October 26, 2025 | Manila, Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has identified 60 non-existent or “ghost” flood control projects during its ongoing inspection of government-initiated infrastructure programs. The initiative is part of the AFP’s assistance to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which leads the verification and inspection efforts based on publicly available records.
According to AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., the military was provided with the actual coordinates where the flood control projects were supposed to be constructed. AFP teams visited these sites and found that no construction had been carried out.
“The team has so far identified 60 projects as non-existent, despite the availability of public records showing allocated funds, contractor names, and sources of funding,” Gen. Brawner said.
To date, the AFP has inspected approximately 8,000 flood control projects across the country. He added that the number of ghost projects may increase as inspections continue in other locations. In total, the AFP has been tasked to review up to 16,000 flood control projects.
Gen. Brawner clarified that the AFP’s role is limited to determining whether a project exists at the designated location using the provided coordinates. The military units do not have the technical expertise to assess construction quality or verify compliance with project specifications.
“All reports compiled by the AFP are forwarded to the DPWH. It is the agency’s responsibility to send engineers to validate the findings,” Gen. Brawner emphasized.
This ongoing verification underscores the government’s effort to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of infrastructure projects, particularly those aimed at mitigating the impact of floods in vulnerable areas.