Transcript of Sen. Bam Aquino's Q&A with DPWH Secretary Bonoan
August 19, 2025
Transcript of Sen. Bam Aquino's Q&A with DPWH Secretary Bonoan
Sen. Aquino: Mr. Secretary, commercial muna. We had a hearing sa classroom building. I'm sure na-monitor po ninyo. Hiningi po namin sa DPWH ang detailed unit price analysis, detailed breakdown of costs, bill of materials, standards and specifications and the MOA between DPWH and DepEd regarding classroom construction, terms of reference and other related DepEd and DPWH orders. Si Usec Ayapana po ang nag-attend. May we get your commitment to submit all of these documents before our TWG, Mr. Secretary?
Sec. Bonoan: Yes, your honor. I think I have actually signed the transmittal of that document yesterday, your honor.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Ito po yung mga tanong ko. So, magkano po sa ating NEP ang flood control for 2026?
Sec. Bonoan: I think it's about 243 billion.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. Itong two hundred and forty-three billion for 2026, Mr. Secretary, ito ba ay nakalapat doon sa mga areas na pinaka-flood prone or may makikita pa rin tayong mga proyekto na wala sa mga top areas?
Sec. Bonoan: That amount is distributed all over the country in its legislative district, I'm afraid your honor.
Sen. Aquino: So, Mr. Secretary ibig sabihin, whether yung lugar ay flood prone o hindi, meron silang pang-flood control project? Is it that a wise assessment, Mr. President, considering that there are some provinces na di hamak mas flood prone kaysa sa iba?
Sec. Bonoan: Well, what I can only say, Your Honor, is actually these are actually the local priority projects that have been proposed per legislative district.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. So you're saying, Mr. President, ito iyong request ng mga kongresista? At mga maybe mayors and governors as well or just congressmen?
Sec. Bonoan: Mostly.. Well, I don't know how the considerations from the local governments but as far as I know these are actually the projects that are incorporated in the allocation for each legislative district.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. Hindi kaya Mr. Secretary, since nandito na rin po tayo. Iyong Presidente na po mismo nagtawag ng imbestigasyon at nag-o-audit po tayo. Di ho ba we have time. We actually have a few months left. Di ho ba mas magandang i-reallocate natin itong 243 billion base sa pinaka-flood prone areas. Parang dun na rin naman tayo papunta, Mr. Chairman di ba? Doon na rin tayo papunta. Di ho ba may oras pa naman na baguhin ito at i-allocate natin siya sa lugar na pinaka-flood prone. Do you welcome that Mr. Secretary?
Sec. Bonoan: Yes, Your Honor. If that would be the consensus of Congress.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. Ang hihingin siguro natin, Mr. Secretary. Meron na tayong top areas na flood prone, tama po, by province?
Sec. Bonoan: Yes.
Sen. Aquino: Baka po gusto niyo i-breakdown niyo pa po iyan by municipality or by city para pwede ho nating ma-allocate yung flood control base po talaga sa pangangailangan. Would you welcome that, Mr. Secretary?
Sec. Bonoan: Of course, yes, Your Honor.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. Kasi parang para po sa akin, 'di ata, hindi tama na mayroong flood control budget ang mga lugar na walang flooding. Di ho ba? So I think that's something we can work on. The DBM Secretary is here. Maybe as one of the output, marami pong output itong investigation natin. Maybe one of the output could be a flood control budget na talagang in-a-address iyong flood control. Kasi sabi nga po, may mga lugar maliit ang nakukuha, sila naman po yung pinaka-flooded. At may mga lugar nakakuha ng funding, wala naman silang flooding. Di ho ba? Okay, first. So we would welcome that. Maybe as part of this investigation, you can come up with sa tingin ninyo, ano ba dapat ang tamang flood control budget sa ating budget?
Kasi ang sinasabi po niyo, request kasi ito, wala kaming magawa." But the NEP, if I'm not mistaken, comes from the executive, right? And the executive, the chief executive himself is calling for an investigation and an audit. Post-audit, baka puwede po niyong mag-submit, ito dapat ang flood control sa Pilipinas. We would welcome that, Mr. Secretary.
Sec. Bonoan: Yes, your honor.
Sen. Aquino: Pangalawa. So meron na po tayong, sabihin na po nating mas responsive na flood control budget. Para po kasi sa akin mahirap tanggapin. Unang-una, maraming salamat at inamin po ninyo na may ghost project. That in itself is already a huge admission. Pero itong ghost project po, palagay ko napakaraming tao ang kailanga magbulag-bulagan para magkaroon ng ghost project na ganito po kalaki. Kasi bilyon-bilyon po ito. It is a billion-peso project at hindi naman po ito nabubuo in one month. Gaano po katagal usually yung mga flood control project? Ilang buwan po iyan o ilang taon po iyan bago mabuo?
Sec. Bonoan: Well, Your Honor, any project for that matter that is included into the National Expenditure Program, we have two years actually to implement.
Sen. Aquino: Two years?
Sec. Bonoan: Yes.
