With every typhoon or heavy downpour, large parts of Bulacan end up under water. Flooding has long been a fact of life in the province located in Central Luzon, despite billions of pesos in public funds being poured into flood control projects over the years.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said in his privilege speech on Wednesday, August 20, that Bulacan is the “most notorious in terms of anomalies” in flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). From 2021 to 2024, Bulacan bagged a total of P43.5 billion worth of flood control contracts.

Flood control works are a shared responsibility of the national and local governments. Major projects in principal rivers and river basins are handled and funded by the DPWH, while local governments are expected to take on smaller works involving creeks and minor waterways, according to DPWH Order 25 (2015). The flood control contracts on the website released by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on August 11 are all under the DPWH, and not the local government.

Rappler looked into which municipalities, cities, and districts cornered the biggest shares of these contracts.

The city of Baliwag takes the lead with P6.02 billion in flood control contracts from 87 projects. But based on a flooding hazard map, most parts of Baliwag are not even susceptible to high flooding.

Just this week, President Marcos visited the city to verify a citizen’s complaint about a non-existent but fully paid P55-million reinforced concrete riverwall project. Marcos said the ghost project was an “example of falsification…because it was reported as completed.”

The Baliwag City government, however, denied any involvement in the ghost flood control projects that Marcos inspected and flagged.

“This project did not go through the City Government, nor was any document submitted to the City Engineering Office, nor was there any coordination with any office of the LGU,” the city government said in a statement released on Thursday, August 21.

San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan’s largest city and gateway to Metro Manila, ranked second with P3.63 billion (47 contracts). Yet a hazard map showed that the city is not susceptible to floods.

Close behind are Balagtas (P3.25 billion, 45 contracts) and Guiguinto (P3.07 billion, 49 contracts). 

The flood-prone fishing town of Hagonoy also received a hefty P3.05 billion from 43 projects. Malolos City, the provincial capital, was allotted P3.04 billion for 45 projects.

Other top recipients include Plaridel (P2.5 billion, 41 projects) and Meycauayan City (P2.44 billion, 39 projects). 

Calumpit, a town often hit by river overflows, had 37 projects worth P2.18 billion. The Senate probe flagged alleged ghost flood control projects in Calumpit and neighboring Hagonoy, linked to Wawao Builders, one of the top contractors earlier identified by Marcos.

San Miguel secured P1.99 billion for 27 projects. While Bocaue, home to the Philippine Arena and Senator Joel Villanueva’s turf, got P1.78 billion (33 projects). Santa Maria followed with P1.64 billion (28 projects).

The coastal town of Obando, often battered by tidal flooding, secured 18 flood control projects worth P1.44 billion. Despite being highly flood-prone, it only ranked 13th in terms of flood control project allocations.

The municipality of Bustos, home to the Bustos Dam, received P1.37 billion for 24 projects, while Pandi was allotted P1.28 billion for 15 projects.

Smaller allocations went to San Ildefonso (P922.3 million, 11 projects), Bulakan (P892.2 million, 15 projects), and San Rafael (P721.3 million, 12 projects).

Paombong, a town highly susceptible to flooding, received only P515.5 million for 11 flood control projects.

Norzagaray received P505.6 million for 10 projects, while Angat secured P474.3 million for 11 projects.

Near the bottom, Marilao received P412.3 million for eight projects, while Pulilan got P209.3 million for seven projects.

The mountainous town of Doña Remedios Trinidad or commonly known as DRT received the lowest share with P147.2 million for two projects. The municipality was named after the late mother of then–first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who traced her roots to the province.

Which districts cornered the funds?

Bulacan’s 2nd District emerged as the top recipient of flood control projects, cornering nearly P9.9 billion or 22.74% of the province’s total allocation. The district covers the towns of Baliwag, Bustos, and Plaridel, and is currently represented by Congresswoman Tina Pancho.

The Pancho family has long dominated the district. Patriarch Pedro Pancho and his son Gavini “Apol” Pancho previously held the congressional seat before it was passed on to Tina. The family also owns C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.

Rappler’s review of the flood control project database released by Malacañang showed that the Pancho-led firm was not involved in any flood control projects. However, public documents reveal that it has secured several road projects in Bulacan.

The 2nd District received nearly the same allocation as the 1st District, at P9.89 billion (22.73%). The 1st District includes Hagonoy, Malolos, Calumpit, Bulakan, Paombong, and Pulilan. It is represented in Congress by Danilo A. Domingo, after decades of control by the Sy-Alvarado family: notably Wilhelmino, Victoria, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.

Wilhelmino also served as Bulacan governor and vice governor. In 2025, he attempted a gubernatorial post comeback but lost to his former ally, Daniel Fernando.

The 5th District, led by Congresswoman Agatha Paula A. Cruz, followed with P9.39 billion (21.58%). This district covers Balagtas, Guiguinto, Bocaue, and Pandi. It is relatively new, created in 2021. Its first elected representative was Ambrosio C. Cruz Jr., Agatha’s father and the current mayor of Guiguinto.

By comparison, allocations for the 3rd and 4th Districts lagged far behind, receiving only 8.69% and 9.88%, respectively, of the province’s total.

The 3rd District (San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, and Doña Remedios Trinidad) is represented by Mark Cholo I. Violago, a first-time congressman who succeeded Lorna C. Silverio.

The 4th District (Meycauayan, Obando, and Marilao) is represented by Linabelle Ruth Villarica. Her husband, Henry R. Villarica, also served as the district’s representative and is now mayor of Meycauayan. The Villaricas are owners of Villarica Pawnshop.

At the bottom of the list were the 6th District (Santa Maria, Angat, and Norzagaray) and the lone district of San Jose del Monte City (SJDM), which together accounted for less than 15% of all allocations.

The 6th District, also newly created, is represented by Salvador A. Pleyto.

Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro, in an interview with ABS-CBN, said they were surprised by the multi-billion-peso flood control projects in the province. He said that these projects are implemented by the national government and do not go through the provincial government.

Here’s another visualization of how flood control budgets were distributed across Bulacan’s towns and legislative districts:

Rappler has also launched a crowdsourcing initiative to gather first-hand accounts from the public on flood control projects in their areas and track the status of these projects nationwide. Share your experiences through the FloodControlPH channel on the Rappler Communities app (available on web, iOS, and Android). – Rappler.com