COA orders immediate inspection of Bulacan flood control projects

The Commission on Audit has ordered a swift inspection of all the flood control projects in Bulacan, starting with those of the highest value, amid an ongoing fraud audit.

In a memorandum dated 20 August, COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba ordered the designation of a team of technical personnel to immediately launch an inspection of flood control projects from January 2022 to July of this year, regardless of whether they are still ongoing or have already been completed.

Those with the highest price tag should be prioritized, according to the memo.

The inspection teams are directed to report whether the project exists, and assess their actual progress against the approved work program and schedule.

Documentation such as videos and geo-tagged pictures is mandatory.

The inspectors are also ordered to assess whether the ongoing projects are compliant with approved plans and specifications, and whether the workmanship meets quality standards.

Cordoba said the reports shall be submitted immediately after every inspection, detailing the findings for each project, including any identified deficiencies, irregularities, or issues.

Earlier this month, COA launched a fraud audit in Bulacan following a series of inspections by President Marcos Jr. wherein he discovered the botched flood control projects, the P96.4-million flood control project in Calumpit, Bulacan, and the P55-million reinforced concrete wall project in Baliuag, found to be “ghost” or non-existent.

Bulacan, tagged as the “most notorious” in the flood control scheme, recorded the most flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025, with 668 projects.

The province received the lion’s share of P98 billion in flood control funds allocated for Central Luzon, with P44 billion.

The province is among the country’s top 10 flood-prone provinces. But despite the massive funding, Bulacan has remained prone to floods, sparking suspicions of substandard, delayed, and incomplete works as well as corruption.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan admitted in a Senate hearing last week that there are indeed “ghost” flood control projects in the towns of Calumpit, Malolos, and Hagonoy in Bulacan.

State auditors had already retrieved key documents from the district engineering office of DPWH in Malolos, Bulacan, which were deemed pivotal in the fraud audit investigation.