Daily TribuneSome contractors tagged in ‘ghost’ flood control projects have reportedly resorted to hasty, superficial constructions to conceal the misuse of public funds.
Meaningless tarp If the Philippine Information Agency’s rehabilitation is called a ‘ghost project,’ it’s not just because nothing much has risen past its deadline. The building itself, cloaked in darkness and neglect, could pass for a horror film set.
WHERE only the brave dare pass.
ZOMBIELAND?
BATMAN would be at the home at the PIA, dear. Yes, those things hanging at the ceiling do fly.
ANO ang nasa dako pa roon?
The P48.75-million rehabilitation of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) building in Quezon City may be another “ghost” project under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), with little work done despite a full allocation.
Behind the tarpaulin and the budget figures, DAILY TRIBUNE sources revealed that the PIA rehabilitation project along Visayas Avenue, has barely been touched months after it was funded and awarded.
Documents showed the project, funded under the 2024 General Appropriations Act and awarded to C.E.M. Construction Inc., was supposed to be completed by 16 July 2025.
“This is another example of a ghost project. Only the tiles of some of the restrooms in the building were changed. Aside from that, nothing was done or started,” said a source from a co-attached agency.
C.E.M. Construction, based in Cainta, Rizal, has been linked to resigned Bulacan First District engineer Bryan Alcantara through a P47.03-million DPWH contract for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Plaridel Bypass Road signed in March 2023.
A PIA-NCR official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were “not privy” to the rehabilitation project and would “check on the matter.”
This adds to the growing trail of ghost projects and overpricing allegations haunting the DPWH.
‘No connection’
In September, DAILY TRIBUNE sources revealed a P6-million parking project under the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) that never materialized. PCO Secretary Dave Gomez has since vowed to investigate.
In response to questions about the PIA project, Gomez clarified that “to date, the construction is actively ongoing as variation orders have been issued by the DPWH, extending the project’s original completion timeline.”
“All project funds are sourced exclusively from the DPWH budget, and the PIA is not involved in its procurement, implementation, management, and has no connection to the contractor, C.E.M. Construction,” Gomez said.
“The PIA encourages the public to refer to official government sources for accurate information. We remain committed to transparency and the responsible communication of government programs and services,” he added.
Some contractors tagged in “ghost” flood control projects have reportedly resorted to hasty, superficial constructions to conceal the misuse of public funds, allegedly in connivance with DPWH engineers and lawmakers who endorsed the funds for the projects.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte earlier disclosed that her office is probing 331 DPWH projects worth P17 billion from 2022 to 2025, forwarding evidence to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) for further review.
Senate probe
At the national level, Senator Win Gatchalian warned Tuesday in a Senate hearing of P271.9 billion in potentially anomalous projects under the proposed 2026 DPWH budget, citing 6,178 projects flagged for duplication, missing technical data, and “reappearing entries” from previous allocations.
“For instance, 4,566 road projects did not have a station number, making it impossible to track their exact location,” said Gatchalian, adding that 946 reappearing projects had already received funding in previous years.
He also cited overpricing as high as 1,400 percent in some DPWH estimates, based on engineering group reviews.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon admitted that the agency’s internal audit found similar discrepancies, although at “lower inflation levels” than those cited by the senator.
“This is not about slowing down infrastructure development,” Gatchalian said. “This is about accountability, transparency, and making sure the Filipino people get what they pay for.”
The controversy deepens as scrutiny expands from flood control allocations, long regarded as the most corruption-prone component of the DPWH budget.
Lawmakers from both chambers revealed that billions in funds for the 2024, 2025, and the proposed 2026 budgets were diverted to non-flood prone areas, while vulnerable provinces routinely hit by typhoons received little to no funding.
The 2025 budget had been described as “the most corruption-tainted in history,” a culmination of years of unchecked flood control allocations, project duplications, and opaque procurement practices within the DPWH.
