Cebu flood control projects: ICI uncovers major lapses

CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) recently visited several localities in Cebu to investigate the extensive damage to flood control projects. They raised serious concerns that the failures may be attributed to inadequate planning, deviations from the government’s master plan, and possible substandard implementation.

After inspecting damaged structures in Cebu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Liloan, and Compostela, ICI special adviser and investigator Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said many of the flood mitigation projects were badly damaged.

Azurin cited the ₱149-million project in the Liloan–Compostela area, awarded to a joint venture involving Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corporation, a company owned by the controversial Discaya couple.

Azurin said that the damage in the area was severe and costly, not only in infrastructure losses but also in human lives.

A key issue that the ICI uncovered is the failure of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to follow the master plan, or “mother plan,” for river basin management and flood control.

The master plan, completed as early as 2017 with support from JICA and crafted during the time of former DPWH Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson, identified 18 major river basins nationwide as priority areas for flood mitigation.

“Why did they not follow the mother plan?” Azurin asked. “If they had aligned the projects to the river basin plan, the strong flow of water could have been mitigated. It would not have overflowed and cost so many lives.”

Instead, DPWH-7 reportedly pursued a strategy focused heavily on revetment (riverbank slope protection), which Azurin said was misapplied and done in the wrong sequence.

“You cannot finish all the revetments before implementing vertical structures that would hold and control water flow,” he explained. “What happened here was an uncontrolled water flow that almost overflowed and destroyed many properties.”

Azurin stressed that DPWH Region 7, as the implementing agency, must explain the deviation from the master plan, including inconsistencies in design and sequencing of works. “As far as this is concerned, DPWH-7 is supposed to be responsible and accountable for what happened here,” he said.

ICI is now determining whether liability should be pursued against officials or contractors who disregarded the master plan. “The investigation is ongoing. The President has repeatedly said that no one should be spared,” he added.

He said the commission intends not only to file criminal charges but also to recover losses from misuse of public funds. Azurin had questioned whether the damages caused by natural disasters were covered by insurance. “If ‘acts of God’ are not included in their insurance, the contractor will definitely have to shoulder the repair,” he said.

Azurin said engineers accompanying the ICI will conduct further technical evaluation in Manila to determine whether proper standards were followed, including cement strength (3,000 PSI) and steel grades (40 and 60). “We saw the effect physically, but the engineers will confirm if the standards were followed,” he said.

Cebu is only one part of a broader nationwide probe ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ICI has already inspected areas in Davao and Ilocos Norte, and will next proceed to Leyte and Bicol.

In Cebu alone, the ICI has inspected yesterday two sites each in Mandaue City, Talisay City and Liloan and one each in Compostela and Cebu City.

The investigation timeline, according to Azurin, depends on the availability of air assets supporting the inspections, provided through the coordination of the Department of National Defense and the AFP.

Azurin emphasized that disaster mitigation must be approached through unified planning among key agencies, including DPWH, DENR, and NIA, especially since floodwaters in the Cebu incidents reportedly originated from upland areas.

“We need unified discussion among agencies to avoid conflicting projects and ensure proper use of funds,” he said.

Azurin appealed to the public to continue reporting questionable projects and to provide documents to support the investigation. “We hope we can gather the documentary evidence so we can file cases against all those responsible,” he said.

Azurin appealed to Cebuanos for continued cooperation as the ICI intensifies its investigation into flood control projects in the province. “Ang hinihingi natin ay support para makahanap pa tayo ng maraming ebidensiya para mapadali natin ang pagsampa ng mga kaso sa lahat ng responsable dito,” he said.

Azurin said the commission aims to uncover the full truth behind the failures that led to the devastation.    “To at least ma-ease ang loob ng ibang pamilya for the losses of so many lives in Cebu at mabigyan natin ng hustisya at managot ang dapat managot,” he said, emphasizing that accountability and justice for the victims remain at the center of their work.

Azurin was accompanied by DPWH Undersecretary Arthur Bisnar, former ICI special adviser and investigator Benjamin Magalong, who is now tasked by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to help the department with the ongoing ICI investigation.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. through Executive Order No. 94, created the ICI as a fact-finding body tasked with investigating irregularities, corruption, and misuse of funds in government infrastructure projects, especially flood control projects over the past 10 years.

According to Marcos and the Executive Order (EO), the Infrastructure Coverage Initiative (ICI) aims to restore public trust by ensuring transparency and accountability in infrastructure spending. It prioritizes flood control projects due to numerous complaints and suspected irregularities associated with them.

The death toll from Typhoon Tino continues to rise as authorities report that, as of November 9, a total of 224 are confirmed dead, 158 of whom are from Cebu. Some areas in Cebu suffered particularly high fatalities, like in Compostela which recorded 31 deaths, and Liloan 36.

Authorities attribute most fatalities to drowning in flash floods, landslides, and falling debris or trees. In Liloan, sudden and strong floodwaters swept away residents, and landslides buried some houses.

Cebu recorded 183 millimeters of rainfall within 24 hours, surpassing the region’s average monthly precipitation. Floodwaters submerged homes, roads, and large vehicles