THE construction firms owned by a controversial couple from Pasig have bagged at least P31 billion worth of infrastructure projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over the past three years under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
During the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe into anomalous flood projects Monday, September 1, 2025, controversial contractor Sarah Discaya — earlier tagged by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism along with her husband Pacifico as the “King and Queen of Flood Control” — admitted owning nine construction firms:
Alpha and Omega Construction
St. Timothy Construction
St. Gerrard Construction
Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.
St. Matthew General Contractor & Development
Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor
YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply
Amethyst Horizon Builders and General Contractor & Dev’t Corp.
Way Maker OPC
From 2022 to 2025, Discaya said they were able to bag around 400 projects from the DPWH, consisting of flood, infrastructure, and building projects.
Of these firms, two were among the top 15 contractors that cornered the most number of flood control projects with the government from 2022 to 2025.
Discaya said she is now focusing on one company, Alpha and Omega Construction, since she already divested from the others.
She admitted that ownership of their former companies was passed on to some of their relatives.
Discaya said St. Timothy Construction Corporation is now being managed by the niece of her husband, Maria Roma Rimando, while Way Maker OPC is now under her eldest son, and another firm was turned over to one of their former employees.
“Edi kayo pa rin ang may-ari… may mga dummy,” Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said.
(So you’re still the owners... Ah, there are dummies.)
Discaya said the bulk of their projects were in Metro Manila, while others were in Romblon, Cebu, Bohol, Bacolod and Zamboanga.
She vehemently denied involvement in any ghost flood projects or collusion with DPWH officials for more projects.
Wealth
In an earlier media interview, Discaya and her husband flaunted their multimillion-peso “car collection.”
Sarah ran but lost in the mayoral race against Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto in the May 2025 polls.
During the Senate hearing, Discaya admitted owning a total of 28 luxury vehicles, including:
A Rolls Royce worth P42 million
A Maybach Mercedes worth P22 million
A Bentley worth P20 million
A Mercedes G63 worth P20 million
Two Cadillac Escalades worth P11 million and P8 million
Two GMC Denalis worth P11 million each
A Chevrolet Suburban worth P3 million
A Range Rover Autobiography worth P16 million
A Range Rover Defender worth P7 million
A Range Rover Evoque worth P5 million
Discaya said the other vehicles shown in their earlier media interview were service vehicles of their employees.
In total, they own 40 vehicles.
“Unbelievable,” said Estrada.
Discaya denied pocketing taxpayers’ money, saying her family has been in the construction business for over 23 years.
In the early years of their business, Discaya said they had been working with local government units.
“We have been in the construction business for 23 years, so I would presume na in 23 years, pwede naman siguro po kaming kumita. 'Yung billion, when I said DPWH, because prior to that we were in local government, so ang hirap makasingil sa local government,” Discaya said.
(We have been in the construction business for 23 years, so I would presume that in 23 years, we could have earned. The billions I mentioned came from DPWH, because before that we were dealing with local government, and it was very difficult to collect from them.)
Silent
Meanwhile, MG Samidan Construction President Marjorie Samidan also denied during the hearing any involvement in ghost projects.
MG Samidan Construction was also among the top 15 government contractors.
Despite having only around P250,000 paid-up capital, the firm cornered a total of P5.022 billion worth of flood projects from 2022 to 2025, mostly in the Cordillera region, La Union, and Pangasinan.
Another construction firm, Wawao Builders, was questioned during the hearing, but its president and chief executive officer invoked his right against self-incrimination when asked about involvement in ghost flood projects.
“I invoke my right against self-incrimination, sir,” Mark Alan Arevalo said.
“Dahil sa mga usapin na kakasuhan ‘yung mga contractors ng DPWH po at parte ng ulat ng Senado na magrerekomenda ng paghahain ng kaso laban sa resource person, ang payo ng aking mga abogado ay huwag magsalita sa panahon na ito,” he added.
(Because of issues that DPWH contractors will be charged and since the Senate report recommends the filing of cases against resource persons, my lawyers advised me not to speak at this time.)
In the first hearing of the panel last week, Estrada said the ghost flood projects identified in Calumpit, Malolos, and Hagonoy were under Wawao Builders.
From 2022 to 2025, Wawao Builders was awarded P9 billion worth of projects in various parts of the country, including 85 flood control projects in Bulacan amounting to nearly P6 billion.
During his fourth State of the Nation Address, Marcos ordered an in-depth investigation into the irregularities in flood control projects across the country in light of the recent massive floods that submerged communities during the onslaught of the habagat (southwest monsoon) and a series of typhoons. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)