2025, about P39 billion was poured into flood control in Oriental Mindoro, yet only about 12 percent of identified river systems have been covered, according to DPWH data.

Dolor appealed directly to President Marcos to investigate “substandard flood control projects” and ensure that the same contractors and officials are not retained.

“Mr. President, you can see for yourself what is being done in our province,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando, alarmed by similar problems, announced Sunday that he will issue an executive order requiring all flood control projects in the province to be reviewed and approved by his office before construction begins.

Fernando said in a radio interview that several flood control projects had been implemented in Bulacan without his knowledge or coordination. He noted that some projects — presented to Marcos as “completed” — were substandard.

“I was mostly shocked when President Marcos visited,” Fernando recalled. “When we saw what was done to the rivers in Bulusan — and those were just samples, there were many of them — it was very clear there was a lack of cement, a lack of sand. Things were done cheaply and not completed.”

He stressed that his administration had no role in implementing the projects. The governor vowed to pursue legal action against contractors and called for Marcos’s direct oversight of the investigation to prevent internal interference.

As this developed, a coalition of local leaders dubbed Mayors for Good Governance demanded full transparency and accountability in the use of P350 billion allocated for flood control, describing corruption in the sector as “alarming, pervasive, and systematic.”

“As local leaders on the frontlines of disaster response, we welcome this move and fully support the pursuit of justice,” the mayors said in a joint statement.

They urged the DPWH to release project documents — including Programs of Work, Detailed Unit Price Analyses, Bill of Quantities, and Feasibility Studies — and to disclose the names of contractors and politicians linked to the projects.

Among the signatories were Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, alongside leaders from Basilan, Cagayan, Quezon, Zamboanga, Laguna, La Union, Camarines Sur, and Tarlac.

‘Shame on you’

The flood control scandal echoes Marcos’s July 28 SONA speech, where he vowed to prosecute officials and contractors behind “sloppy, crumbling, or imaginary” projects.

“I will not hesitate — those who must be held accountable will be held accountable… shame on you!” the President said.

Marcos has since ordered the DPWH to submit a full list of flood control projects since 2022 and made it public so citizens can flag failures, unfinished works, or ghost projects.