DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon confronted a stalled ₱679.08-million flood-control and building rehabilitation project at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital in Manila after finding that the work had barely moved despite more than a year of implementation.
The project started in December 2024 and had an original target completion date of June 15, 2026. When Dizon inspected the site on June 17, the work was only around 16 to 17 percent complete.
The contract was awarded to Edison Development and Construction Inc. and FS Co Builders and Supply. DPWH-National Capital Region is the implementing office, while the funding came from the 2024 General Appropriations Act.
Dizon questioned the delay during the inspection and warned that the contract may be canceled if the contractor fails to deliver. The issue became more sensitive after the joint venture link was raised on site.
“Kapatid ni Zaldy Co ang ka-joint venture? Kung ‘di ito mag-deliver by June, kanselahin mo ‘to,” Dizon said.
FS Co Builders and Supply has been identified as owned by Farida Co, the sister of former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. That detail puts the PGH project under sharper public scrutiny as flood-control contracts face wider questions over delays, concentration, and politically connected firms.
Dizon also framed the issue as a direct public safety concern. PGH serves patients, workers, families, and medical personnel every day. A delayed flood-control project in that area leaves a critical public hospital exposed as the rainy season returns.
“Ang sabi ng Pangulo, our people deserve better than this. Napaka-importante nitong PGH. Nakita niyo naman gaano kadaming tao ang nagpupunta rito araw-araw. Magta-tag-ulan na naman, babahain na naman,” Dizon said.
The project now stands as a test for DPWH oversight and contractor accountability. A government contract worth hundreds of millions was supposed to help protect one of Manila’s most important public health facilities. Instead, it reached its target completion period with only a small portion of the work finished.
For taxpayers, the issue is simple. Public funds were released for protection against flooding. The public now has to see whether the contractor can deliver, whether DPWH will enforce the contract, and whether delays in critical infrastructure will carry real consequences.
