Mayor Joy: 331 DPWH flood control projects in QC worth P17B with multiple issues

Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday, Sept. 15, said a total of 331 flood control projects worth P17 billion with multiple issues were uncovered following the local government's review of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control projects in the city.

- By ALLYSA NIEVERA

The 331 flood control projects were from 2022 to 2025.

Belmonte said the review, which included meetings with barangay captains, consultations with DPWH officials, and inspections by city engineers, exposed multiple issues on the flood control projects.

The city mayor said the projects ballooned from 254 initially identified to 331 after validation, but only two were approved by the LGU.

"Una, lumobo pa sa 331 ang DPWH flood control projects sa aming lungsod mula 2022 hanggang 2025. At dalawa lang - uulitin ko, dalawa lang - ang pinayagan ng lokal na pamahalaan (First, the DPWH flood control projects in our city have ballooned to 331 from 2022 to 2025. And only two - I repeat, only two - were approved by the local government)," she said in a press conference.

Belmonte said that the P17 billion allocation could have been used to resolve the city's most urgent needs.

"Malayo na sana ang inabot ng halagang iyan. Nalutas na sana natin ang classroom shortage sa lungsod na 5,300 at magkakasurplus pa. Aabot na sana sa 350 PhilHealth Accredited Centers ang naitayo kung ito ay nagamit para dyan. Kung naging pabahay naman ito, katumbas na sana ito ng 14,167 housing units para sa aming informal sector families (That amount would have gone a long way. We would have solved the classroom shortage in the city of 5,300 and even had a surplus. Up to 350 PhilHealth Accredited Centers would have been built if it had been used for that. If it had been used for housing, it would have been equivalent to 14,167 housing units for our informal sector families)," she said.