MANILA – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon said he is considering halting or dismantling ongoing flood control projects that were discovered to be poorly planned and have caused more harm than benefit to communities.

Dizon made the statement following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that all government projects deliver tangible benefits to the public.

“Ang mga dike kasi ang problema diyan, either rini-restrict ang flow ng tubig o ‘yung carrying capacity ng waterways, or pinapabilis niya ‘yung daloy ng tubig na mas nakakasira at nakakasama,” Dizon said during a Senate budget hearing.
“With enough data and evidence, we might even need to dismantle those flood control projects because of their net harmful effects to communities and the environment,” he added.

The DPWH chief said his department is collaborating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Water Resources Management Office (DENR-WRMO), the University of the Philippines Project NOAH led by Professor Mahar Lagmay, and hydrologist Professor Tabios to develop science-based and nature-based flood management strategies.

Dizon admitted that many of the existing flood control projects lacked scientific basis in their planning and implementation.

“We really need to put some order and science into this because clearly, there was very little to no science involved in the implementation of these projects,” he said.

He also emphasized that the process of reviewing and potentially dismantling completed projects would be meticulous and sensitive, citing legal and audit complexities.

“There are COA rules where you cannot just demolish a project that was built within a certain period. So there are complexities to this, but we first need to look at the evidence,” he explained.

Senator Loren Legarda, who presided over the budget hearing, agreed with Dizon’s assessment, saying:

“If they’re harmful—if they cause flooding or threaten communities—they must be acted upon immediately once scientifically proven.”

Dizon assured the Senate that the DPWH will prioritize evidence-based decision-making in its infrastructure projects to ensure that public funds truly serve their purpose.