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ICI inspects flood control projects of the Discayas in Ilocos Norte

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ILOCOS NORTE (UPDATED) — For the first time, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure inspected flood control projects in Ilocos Norte on Thursday. ICI Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., Public Works Undersecretary Arthur Bisnar, local engineers, and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong inspected three interconnected projects and one separate structure in the town of Nueva Era. All these projects were built by companies owned by husband and wife Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya.The team did not find any visible sign of damage because the structures had been repaired before their arrival, Azurin said. He said this does not mean the contractor is already cleared of liability.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/12/ici-zeroes-in-on-80-flood-control-projects-linked-to-firms-named-by-marcos-1606">ICI zeroes in on 80 flood control projects linked to firms named by Marcos</a></div>He said the projects had been reported damaged two months ago and have been repaired.“So ibig sabihin (That means)  this is part of the warranty of the contractor,” he said. <div>Magalong and Azurin ordered the measurement of the steel bars, as well as the width of the segments and dike. They said they would check whether the materials used met the required standards. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/olcyyQKOPEU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>However, the Department of Public Works and Highways personnel who joined the inspection failed to bring the project plans, which could have been used to compare the actual structures with the approved designs.Azurin said engineers, assisted by the military and police, will come back to check the plans and verify the actual specifications of the completed project.Overall, the province received around 150 flood control projects from 2016 to 2025, with a total cost of about P9 billion, Azurin noted. He said they would prioritize reviewing the projects built by the Discayas.Most of the projects in Nueva Era, authorities noted, were constructed by Discaya-owned companies. Because of this, the ICI will also look into the bidding process to determine why their companies won these contracts.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/15/discayas-back-out-from-cooperating-with-ici-on-flood-control-project-probe-1744">Discayas back out from cooperating with ICI on flood-control project probe</a></div><div> </div><div>DAMAGED RIVERWALL</div>One of the projects visited by ICI is the damaged riverwall in Barangay Gabu in Laoag City.According to Ilocos Norte DPWH District 1, the 232.54-meter riverwall, with a P50 million budget, was finished in June 2024.However, due to the onslaught of tropical cyclone Julian in September 2024, around 186 meters of the riverwall was damaged.It is still under repair, with the project divided into two phases, each with a P50-million budget. It is expected to be finished by January 24, 2026.Azurin said the project was still under warranty and did not need to be contracted out again.Engineer Romeo Bartolome explained that the damage was too severe and was considered “force majeure”. He added there were many &quot;circumstances or factors&quot; that led to the damage.Azurin believes DPWH should have anticipated this kind of damage since the country experiences strong typhoons yearly and it should have been taken into consideration in the plans for the project.The ICI also criticized the different sizes of sheet pile that were stacked beside the construction site. There are some that are 12 meters high, while some are only three meters high.Project Engineer Maybelle Duldulao explained that they had to connect some of the sheet pile because there were some errors in the materials delivered.Barangay Gabu is one of the flood-prone areas in the city because it is right beside Padsan River.The ICI visited various areas in Ilocos Norte for five hours. They did not find any ghost projects, but were unable to visit all the sites for other flood control projects.Azurin, however, promised that the other projects will be checked by government engineers and law enforcers to ensure the quality of the projects.Aside from Nueva Era, the team will also inspect the flood control projects in the town of Vintar, as well as solar streetlamps.They will look into reports that some of these were overpriced and verify if they followed the approved plans and contracts.

For the first time, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure inspected flood control projects in Ilocos Norte.

For the first time, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure inspected flood control projects in Ilocos Norte.

ICI inspects Discayas' flood control projects in Ilocos Norte

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ICI inspects Discayas' flood control projects in Ilocos Norte

ABS-CBN News,

April Rafales

Published November 13, 2025 02:05 PM PHT

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Updated November 13, 2025 07:21 PM PHT

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Flood control

ICI

Ilocos Norte

Regions

Discaya

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