Sen. Aquino: So kung may ghost project po kasi, ibig sabihin 'nun, dalawang taon na nagbulag-bulagan po iyong mga kasama ho natin. Kasi it's quite surprising for me. Nakikita ho namin sa news na may mga under-spec or kulang iyong ano ba tawag do'n? Sheet pile ba iyon? Kulang ng haba. You know, naintindihan ko iyon na pwedeng itago. Pero pag ghost kasi at wala talagang ginawa, ilang tao iyong kasama diyan para magkaroon ng ghost project na dalawang taon ang nakalipas doon lang nating malalaman? How many people? Is that the whole district? Is that sa head office? Sa COA? Sa tingin po niyo, sino-sino po iyong mga dapat po nag-che-check po niyan? Pwede niyo pong banggitin? Who were the personnel who have to be involved? Kasi bilyun-bilyon po ito, tapos walang nagawa. For me, ibig sabihin 'nun, napakaraming tao iyong kailangan talaga magbulag-bulagan para dito. Mr. Secretary.
Sec. Bonoan: Well it all starts actually dun po sa project, implementation-- implementing unit. Whoever is implementing the project, Your Honor. From the supervisor, the project engineer, accountant and everybody, including the final payment.
Sen. Aquino: Lahat po 'yan. Kung ghost ito. Meaning wala talagang nagawa.
Sec. Bonoan: Tama naman, kasi actually the final analysis actually may pipirma ho kung sino iyong pipirma accountable po, pipirma na nabayaran iyong project, na ghost project.
Sen. Aquino: So tingin niyo po, Mr. Secretary, limang tao 'yan? Sampung tao 'yan? Isang buong unit ba 'yan? How many people need to be involved para matuloy ang isang ghost project po na ganito kalaking pera at ginto kahabang panahon ang paggawa?
Sec. Bonoan: Well, I am sure that many, many people actually will be involved in the process, Your Honor. And this is what we want to intend to actually find out in our investigations right now.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. So, Secretary, Mr. Secretary, we... I'm sure the committee will welcome your report. Sabi niyo po, in one week's time. Meron na po tayong report kung ghost ba ito or may shortcut po ba yung mga proyektong ito. But, nakakabahala po na kung may ghost project nga, at sabi nga niyo po, tingin niyo po ay mayroon, ay napakaraming pong taong involved po talaga dyan. Mula sa ahensya at sa labas ng ahensiya.
Sen, Aquino: Mr. Secretary, meron po bang na-insert na flood control na hindi ginawa?
Sec. Bonoan: Ay, 'yun ang di po naming napupuntahan, Your Honor.
Sen. Aquino: I'm very interested to know kasi kunyari po may nag-insertion, tulay. Pumunta ang DPWH, wala namang ilog. 'Di niyo naman gagawin, eh. 'Di ba? Gagawa ba kayo ng tulay na walang ilog? Siyempre hindi, di ba? So I'm wondering, meron bang insertion ng flood control tapos na-check ninyo, eh, wala namang flooding dito, eh. Ba't tayo gagawa ng flood control wala namang problema." Baka naman po meron, Mr. Secretary. You can check also your figures.
Sec. Bonoan: We will check also.
Sen. Aquino: Okay. Last question. I think we have an opportunity, Mr. Secretary, to really work on the 2026 budget. Na itong flood control, isipin niyo nabanggit pa siya sa SONA, 'di ba? Naging highlight siya ng SONA ng Presidente. We have an opportunity to do a better job. Of course, magkaka-investigation. Nais nating malaman sino iyong mga involved. But we have an opportunity na gawin ang tama for 2026. Pagdating po sa flooding, iyong mga lugar na may flooding talaga. Sinong ahensiya ba talaga iyonf may kaalaman diyan? Is it DENR? Is it DPWH? DILG po ba 'yan? I would guess meron po kayong expertise kung saan talaga iyong totoong flooding sa Pilipinas. Tama po ba?
Sec. Bonoan: We have some data on it, Your Honor, but I think that DENR would have the complete comprehensive program.
Sen. Aquino: I don't think DENR is with us today but si NAMRIA nandito. Alam niyo 'yan, 'di ba? Si NAMRIA, 'no? Baka po maganda, Mr. Secretary, habang hindi pa naman tapos iyong oras, hanggang Disyembre pa naman iyong budget, makapag-usap kayo ni DBM, makapag-usap kayo ng DENR at magsubmit tayo iyong talagang totoong flood control, iyong mapagmamalaki natin, hindi natin ikahehiya. 'Di ba sabi ni Presidente, "Mahiya naman kayo." Hindi nating kahihiya itong budget na ito. Naka-focus sa mga lugar na madalas may flooding, gaya po ng Central Luzon, Pampanga, Bulacan at marami pang lugar. And then baguhin natin bago matapos ang proseso.
At marami pa naman po iyong oras. Let's work on a budget that will really address our flood control. Kung may mga lugar kailangan ng mas malaking pondo, why not? Tapos kung may mga lugar na wala naman pong flooding, huwag na nating bigyan ng flood control. Baka iba po iyong kailangan nilang infrastructure, 'di ba? Let's work on that, Mr. Secretary, and, I know that you'll be presenting the budget here, first week of September. Hindi ko po alam kung mahahabol siya noon, pero, or DBM will be presenting it first week of September. Baka naman po mahabol natin iyong talagang flood control budget na talagang swak talaga sa pangangailangan ng tao. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Salamat.
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