MANILA, Philippines — The spotlight on key flood control projects has intensified as former Bulacan First District engineer Henry Alcantara faces fresh scrutiny, this time from the House of Representatives, less than a day after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee concluded its hearing on irregularities in flood control initiatives.
Alcantara has become a central figure in congressional investigations, with both chambers probing his role in approving several flood control projects in Bulacan. Among these is a P55-million reinforced concrete river wall in Barangay Piel, Baliuag, awarded to SYMS Construction Trading—one of the projects President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected on August 20. The President labeled it a “ghost project,” despite the government having disbursed P43.4 million and an additional P5.9 million to the contractor.
Humble Beginnings and Career Growth
During the House infrastructure committee’s initial hearing, Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua, also chair of the committee on good government and public accountability, delved into Alcantara’s background prior to and during his tenure at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Alcantara revealed he hails from Bocaue, Bulacan, and before his removal, he served as assistant regional director for DPWH Region IV-A. He recounted starting as a casual or job order employee after graduating from the University of Santo Tomas, gradually advancing through ranks from Laborer 1 to Engineer 1, with changes every six months due to his casual status.
“So what is the first position that you’ve held?” Chua asked in Filipino.
“I started as a job order employee, my item was Laborer 1, then it became Laborer 2, and then Engineer 1. Every six months there was a change because I was a casual employee at that time,” Alcantara explained in Filipino.
When asked about his last position before being relieved, Alcantara stated he was appointed as OIC assistant regional director for Region IV-A.
Appointment and Responsibilities
Alcantara informed Manila 1st District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Cagayan de Oro 1st District Representative Lordan Suan that he was first appointed as district engineer of Bulacan’s First District Engineering Office (DEO) in 2019 during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, under then-DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.
“May I just be clarified, Engineer Alcantara you were promoted as district engineer in 2019. Who appointed you?” Suan inquired.
“Secretary Mark Villar, your Honor,” Alcantara replied.
Alcantara also clarified that he had applied for the district engineer position rather than being directly appointed.
“What does that mean? Are you in the good graces of Secretary Mark Villar, or are you just the right person to be appointed there?” Abante asked.
“I just applied,” Alcantara responded in Filipino.
As district engineer, Alcantara was responsible for planning, implementing, and managing flood control projects in Baliuag and Calumpit—two towns where several flagged projects were located.
Certifying Questionable Projects
Alcantara admitted during the hearing that he certified the completion of several ghost projects based on certificates provided by his team, rather than thorough site inspections.
“So who issues the certificate of completion? Is it you? So, why are you issuing a certificate of completion if you failed to inspect that the project is indeed finished?” Chua asked in Filipino.
“Your Honor, the attachment of the certificate of completion is based on the certificate of final inspection conducted by the team,” Alcantara explained.
Chua pressed further, questioning whether Alcantara issued certificates without personally verifying project completion.
Alcantara admitted that he personally inspected some projects but relied on his team’s documentation for others, citing a “presumed regularity” of submitted documents.
“So, you just issue certifications, you just believe in the paper given to you, that it is complete as long as you issue the certifications,” Chua said.
“Yes, your Honor, there is a presumed regularity of the documents presented to me,” Alcantara responded.
Other Flagged Projects and Contractors
Aside from the Baliuag river wall, the committee highlighted a P94.6-million river protection structure in Bulusan, Calumpit, awarded to St. Timothy Construction Company, and a P74.6-million flood mitigation structure also in Calumpit, awarded to Wawao Builders. Both projects were approved by Alcantara.
These contractors are among 15 identified by President Marcos as having secured the majority of the country’s flood control contracts.
Government Response and Ongoing Investigations
The intense spotlight on flood control projects followed President Marcos’ fourth State of the Nation Address, where he condemned officials and contractors accused of pocketing kickbacks while leaving communities vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season.
“Shame on you,” the President said, addressing those involved.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson previously warned that nearly half of the country’s P2-trillion allocation for flood control projects since 2011 might have been lost to corruption, urging a comprehensive review.
In response, President Marcos released a list of questionable contractors, prompting observers to link these companies to lawmakers and other politicians.
Currently, the House and Senate conduct separate probes into flood control project anomalies. Meanwhile, the executive branch plans to launch its own independent investigation soon, according to officials.
For more news and updates on key flood control projects, visit Filipinokami.com.
