GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Flooding has always haunted this city, but with P1.43 billion worth of flood control projects rolled out under the Marcos administration from 2022 to 2025, the question on many people’s minds is simple: Are these projects really protecting residents, or are taxpayers being left high and dry?

Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sounded the alarm, flagging delays and the lack of visible progress on some projects.

To cut through the uncertainty, Malacañang has launched the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website, a digital complaint desk urging citizens themselves to act as watchdogs and report whether flood control works are actually taking shape.

The projects cover the city’s major rivers and drainage systems, with millions awarded to a small circle of contractors.

J.G.Oranza Construction emerged as the biggest player, bagging several high-value contracts: P120.6 million for a Sinawal River revetment due in March 2025, P96.4 million for a Silway River project scheduled for April 2025, P91.6 million for Tinagacan-Buayan River works that should have been completed in January 2023, and P96.5 million for the Klinan-Mabuhay section, whose deadline was as early as November 2022.

Legacy Construction Corporation was also awarded two projects on the Sinawal River, worth a combined P137.3 million, with deadlines set for January and September 2023.

Meanwhile, JDRC Construction & Supplies Corporation secured contracts for Sinawal and Silway River revetments totaling more than P150 million, with deadlines in 2024.

Vicente T. Lao Construction landed contracts for the Buayan River and drainage works amounting to over P90 million, while MJ Tiongson Construction and its partner Reydan Builders were tapped for the Makar and Sinawal Rivers, together worth about P100 million.