Source: Data Dictionary analysis of DPWH and DIME data

Being conservative with our analysis

We say “likelihood” because of the limitations of our analysis.

We matched the names of the flood control projects included in the proposed 2026 outlay with data from the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation or DIME as well as the DPWH contracts and bid bulletins. Whenever possible, we also cross-checked coordinates of projects in DIME. We included the page numbers in the budget where we found these projects. All are public documents and our analysis and data are available on a GitHub repository.

We kept our analysis conservative and took into consideration many possible scenarios such as projects with similar names, but at different locations, projects that could be done in phases and therefore budgeted separately, and projects funded in 2025 but have not completed to date and possible to be financed for 2026. Whenever any of these scenarios ticked, we crossed the project off the list.

We also considered the budget process. Typically, signing contracts can only happen as soon as the budget is enacted into law. That means that some projects listed in the 2026 proposed budget may be totally new, have a similar name, and not yet bid out. To help bridge this, we looked for bid bulletins in the DPWH website, which would indicate that the agency is bidding out for a project planned for 2026, and therefore has a valid reason to budget for it.

Beyond the data however, we lacked resources to reach out to people, particularly district engineering offices, to seek clarification on these projects. We did talk with the budget department and their inputs are below.

What we found out

Even after taking all these steps, our analysis showed 22 completed flood control projects in 2023 and 2024 with proposed budgets for 2026. Five projects were in Metro Manila, five in Central Luzon, three in Caraga, two each in Calabarzon, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas and Davao Region and one in Soccsksargen.

As mentioned, there is complexity on examining infrastructure project data. In our analysis, we noticed numerous cases of different projects having the same names, and were implemented in various years under different contractors. One example of this was the construction of flood control structure in Talolong River, Lopez, Quezon, which appeared three times in DIME for years 2022, 2024 and 2025. The projects for 2022 and 2024 were marked "completed," while that for 2025 was marked "not yet started."

The completed projects checked out in the DPWH contracts. For the 2025 project, DPWH had it at about 31% completion rate, and the contract for the project ends in April 2026. The project is budgeted P35 million for 2026.

Source: Department of Public Works and Highways

We noticed that it was common for a project to be marked “not yet started” in DIME, but “ongoing” with the DPWH. We think this is okay as DIME has just been reactivated and probably suffering birth pains so whenever this happened, we removed the project off the list.

The projects' location is a good metric to check whether projects are indeed duplicated or just of the same name and built in separate areas or coordinates. For example, our analysis showed two flood control structures building along Panaminditaan Creek in Barangay Talang, San Carlos City in Pangasinan, worth P50 million each. These two structures are under two different DPWH contracts for 2025, but are located meters away from each other, according to DIME. We removed this project from our list of duplicates.

Source: DIME

On the flipside, there are projects that we feel highly confident are duplicates. One of them is the project titled "Construction of Flood Control Wall along the Banks of Creeks along Palmera, Barangay 175 (Phase 3), Caloocan City," which was allotted a whopping P95 million next year. Scanning the DPWH project list, it is common to see different phases of a project with separate funding. In this particular case, DPWH puts the completion of the project at 100% way back in Sept. 2024. A succeeding project of the same kind should have been tagged as a different phase.

What we really want out of this

We would caution against drawing broad conclusions from this. Rather, we would take these findings as a first step toward a deeper analysis. That is why we are making public our complete dataset and analysis – including a CSV version of the list of DPWH flood control projects, which is in PDF in the budget department website.

If anything, what this entire process taught us was an issue of transparency in the projects. It is extremely difficult to track projects with similar names across years, without any locational information. More project information should be included in the budget. The project list attached to the budget is also inaccessible on PDF and should be available in other formats.

When we asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) if they have other information about the projects, they said the information should be available with the DPWH. "DBM does not interfere with how DPWH allocates its approved budget under the NEP. Given DPWH's technical expertise, it is expected to assess the viability of projects, determine specific cost items, and ensure proper costing in accordance with its internal guidelines."

As far as duplicates are concerned however, DBM said it "reviews the lists for multiple entries, typographical errors and clerical mistakes" and return the proposed budget when it found some.

To date, the DPWH is undertaking a review of its 2026 proposed budget and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had said no flood control projects will be funded next year.

The table below lists down the 22 likely duplicated projects we found.

Correction

We corrected the total number of proposed projects we found with likely duplicates to 22 from 23. No changes were made as to other details such as the amount or location of these projects. They remain the same as initially reported.

Notes

Project names on the table were shortened to remove "Construction of" to avoid redundancy. A repository containing the data, code and analysis we used is available here.

Sources

Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Budget and Management, DIME

Copyright 2025 - The Data Dictionary Project