Dizon flags pattern of ‘ghost’ or ‘substandard’ flood control projects

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon (right) and Baguio City Mayor and Independent Commission for Infrastructure advisor Benjamin Magalong inspect flood control projects in Bauang, La Union on Tuesday, September 17, 2025. —PHOTO COURTESY OF DPWH

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday flagged a “pattern of either ghost or substandard” infrastructure projects after he and Baguio City Mayor and Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Adviser Benjamin Magalong inspected flood control works in Bauang, La Union.

After their inspection, Dizon and Magalong said that the projects were “substandard, with Dizon raising concern that light rains can easily damage the structure.

“Clearly, this is not a ghost, as you can see,  (the project) physically exist. However, based on observation with Mayor Benjie, it is obviously substandard,” Dizon told reporters in an interview.

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Data provided by the DPWH showed that the two flood mitigation structures along Bauang River Basin were both awarded to Silverwolves Construction Corporation. The projects were worth P89.7 million each.

The data also noted that the projects were tagged as complete on March 16, 2025.

“Obviously it’s not completed but we will validate that. What’s important here is that we’re seeing a pattern of either ghost or substandard projects.,” Dizon added.

Dizon then shared that they kept on asking for the project plans when they inspected but they received none.

“A very important pattern we saw is that almost all the projects we visited had no plans. That’s the basis, we can’t assess a project without it,” Dizon said.

With this, Magalong said that they are going to collect pieces of evidence as the basis of filing of cases if the projects were proven to be anomalous. He also said that he will bring the matter to the ICI for further investigation.

Meanwhile, Dizon said that the contractors need to fix the projects “up to the standard” using their own money.

“They have the contracts, they have to fix that, [with] their own money. But that will be a different matter to the case we will file. Not because they will fix that, does not mean they will be no charges anymore, that’s not it,” Dizon stressed.

READ: Dizon hits P96.5 M ‘ghost’ flood control project in Plaridel, Bulacan

Last September 9, Dizon uncovered three “ghost” flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro. He found out that projects in Panggalan River, Tubig River, and Catuiran River had no ongoing construction despite being listed in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Another “ghost” flood control project was criticized by Dizon after he inspected a flood mitigation structure in Plaridel, Bulacan. He found out that the P96.5-million project was tagged complete but construction only began three weeks prior to his inspection. /cb