Pangasinan: Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino has expressed support for the investigation and call for full transparency in flood control projects nationwide. "We support the call from the President (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.), the different senators, and local legislators for full transparency in all projects of the government, both national and local. We need that because, as we all know, the money being used by the national government, national government agencies, and local government units (LGUs) are from the taxes of the people, and the people have the right to ensure that the taxes they are paying go to worthwhile projects," he said in an interview on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Lambino emphasized the necessity of this move, even if it entails an investigation by the Senate, House of Representatives, or any qualified institution. "We will support it because that is what we want to impose or implement in the province under the leadership of Governor Ramon Guico III, that the people's money be used rightly," he added.
The province was ranked ninth among those with the most flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025, with a budget of PHP13.6 billion, based on a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Nonetheless, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1 (Ilocos Region) Director Ronnel Tan assured the public of the absence of "ghost projects" in the region, which comprises Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur. Tan, in a press conference on Aug. 27, highlighted the strict enforcement of quality assurance measures and project inspections.
The provincial government of Pangasinan has recently launched the River Restoration Project as part of its flood management initiatives. Lambino stated that this project aims to tackle a significant cause of flooding. "And one of the biggest problems here is the major siltation of the river systems. Particularly the mouth of the river systems, Agno, Pantal, Western Pangasinan, among others. So that is what our province is targeting. And there are modalities under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to address these problems," he said.
One proposed solution involves minimizing or removing siltation by extracting materials from the rivers. Under this project, a private entity will undertake the silt extraction from the river mouths without incurring costs for the province. "We will not pay a contractor or a private individual that we will issue money. That is what our governor said - that we will not use the money of the taxpayers because these will be programs that will be initiated from the outside. The province will benefit at minimum or even no cost to the province," Lambino explained.
Additionally, a Provincial Flood Mitigation and Management Office will be established. Lambino emphasized the integration of existing flood control projects into a comprehensive plan. "We have to make an assessment of the existing inventory, infrastructure that are there. And we have to integrate that into the master plan for the province. That's why it's a collaborative effort, not just limited to the provincial government, but also involving different national government agencies," he noted.
