'Insertion'-funded flood control projects have no validation - DPWH

Several flood control projects funded through congressional insertions were not subjected to its standard planning and technical review, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) disclosed on Thursday, July 31.

- By TRIXEE ROSEL

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said these projects typically appear only during the final approval of the General Appropriations Act (GAA), bypassing the agency's validation process.

"That will be the first time we will be seeing these projects once they are already included in the General Appropriations Act," Bonoan said in a radio interview, noting that the agency is not part of the bicameral conference committee where insertions are finalized.

Despite the lack of feasibility studies or engineering designs, the DPWH is still tasked to implement these projects, many of which face delays due to the absence of preparatory work.