Massive Flooding Prompts Infrastructure Investigation in Cebu
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has announced it will conduct a thorough inspection of flood control projects in Cebu province following the devastating flooding caused by Typhoon Tino earlier this month. The inspection comes after the Buturanon River overflowed, leaving residential areas in ruins and raising serious questions about the effectiveness of billions in infrastructure funding.
Focus on Central Cebu's Badly Affected Areas
ICI Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. confirmed that the investigation will concentrate on Central Cebu, specifically Cebu City and Mandaue City, where the flooding impact was most severe. The inspection is scheduled to begin on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
During a pre-command meeting at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Wednesday, November 12, Azurin expressed concern about the situation, stating: "We will focus on Central Cebu, in Cebu City and Mandaue. As for the badly affected areas, we will look into why that happened despite the huge amount of funding that was allocated there."
Azurin specifically referenced the P26 billion plus funding mentioned by the Governor, indicating this substantial investment would be a primary focus of the ICI chairman's examination.
Document Review and Case Development Underway
According to Department of Public Works and Highways records, the scale of flood control infrastructure in Cebu province is substantial. Between 2016 and 2022, 343 flood control infrastructures were constructed, with two projects subsequently terminated. From 2023 to 2025, an additional 168 projects were undertaken, with 55 still ongoing under the current administration.
The ICI is already taking concrete steps to investigate potential irregularities. Azurin revealed that "we are now obtaining the bid documents through the help of the CIDG and the NBI because they have subpoena power."
The commission plans to carefully study these documents and compare them against the actual implementation on the ground. Azurin emphasized their intention to "develop cases, definitely" if discrepancies are found.
This inspection follows a similar recent investigation conducted by the ICI in Davao, indicating a broader pattern of infrastructure auditing across regions affected by severe weather events.
