QC Finds 329 Out of 331 Flood Control Projects Had No City Approval

(SPOT.ph) Quezon City officials have uncovered what they say is a staggering case of uncoordinated spending: 329 out of 331 of the P17 billion flood control projects carried out by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from 2022 to 2025 were “built” without the city’s approval.

Officials laid out the numbers in a 92-page report released on September 15—and the findings are shocking, to say the least. Only two projects had the required Certificate of Coordination (COC) or a no-objection letter. In short, P16.77 billion in DPWH projects were pushed through without a proper sign-off from the city government.

Moreover, inspectors flagged 66 projects with “location errors”: some had missing coordinates, some were tagged in the wrong barangay, and some couldn’t be found at all.

Of the 265 projects that could actually be inspected, 163 were finished, 96 were ongoing, and six were suspiciously marked “completed” even though construction was still underway.

Quantity doesn’t equal quality, either: the report found 305 projects don’t match the city’s Drainage Master Plan, making them either redundant or useless to build. These included slope protection structures built on existing walls, retaining walls that had already collapsed, and drainage projects located in areas that have no history of flooding.

Also read: There Will Be Zero Funds for Flood Control in 2026 Budget, According to Marcos

The review also revealed irregularities in paperwork. 170 projects weren’t listed in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2022–2025. Another 33 projects were missing from DPWH’s own Project and Contract Management Application (PCMA) database, while 12 projects had multiple phases with little to no clear delineation. In at least three locations, overlapping projects were found at the same site, each tagged as a separate contract.

Additionally, the local government found that eight out of the nine Discaya-owned construction firms have projects in Quezon City. All together, these 27 projects amount to P1.52 billion.

Moving forward, the local government said it will enforce cease-and-desist orders on ongoing works without approved COCs. Officials are also urging the DPWH to sit down at infrastructure committee meetings moving forward.

QC Mayor Joy Belmonte has enlisted the help of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) and disaster scientist Dr. Mahar Lagmay to scrutinize which projects—if any—can still be salvaged.

Also read: Fresh Start? New Chief Vince Dizon Tells DPWH Officials to Submit Courtesy Resignations