THE DEPARTMENT OF Public Works and Highways in 2017 spent a whopping P774 million to defray the cost of a pumping station in a bid to address the perennial flooding problem in Tondo.
But instead of getting rid of floods, the problem worsened, according to Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, following the ocular inspection conducted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) that was created by the President by virtue of an executive order.
Dizon particularly hinted at the Apog Pumping Station in Tondo, Manila, which has never been used since its supposed completion in 2020.
The DPWH Secretary then — Senator Mark Villar.
REPEATEDLY FUNDED
Funded in 2017, the began the following year with a completion date pumping station was funded starting in 2017, and is supposed to be completed by year 2020.
For the current year, an additional P94 million was earmarked for “repairs” for a facility that has never been used, for which Dizon ordered the suspension of the repair process pending an investigation by a third-party inspector to determine the actual repairs needed.
“What we’re seeing is there seems to be a pattern in these projects—funds are released, payments are made, but they turn out either substandard or sometimes even ghost projects,” Dizon said.
“Because we might just be throwing nearly P100 million here.”
BERATED IN PUBLIC
During the inspection, Dizon berated DPWH regional officials for what he referred to as excessive funds poured into a project that never served its purpose.
The DPWH chief added that the project meant to solve the problem, worsened the predicament.
“Instead of helping, it made things worse. Before this was built, the water level here was low. When they put this up—and obviously it hasn’t worked since completion—the flooding here became worse,” Dizon added.
Senator Villar, in his capacity as then Secretary of the DPWH, led its 2018 inauguration even as he boasted of the project as the department’s “long-term solution” to rampant flooding in nearby areas.
TOO EMBARASSING
On the part of the Manila City government, Mayor Isko Moreno insisted that the DPWH Metro Manila regional office never coordinated with the local government unit and that no building permit was secured, proving it was never made operational.
“Aren’t we ashamed?” Moreno said. “If you ask the people here, before this pumping station, the water was manageable. Life was normal. But when the pumping station supposedly for flood control was built, it became flood un-control.”
For the project to be fully utilized, DPWH Metro Manila regional office cited the need for another P200 million for the pumping station to be fully functional.
Without blinking an eye, Dizon rejected the request.