DAVAO del Sur Lone District Representative John Tracy “Manong John” Cagas has assured his constituents that he is currently fully cooperating with an ongoing review initiated by the Office of the President into flood control projects in the province, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and accurate reporting on government infrastructure spending.
“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,” Cagas said in his statement.
To support the initiative, Cagas formally requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to conduct a thorough inspection and inventory of all flood control projects implemented between 2020 and 2025, including those listed on the “Sumbong Mo sa Pangulo” website.
The congressman said the effort is meant to identify potential issues, verify proper fund utilization, and initiate repairs for projects that are still covered by warranties but may have already deteriorated.
“This action reflects the oversight function of my office, ensuring that projects intended to protect our communities are implemented effectively and responsibly,” Cagas added, noting that he attached a formal letter addressed to the DPWH for public reference as part of his commitment to transparency.
The lawmaker assured constituents of his continuing efforts to uphold integrity in governance and ensure that public resources are used properly.
“I remain committed to serving the people of Davao del Sur with integrity, ensuring that government resources are used properly and that our communities remain safe from flooding and other hazards. Rest assured, I will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they become available,” he said.
Earlier this week, Cagas also issued a clarification on widely circulated reports that suggested flood control projects in Davao del Sur had reached P180 billion. He explained that the actual allocation for flood control initiatives in the province is only P10 billion, distributed across 168 projects, of which 28 are located in Davao del Sur and collectively amount to P2,367,917,684.18.
“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,” Cagas said.
He attributed the confusion to misclassifications in official documents and postal address practices, which resulted in Davao City projects being listed under Davao del Sur in government data sources.
The clarification followed national media coverage, including ABS-CBN News, which reported Davao del Sur as one of the top provinces in terms of flood control funding based on entries from the Sumbong ng Pangulo portal.
Cagas assured residents that his office will continue collaborating with national agencies to verify data, address inaccuracies, and ensure all infrastructure projects are completed to standard, reflecting his mandate to safeguard the welfare of Davao del Sur communities.