Albay slams leaders over idle P2.5-B pump stations

By Manuel T. Ugalde

LEGAZPI CITY --- Frustration continues to grow among Albay residents as local political leaders engage in blame-shifting over the persistent flooding in Legazpi City, particularly in light of the idle P2.5-billion pumping stations project that remains non-functional 13 years after its supposed completion. Netizens and citizens alike are demanding swift and concrete action to resolve the flooding crisis.

The three pumping stations, reportedly completed and operational since 2012, have since fallen into disorder due to a lack of maintenance. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has expressed intentions to retake control of the facilities for proper operation and upkeep.

The project was awarded by the DPWH regional office to Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. and Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corp., companies reportedly owned by former House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Zaldy Co and his brother, former AKB congressman Christopher Co. These firms are among the 15 contractors previously flagged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as recipients of billions in flood control contracts since 2016.

Last week, Albay Governor Noel Rosal criticized both the Ako Bicol Partylist and the DPWH over the unresolved status of the idle pumping stations. In response, Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin and the DPWH pointed the finger back at Rosal, claiming he was responsible for the non-operation of the facilities.

Two former DPWH regional directors — Melvin Navarro (2017) and Danilo Versola (2018) — had formally requested control over the pumping stations for operations and maintenance.

However, Rosal reportedly rejected the handover, arguing that the pumping stations should first be reconstructed by the original contractors due to their failure to function properly. Rosal maintains that he never formally accepted the stations, citing that they were defective and incapable of draining floodwaters.

Notably, Rosal, Rep. Joey Salceda, and Ako Bicol lawmakers were political allies for more than a decade.

The pumping stations project was originally part of the Legazpi Urban Drainage Program. In 2011, then-Governor Salceda successfully secured the funding under President Benigno Aquino III’s administration. The project was inaugurated in 2016, with Aquino and then-DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson in attendance.

Rosal claims that Legazpi City — being below sea level — is particularly prone to flooding. Local residents have jokingly dubbed the city “Legazpi SEAty” due to frequent inundations that often lead to class, work, and transport suspensions during rainy days.

The unresolved issue surrounding the idle pumping stations has fuelled political tensions for years. Back in 2006, then-neophyte Congressman Salceda proposed relocating the Bicol Regional Center from Barangay Rawis to Naga City due to Legazpi’s persistent flooding — a statement that stirred strong reactions from Albay leaders and residents.

In a recent radio interview with DWIZ’s Jon Ibanez, Rosal reiterated that he never formally received the pumping stations as mayor in 2012, insisting they were defective from the start. He added that his refusal to accept the stations and his criticisms of their condition led to politically motivated cases being filed against him and his wife, Legazpi City Mayor Geraldine Rosal — resulting in their suspension by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) six months after the 2022 election. Despite this, Rosal noted that Albayanos re-elected him as governor.

Rosal also claimed that while the city government had earmarked funds for the operation and maintenance of the stations, it was conditional on the contractors reconstructing the defective units.

In response, Rep. Garbin held a press conference last week where he presented slides showing three acknowledgment receipts signed by Rosal, indicating the formal turnover of the pumping stations. These were countersigned by DPWH engineers Igan Nunez (Project Engineer) and Godofredo Beltran (Construction Division Chief). The documents state that the pumping units were satisfactorily completed and that the city government had assumed responsibility for their operation and maintenance.

Rosal added that while the city government had allocated funds for the operation and maintenance of the stations, this was made conditional on the contractors addressing the structural issues first.

Garbin said that despite this formal turnover, the city government failed to assign personnel to maintain the facilities — a responsibility that fell under the purview of then-Mayor Rosal.

“I don’t think President Aquino and Secretary Singson would have attended the inauguration in 2016 if the pumping stations weren’t completed and operational,” Garbin said. He emphasized that the P2.5 billion fund covered not only the pumping stations, but also the construction of river dikes and the clearing of three major rivers — San Roque, Victory Village, and Tibu — where the stations are located.

As both Rosal and the Ako Bicol Partylist continue to deny responsibility for the failure of the P2.5-billion project, the DPWH has cited previous efforts by its regional directors to retake the facilities. Letters from former directors Navarro and Versola, dated 2017 and March 19, 2018 respectively, supported this claim.

A document also surfaced showing that former Legazpi City Engineer Clemente Ibo reported a critical flaw in the project: the absence of water impounding reservoirs, which are essential for the pumping stations to function. Ibo questioned why the DPWH’s feasibility study failed to include such a key component.

Garbin, who previously served as a city councilor, further noted that under Rosal’s administration, no maintenance personnel were ever assigned to the stations — a failure that led to their current deteriorated state.

Garbin said that under the newly elected Legazpi Mayor Hisham Ismael, the city council passed a resolution requesting the DPWH to retake control of the pumping stations due to the local government’s lack of funds and manpower to maintain them.

As of this writing, DPWH Regional Director Virgilio Eduarte could not be reached for comment on whether official records show that the pumping stations were indeed accepted by the city government.