As part of his push to track down issues that have led to widespread flooding in multiple parts of the country amid poor weather conditions late last month.
On Friday, August 15, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visiting Barangay Bulusan in Calumpit, Bulacan, to inspect the flood control project in the area that was tipped through the newly launched Sumbong Sa Pangulo website.
The town of Calumpit was placed under a state of calamity due to flooding caused by the southwest monsoon rains (habagat), overflow of Ipo Dam, and high tide in July 2025.
During his inspection, glaring discoveries emerged such as portions of the dike were left unfinished, concrete works were substandard, and silt had already built up along the riverbanks, raising questions about the project’s quality and oversight.
That is despite official records stating the structure was successfully completed, on-site assessment revealed that more than 200 meters of the dike were never installed, and some sections had already collapsed.
“Mahigit sa dalawang-daang metro, hindi ginawa. Hindi inilagay tapos nasira. Basta’t wala na talagang inilagay,” President Marcos said, pointing to the dike construction that was left unfinished by the contractor.
“Pero ‘pag titingnan n’yo ang report namin ay dapat completed na ito eh. Nakalagay doon na na-inspection na, completed na, wala nang problema,” Marcos pointed out.
Expressing strong disapproval over what he described as a clear misuse of public funds, he ordered the flow of project funds to be traced and hold those who certified the project as complete despite the evident shortcomings to account.
“Lahat ng kasama doon, itra-trace natin saan nanggaling itong mga programang ito, saan napunta ang pondo, at sino ang pumirma na sinabi okay lahat… Eh hindi naman ganoon na completed, ang liwa-liwanag,” the President emphasized.
President Marcos also the contractor of the project in Barangay Bulusan, St. Timothy Construction, would be summoned to explain the project deficiencies, which also include poor workmanship, including structural gaps and steel reinforcements not embedded correctly in the ground that allowed water to seep.
Meanwhile, in nearby Barangay Frances, the chief executive discovered flood protection structures that failed to meet specifications, including cement layers that were far thinner than the required eight inches.
Additionally, the dredging work outlined in the contracts was also not carried out, as the river is already obstructed by overgrown vegetation.
“Hahanapin natin kung sinong responsible dito sa gobyerno, sa private, at kailangan managot sila dito sa kanilang ginawa,” with the President stressing that these failures are not merely technical mistakes, but actions that endanger lives and livelihoods.
Following these, the President encouraged residents to report any irregularities through sumbongsapangulo.ph, as well as to the provincial government and the media.
“O sige magreport kayo. Paulit-ulit ‘yung report niyo. Report n’yo sa akin, report n’yo kay Gov, report niyo kay Cong. Lahat ng reportan ninyo, para alam namin. Pati sa press report ninyo para alam namin lahat,” President Marcos said.
PBBM also emphasized that infrastructure reports need to reflect the reality on the ground and warned that reported accomplishments that lack actual, functioning structures would not be tolerated.
“Sa report, completed lahat. Pero pagdating dito, wala. Hindi puwede ‘yan,” he said.
Aside from Calumpit, a comprehensive review of other similar flood control and river protection projects in the country will also be conducted.