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MANILA – The Quezon City government has raised concerns over more than PHP14 billion worth of flood control projects implemented in the city without permits or proper coordination with local authorities.

At a press conference on Friday, Mayor Joy Belmonte said an audit of 93 flood control projects and 1,652 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects from 2021 to 2025 showed serious irregularities.

“Bilyon ang nasasayang na pera dito (Billions of pesos were wasted on these),” Belmonte said. “If there was really political will to resolve flooding, this wasted amount would have been enough to address the problem.”

City Engineer Mark Dale Peral reported that of the projects inspected, 43 were verified as completed, five were listed as finished but still under construction, and 45 were ongoing. However, only 315 out of 1,652 DPWH projects were formally submitted to the city for coordination, with just 138 approved. This left 1,337 projects without the required certificate of coordination.

Peral noted that several disapproved projects were located on non-buildable sites, such as the Matalahib Creek, Santa Cruz, and Mariblo pumping stations, which violated both the National Building Code and the Water Code.

The city also flagged other irregularities, including 16 projects with identical contract costs, 25 with identical budgets, mislabeled or mislocated projects, and some declared complete despite ongoing work. One major issue was the PHP350-million Matalahib Creek pumping station, which reportedly reduced water flow by 70 percent, worsening flooding. Another was a San Juan River project split into 66 phases.

Peral further revealed that seven of the top 15 contractors previously flagged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for irregularities were active in Quezon City.

City Legal Officer Carlo Lopez Austria warned that both officials and contractors involved could face administrative or even criminal cases if violations are proven.

Belmonte, meanwhile, called for stronger coordination between national and local governments in project planning and implementation. She said Quezon City would fully cooperate with Malacañang’s probe and submit its own report.

“I feel frustrated and angry because it’s as if local governments are being disrespected, when in fact the Local Government Code is very clear on LGU autonomy,” Belmonte said.