Calumpit mayor hits ghost flood control projects amid perennial flooding

Calumpit, Bulacan Mayor Glorim “Lem” Faustino has voiced her frustration over ghost flood control projects that were supposedly implemented in her town but never materialized.

In a radio interview Thursday, Faustino lamented that the projects, which were not even presented to the local government for approval, could have been vital in addressing the town’s perennial flooding problem.

“Here in Calumpit, every time there’s a typhoon, we always get flooded. It happens all the time,” she said in Filipino.

She added that what pains her most as mayor is that despite Calumpit’s repeated struggles with flooding, the town continues to be left out.

“What’s painful is that, as the mayor of Calumpit, we’re almost always flooded. We’ve been victims again and again, and yet we’re still being victimized,” she said.

Faustino explained that her office remains in the dark about the projects because each time their municipal engineer tries to coordinate with contractors, they are told the works are not under the LGU’s jurisdiction but rather handled by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“Not a single contractor has ever reached out to us in Calumpit,” she said.

After personally inspecting the areas where the projects were supposedly located, Faustino said it was difficult to determine whether they were ghost projects or simply abandoned undertakings.

“The flood control project is very beneficial for our town of Calumpit—if only it’s done properly and correctly. If only the budget is properly allocated to the flood control project,” she said.