On 11 August, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. released a list showing that out of the ₱545.65 billion worth of flood control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from July 2022 to May 2025, 15 contractors managed to corner 20 percent of the total budget. The revelation sparked outrage among netizens, who criticized the anomaly, pointing out that flooding remains a recurring problem despite the massive funds supposedly allocated for prevention.

Prior to this, Marcos Jr., in his State of the Nation Address, ordered an investigation into the controversy as he fiercely criticized those behind the contentious projects, stating “Mahiya naman kayo!” which drew applause from his constituents.

According to the sumbongsapangulo.ph website, the top 15 contractors are as follows:

1. Legacy Construction Corporation

2. Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.

3. St. Timothy Construction Corporation

4. QM Builders

5. EGB Construction Corporation

6. Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.

7. Centerways Construction and Development Inc.

8. Sunwest, Inc.

9. Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp.

10. Triple 8 Construction & Supply, Inc.

11. Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp.

12. Wawao Builders

13. MG Samidan Construction

14. L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc.

15. Road Edge Trading & Development Services

Legacy Construction Corporation is headed by brothers Alex and Raymond Abelido, serving as president and vice president, respectively. Based in Pasig, the company has secured projects across the country totaling ₱9.56 billion. Of these, 37 projects worth ₱2.75 billion were in Negros Occidental.

Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corporation, also based in Pasig and established in May 2014, is led by 2025 mayoral aspirant Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya. The company obtained 106 projects totaling ₱7.73 billion, covering Bulacan, Davao Occidental, Malabon, and Manila, among others.

Another firm linked to the Discayas is St. Timothy Construction Corporation, incorporated in July 2014 and headed by Ma. Roma Angeline Discaya Romando. It bagged 105 projects worth ₱7.32 billion, including ₱1.8 billion worth of projects in Abra.

QM Builders, owned by Allan Quirante from Cebu, started as a hardware store in 2022 before expanding into construction in 2024. It won 97 projects worth ₱7.77 billion, with 95 projects worth ₱7.66 billion concentrated in Cebu.

EGB Construction Corporation, led by Erni Baggao of Isabela, was incorporated in 2021 but has operated since 1991. It secured 97 projects worth ₱7.98 billion, including 47 projects worth ₱3.45 billion in Isabela.

Topnotch Catalyst Builders, established in 2008 by Eumir and Pamela Villanueva, landed ₱1.75 billion worth of contracts, mostly in Bulacan and Metro Manila.

Centerways Construction and Development Inc., founded in 2006 and based in Sorsogon City, won ₱5.1 billion in contracts for 83 projects. It is owned by Lawrence Lubiano, confirmed to be a top donor of Senate President Chiz Escudero during his 2022 campaign. Escudero admitted his ties with Lubiano but denied involvement in securing deals.

Sunwest Inc., led by Aderma Alcazar, cornered ₱10.1 billion worth of 78 projects, mostly in the Bicol region, with a Catanduanes project worth ₱192 million. It is also linked to Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, who has since claimed he is no longer an investor.

Hi-Tone Construction and Development Inc., based in Sto. Domingo, Albay, and led by Edgar Acosta, handled projects worth ₱4.67 billion in Pasay City, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, and other areas.

Triple 8 Construction & Supply Inc., established in April 2013 in Marilao, Bulacan, landed ₱3.9 billion worth of projects. Its president is Wilfred Natividad, with other family members holding positions.

Royal Crown Monarch Construction and Supplies Corp., owned by the Miranda family of Tarlac, was established in 2004. Its ₱4.22 billion worth of projects are in Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac.

Wawao Builders Corporation, embroiled in the controversial “ghost projects” in Bulacan, is headed by Mark Allan Villamor Arevalo. It holds 60 flood control contracts worth ₱4.37 billion nationwide.

MG Samidan Construction, led by Marjorie Samidan, bagged ₱5.02 billion in contracts covering 58 projects in Northern Luzon.

L.R. Tiqui Builders Inc., established in 2008, is owned by the Tiqui family with Luisito Tiqui and Maria Soledad DG Tiqui as the president and vice president respectively. They have projects in Bulacan, Tarlac, Marikina City, and Malabon City, that cost ₱4.44 billion

Road Edge Trading & Development Services, based in Marikina, holds projects worth ₱3.24 billion, mostly in Misamis Oriental and Isabela.

Top areas with flood control projects

Central Luzon topped the list with 1,617 projects amounting to ₱98 billion, followed by Metro Manila with 1,058 projects, and the Bicol region with 866. Bulacan alone accounted for 668 projects worth ₱44 billion—nearly half of Region III’s allocation.

1. Bulacan: 668 projects

2. Cebu: 414 projects

3. Isabela: 337 projects

4. Pangasinan: 313 projects

5. Pampanga: 293 projects

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and other lawmakers raised alarms over alleged ghost flood control projects in Bulacan, questioning how billions of pesos were allocated without visible or functioning outputs. They pressed for a Senate inquiry into how these projects were approved and funded despite lacking implementation.

Meanwhile, NCR was allotted ₱52.66 billion, with Manila receiving ₱14.46 billion to address its chronic flooding problem.

These controversies reached the Senate floor, with lawmakers questioning the presence of projects despite their billions in funding. Manila Mayor “Isko” Moreno urged the Senate to include flood control projects in the city that were allegedly implemented without informing the local government and appeared poorly studied, leaving the capital highly vulnerable.

President Marcos has since urged the public to monitor flood control initiatives actively and report irregularities, citing the launch of sumbongsapangulo.ph as a platform for transparency and accountability.