Flood Control Funds Vanish into Thin Air; Engineer Bares ‘Ghost Projects,’ Congressional Links

Dismissed DPWH 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara is allegedly behind Bulacan’s flood control “ghost projects.”

Flood Control Funds Vanish into Thin Air; Engineer Bares ‘Ghost Projects,’ Congressional Links

By Wilma N. Yamzon – TheNationWeek.Com | September 8, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – A bombshell confession from a former public works district engineer has ignited a firestorm of controversy surrounding flood control projects.

Engineer Henry Alcantara’s revelation has raised serious questions about corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), implicating members of the House of Representatives.

Alcantara, who formerly oversaw DPWH projects in Bulacan, admitted to signing off on a P55-million flood control initiative without even verifying its existence.

His admission came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally inspected a flood project in Bulacan last month, only to discover that the project existed only on paper despite over P49 million already released to SYMS Construction Trading.

A visibly angry President hinted at economic sabotage charges against those involved in the alleged scheme.

“It was all on paper,” a source close to the investigation panel quoted the President as saying.

“Millions of pesos gone, and no flood control to show for it. Heads will roll,” Marcos said.

The inquiry has since widened, revealing Alcantara’s approval of other dubious projects, including a P94.6-million river protection structure and a P74.6-million flood mitigation project awarded to St. Timothy Construction Co. and Wawao Builders, respectively.

The two firms are among the top 15 contractors pinpointed by Marcos as having received a disproportionate share of flood control contracts since 2022.

Initially, Alcantara blamed the sheer volume of paperwork for his oversight.

But under intense questioning, he conceded to negligence and accepted responsibility for the “ghost projects,” proposed by his office for inclusion in the National Expenditure Program but that were actually not built.

“Negligence is a convenient excuse,” declared Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon.

“This wasn’t a simple mistake; it was a deliberate act to defraud the Filipino people,” Ridon asserted, adding that “negligence alone does not constitute plunder.”

He was aware of the situation that was intended to create the “ghost projects.”

The investigation almost stalled at the outset due to concerns about potential conflicts of interest, with committee members debating the appropriateness of the inquiry given alleged connections between some congressmen and the contractors involved.

However, a motion requiring members to disclose any financial or business interests that could influence the investigation’s outcome cleared the way for the inquiry to proceed.

Further complicating the matter, the inquiry aims to subpoena former Sen. Grace Poe and former AKO Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co to address budget amendments that allegedly led to an “inflated” allocation for flood control programs.

The amendments are suspected of creating loopholes that will allow the diversion of funds.