COA assails DPWH for inaction on flood projects since 2009

Residents evacuate themselves and their belongings from their houses inside Provident Village in Marikina City as Typhoon Ondoy brought heavy rains in Metro Manila on Sept. 26, 2009. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Commission on Audit (COA) has accused the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of dragging its feet in building flood control projects and rehabilitating roads and bridges destroyed by Typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” in 2009.

In its 2010 report, the COA also criticized the DPWH for spending P30 million on expensive and unnecessary advertisements. The money, which came from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), was paid to the Philippine Information Agency.

According to the COA, the DPWH failed to build and repair infrastructure destroyed by Ondoy and Pepeng in Luzon. No flood control and mitigation structures were also built in the aftermath of the storms despite ready credit, the COA said.

The COA stressed that 79 projects, which included roads and bridges, were intended to protect areas vulnerable to storms, floods and landslides.

They were aimed at making sure the areas ravaged by Ondoy and Pepeng would be able to respond to similar disasters in the future.

These projects were to be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which agreed to lend the Philippines ¥9.91 billion or about P5.6 billion.

The record-high rains and strong winds spawned by Ondoy inundated and ravaged Metro Manila and Luzon on Sept. 26, 2009, killing hundreds of people. It was followed by Pepeng which hit northern and Central Luzon. The two typhoons plunged mainland Luzon into a state of calamity and damaged P6 billion worth of public and private property.

The DPWH was supposed to restore bridges and roads in Regions I, II, III, IV-A and V, as well as in the Cordillera Autonomous Region and Metro Manila. Provinces in these areas recently suffered floods and landslides due to Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel.”

COA said the DPWH should have entered into negotiated biddings for the 79 projects earlier identified as urgent flood control and rehabilitation projects.  Instead, DPWH resorted to the local competitive bidding process, which slowed down the implementation of the projects.

The COA also noted that the DPWH did not tap its accredited list of contractors involved in flood control activities for the projects.

Thus, no flood control project was completed as of Dec. 31, 2010, while the repair of damaged roads and bridges had not started,  the COA said.

Despite the lack of rehabilitation projects, the government still incurred P3.5 million in expenses, COA said.

The COA also criticized the DPWH for trumpeting its achievements through expensive and unnecessary media campaigns in 2010.

In June 2010, the DPWH paid Target Market Communications for the showing of “Joyride Highlighting the Milestone in Infrastructure Development” in 36 theaters in Metro Manila and 31 in the provinces for four weeks.

The COA said this was irregular since there was no bidding for the contract with TMC.