DOF: Ghost flood control projects cost PH economy over P100-B

This is equivalent to 95,000 to 266,000 jobs that could have benefited Filipinos. (File photo by Howard Felipe (Department of Finance)/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

By Anna Leah Gonzales, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Finance Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday expressed grave concern and dismay over the reported anomalies and corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control projects, noting that ghost projects already cost the economy as much as over PHP100 billion.

During the Development Budget Coordination Committee’s briefing at the Senate, Recto, citing DOF data, said these ghost flood control projects have cost the Philippine economy an estimated PHP42.3 billion to PHP118.5 billion from 2023 to 2025.

This is equivalent to 95,000 to 266,000 jobs that could have benefited Filipinos.

“Raising revenues is no joke. Tapos makikita mo lang na hindi ito napupunta sa mga tamang proyekto at sa kapakanan ng taong bayan, ‘yung iba naging multo pa (Raising revenues is no joke. Then you will see that it does not go to the right projects and the welfare of the people, some even become ghost [projects]),” Recto said.

READ: 2026 budget focuses on projects with highest multiplier effect: Recto

Recto expressed full support for the President’s directive to closely scrutinize the 2026 National Expenditure Program.

“We prepared the NEP with the President to ensure that the projects to be funded in 2026 have the highest multiplier effect. Kaya babantayan po namin ito para walangghost projects. Walang kurapsyon. Walang sayang na piso (We will make sure that there will be no ghost projects. No corruption. No money wasted),” he said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier ordered the audit and review of flood control projects.

He recently disclosed that the creation of an independent body to investigate flood control anomalies would be finalized “very, very soon.”