MANILA— President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. condemned what he called a misuse of public funds after inspecting flood control projects here that were either substandard or never built despite being reported as completed.

During his visit to Barangay Bulusan, the President vowed to hold both government and private individuals accountable for the defective and unfinished projects, urging residents to report irregularities through the sumbongsapangulo.ph platform, the provincial government, and the media.

“Magreport kayo. Paulit-ulit n’yo i-report para alam naming lahat. Dahil hindi puwedeng ganito. Pambihira. This has been going on for years,” Marcos said, questioning why a project supposedly completed in 2021 remained defective.

In Barangay Frances, the President found flood protection structures that failed to meet specifications, including cement layers thinner than the required eight inches. “Hawakan mo ‘yung semento dito, kayang durugin, malabnaw ‘yung ginamit. Nagtipid sa semento,” he said.

Marcos also noted that dredging work stated in the contracts was not done, as the river remained blocked by overgrown vegetation. He said such negligence directly affects communities, especially those regularly hit by flooding.

“Hahanapin natin kung sinong responsible dito sa gobyerno, sa private, at kailangan managot sila dito sa kanilang ginawa,” the President said, adding that those responsible should be held accountable to the people whose lives and livelihoods were put at risk.

The President stressed that infrastructure reports must reflect the actual conditions on the ground, warning that his administration will not tolerate reported accomplishments without functioning structures.

“Sa report, completed lahat. Pero pagdating dito, wala. Hindi puwede ‘yan,” he said.

The visit comes after Calumpit was placed under a state of calamity in July due to flooding caused by monsoon rains, the overflow of Ipo Dam, and high tide. Marcos said his administration will conduct a comprehensive review of similar flood control and river protection projects nationwide to ensure proper use of funds.