FOLLOWING widespread confusion over reported flood control expenditures, Davao del Sur Lone District Representative John Tracy “Manong John” Cagas issued a public clarification, stating that the total cost of flood control projects in Davao del Sur does not amount to P180 billion, as suggested by viral social media posts and initial reports showed.
In a statement on August 27, 2025, Cagas explained that the actual allocation for flood control projects in the province only totals P10 billion across 168 projects, with 28 of those located in Davao del Sur, amounting to P2,367,917,684.18.
He attributed the inflated figure to a misclassification, such as several projects in Davao City were erroneously included under Davao del Sur, stemming from outdated postal address practices used by some officials.
“To clarify, the reality is that Davao del Sur only has 28 flood control projects worth P2,367,917,684.18. The rest of the projects included in the figures belong to Davao City, but were technically listed under Davao del Sur because some official and postal addresses still use ‘Davao del Sur’ for Davao City,” the congressman said.
The clarification stems from recent media accounts, such as ABS-CBN News, highlighting Davao del Sur as having one of the highest flood control project counts (168) and funding amounts (above P10 billion) based on data from the Sumbong ng Pangulo portal.
These figures, reported without context, prompted public concern regarding transparency and proper allocation of infrastructure funds.
This controversy occurred against a backdrop of heightened national scrutiny of flood control projects.
In his 2025 State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. condemned corrupt practices tied to flood control infrastructure, describing emergency shelters crowded with displaced families and substandard construction as symptomatic of deeper problems.
He ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit a three-year inventory of flood control projects, task regional committees to identify failures, incomplete works, and possible ghost projects, and pledged to make the list publicly accessible, encouraging citizens to help scrutinize these projects. Those found culpable would face legal consequences.
Days later, he flagged that 6,021 out of 9,855 flood control projects, approximately P350 billion worth, lacked basic details such as the type of structure built, even though the total scope of expenditures is estimated at P545 billion.
He also launched a reporting portal, Sumbong sa Pangulo.ph, enabling citizens to view projects in their areas and report irregularities, promising to personally read all submissions. Additionally, Marcos pledged that contractors implicated in anomalous projects would be blacklisted and face charges.
Meanwhile, Cagas has formally requested a full DPWH report on the province’s flood control projects, reinforcing his commitment to accuracy:
“As part of our oversight function, we have directed the DPWH to conduct a thorough inventory of all infrastructure projects in Davao del Sur. This will ensure that the information shared with the public is accurate, accountable, and reliable,” he said.
He also has this message to his constituents: “As your representative for the Lone District of Davao del Sur, I want to inform all Davsuranons that I am fully cooperating with the ongoing oversight initiated by the Office of the President regarding flood control projects in our province.”