With each storm or heavy downpour, giant components of Bulacan find yourself underneath water. Flooding has lengthy been a truth of life within the province positioned in Central Luzon, regardless of billions of pesos in public funds being poured into flood management tasks over time.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson mentioned in his privilege speech on Wednesday, August 20, that Bulacan is the “most infamous when it comes to anomalies” in flood management tasks of the Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). From 2021 to 2024, Bulacan bagged a complete of P43.5 billion value of flood management contracts.
Flood management works are a shared accountability of the nationwide and native governments. Main tasks in principal rivers and river basins are dealt with and funded by the DPWH, whereas native governments are anticipated to tackle smaller works involving creeks and minor waterways, based on DPWH Order 25 (2015). The flood management contracts on the web site launched by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on August 11 are all underneath the DPWH, and never the native authorities.
Rappler appeared into which municipalities, cities, and districts cornered the largest shares of those contracts.
Town of Baliwag takes the lead with P6.02 billion in flood management contracts from 87 tasks. However based mostly on a flooding hazard map, most components of Baliwag usually are not even prone to excessive flooding.
Simply this week, President Marcos visited town to confirm a citizen’s criticism a couple of non-existent however totally paid P55-million bolstered concrete riverwall venture. Marcos mentioned the ghost venture was an “instance of falsification…as a result of it was reported as accomplished.”
The Baliwag Metropolis authorities, nonetheless, denied any involvement within the ghost flood management tasks that Marcos inspected and flagged.
“This venture didn’t undergo the Metropolis Authorities, nor was any doc submitted to the Metropolis Engineering Workplace, nor was there any coordination with any workplace of the LGU,” town authorities mentioned in a press release launched on Thursday, August 21.
San Jose del Monte Metropolis, Bulacan’s largest metropolis and gateway to Metro Manila, ranked second with P3.63 billion (47 contracts). But a hazard map confirmed that town just isn’t prone to floods.
Shut behind are Balagtas (P3.25 billion, 45 contracts) and Guiguinto (P3.07 billion, 49 contracts).
The flood-prone fishing city of Hagonoy additionally obtained a hefty P3.05 billion from 43 tasks. Malolos Metropolis, the provincial capital, was allotted P3.04 billion for 45 tasks.
Different high recipients embody Plaridel (P2.5 billion, 41 tasks) and Meycauayan Metropolis (P2.44 billion, 39 tasks).
Calumpit, a city usually hit by river overflows, had 37 tasks value P2.18 billion. The Senate probe flagged alleged ghost flood management tasks in Calumpit and neighboring Hagonoy, linked to Wawao Builders, one of many high contractors earlier recognized by Marcos.
San Miguel secured P1.99 billion for 27 tasks. Whereas Bocaue, house to the Philippine Enviornment and Senator Joel Villanueva’s turf, bought P1.78 billion (33 tasks). Santa Maria adopted with P1.64 billion (28 tasks).
The coastal city of Obando, usually battered by tidal flooding, secured 18 flood management tasks value P1.44 billion. Regardless of being extremely flood-prone, it solely ranked thirteenth when it comes to flood management venture allocations.
The municipality of Bustos, house to the Bustos Dam, obtained P1.37 billion for twenty-four tasks, whereas Pandi was allotted P1.28 billion for 15 tasks.
Smaller allocations went to San Ildefonso (P922.3 million, 11 tasks), Bulakan (P892.2 million, 15 tasks), and San Rafael (P721.3 million, 12 tasks).
Paombong, a city extremely prone to flooding, obtained solely P515.5 million for 11 flood management tasks.
Norzagaray obtained P505.6 million for 10 tasks, whereas Angat secured P474.3 million for 11 tasks.
Close to the underside, Marilao obtained P412.3 million for eight tasks, whereas Pulilan bought P209.3 million for seven tasks.
The mountainous city of Doña Remedios Trinidad or generally often known as DRT obtained the bottom share with P147.2 million for 2 tasks. The municipality was named after the late mom of then–first girl Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who traced her roots to the province.
Which districts cornered the funds?
Bulacan’s 2nd District emerged as the highest recipient of flood management tasks, cornering practically P9.9 billion or 22.74% of the province’s whole allocation. The district covers the cities of Baliwag, Bustos, and Plaridel, and is presently represented by Congresswoman Tina Pancho.
The Pancho household has lengthy dominated the district. Patriarch Pedro Pancho and his son Gavini “Apol” Pancho beforehand held the congressional seat earlier than it was handed on to Tina. The household additionally owns C.M. Pancho Building Inc.
Rappler’s assessment of the flood management venture database launched by Malacañang confirmed that the Pancho-led agency was not concerned in any flood management tasks. Nonetheless, public paperwork reveal that it has secured a number of highway tasks in Bulacan.
The 2nd District obtained practically the identical allocation as the first District, at P9.89 billion (22.73%). The first District consists of Hagonoy, Malolos, Calumpit, Bulakan, Paombong, and Pulilan. It’s represented in Congress by Danilo A. Domingo, after many years of management by the Sy-Alvarado household: notably Wilhelmino, Victoria, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.
Wilhelmino additionally served as Bulacan governor and vice governor. In 2025, he tried a gubernatorial put up comeback however misplaced to his former ally, Daniel Fernando.
The fifth District, led by Congresswoman Agatha Paula A. Cruz, adopted with P9.39 billion (21.58%). This district covers Balagtas, Guiguinto, Bocaue, and Pandi. It’s comparatively new, created in 2021. Its first elected consultant was Ambrosio C. Cruz Jr., Agatha’s father and the present mayor of Guiguinto.
By comparability, allocations for the third and 4th Districts lagged far behind, receiving solely 8.69% and 9.88%, respectively, of the province’s whole.
The third District (San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, and Doña Remedios Trinidad) is represented by Mark Cholo I. Violago, a first-time congressman who succeeded Lorna C. Silverio.
The 4th District (Meycauayan, Obando, and Marilao) is represented by Linabelle Ruth Villarica. Her husband, Henry R. Villarica, additionally served because the district’s consultant and is now mayor of Meycauayan. The Villaricas are homeowners of Villarica Pawnshop.
On the backside of the record had been the sixth District (Santa Maria, Angat, and Norzagaray) and the lone district of San Jose del Monte Metropolis (SJDM), which collectively accounted for lower than 15% of all allocations.
The sixth District, additionally newly created, is represented by Salvador A. Pleyto.
Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro, in an interview with ABS-CBN, mentioned they had been stunned by the multi-billion-peso flood management tasks within the province. He mentioned that these tasks are applied by the nationwide authorities and don’t undergo the provincial authorities.
Right here’s one other visualization of how flood management budgets had been distributed throughout Bulacan’s cities and legislative districts:
Rappler has additionally launched a crowdsourcing initiative to assemble first-hand accounts from the general public on flood management tasks of their areas and observe the standing of those tasks nationwide. Share your experiences via the FloodControlPH channel on the Rappler Communities app (accessible on internet, iOS, and Android). – Rappler.com
