Different contractors, same costs: Quezon City uncovers more ‘suspicious’ flood projects

Special report: Conclusion

MANILA, Philippines — In Quezon City, some flood control projects in different locations were awarded to different contractors that submitted the exact same bid amounts, with some even up to the last centavo.

These were among the initial findings of the local government in its ongoing assessment of the flood control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the city.

“There are projects with exactly the same approved budget for the contract or the same contract cost only in different locations, as if they simply used a template,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said in Filipino during a press briefing on Friday.

According to City Engineer Mark Dale Perral, they discovered 16 projects with identical contract amounts with at least one other project, while another 25 have similar approved budget with at least one other project.

“The approved budget for the contract may possibly be the same, since sometimes that’s for budgeting. But what we noticed here is that the contract amount is exactly the same,” he said in Filipino, referring to the bid of the winning contractors.

Among those flagged by the city were three separate projects implemented by the DPWH-QC District Engineering Office 1 in 2022, which all had a contract amount of P14.259 million.

The projects involved the rehabilitation of drainage in various barangays, including the rehabilitation of the flood control structures in Barangays Santa Monica and Pasong Tamo.

These were bagged by three different contractors: Verdax Builders, E.L. Torres Construction and Trading Inc. and Pilastro Builders & Development Inc.

“How come the contract amounts are exactly the same when the projects are different, the locations are different and even the bidders and contractors are different?” Perral asked.

The three contractors were not in the list of top 15 contractors previously bared by President Marcos, but records showed that Pilastro Builders has partnered with at least two – St. Timothy and Triple 8 – in some projects in Quezon City.

Two other projects, the construction of flood control structures along Culiat Creek and Aranan Creek, were awarded to different contractors who bid exactly the same amounts.

Records released by the city government, which it said came from the DPWH website, showed that the contract cost for both projects amounted to P49,509,571.56.

The winning contractors were St. Matthew Gen. Contractor & Development Corp. and the King Eight Builders and Supply.

Several contracts involving different phases of the same project were awarded to the same bidders at the same amount.

These included Phases 19 and 20 of the rehabilitation of San Juan River project, which the city earlier flagged for having up to 66 phases.

Two of the project phases each had a contract cost of P48,963,617.70 and was awarded to MRBII Construction Corp.

The contractors of the projects flagged by the city government have yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Accountability

The city government said it is studying possible charges against those whom they will find liable for the implementation of the projects.

City hall records showed that only two of the 254 flood control projects implemented by the DPWH in the city from 2021 to 2025 were able to secure a certificate of coordination, which is a requirement under a local ordinance.

In some cases, the DPWH still proceeded with the project despite a clear disapproval from the city government.

“There are, we feel, violations of the Local Government Code and our local ordinance, which translates to administrative and, maybe, criminal liability,” said City Attorney Carlo Austria. “We are studying our options.”

Belmonte described the projects as “wasteful,” noting that many are not aligned with the city’s drainage masterplan.

“Quezon City fully supports the directive of the President requiring all national agencies to coordinate with all local government units before implementing infrastructure projects,” she said.

“We seek accountability from those responsible for the anomalies related to the flood control projects in our city. Thus, we will cooperate in every possible way with the investigating agencies designated by the President,” Belmonte added.