Knee-deep floodwaters submerged residents of Barangays 16 and 18 in the southern part of Caloocan City during heavy rains last month, with residents blaming an unfinished road and drainage project in their area, as well as clogged canals.

The incomplete rehabilitation project along Tamban Street in Caloocan City was supposed to address the recurrent flooding in Barangays 16, 18, 20 and 22. 

HALFWAY FINISHED. A boy walks along an unfinished rehabilitated road along Tamban Street in Barangay 20, Caloocan City. Photo by Eunicito Barreno.

The unfinished infrastructure assets were part of a P38.8 million rehabilitation project in 2024 by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 3rd District Engineering Office in Caloocan, in response to flooding in the area.

Amethyst Horizon Builders and General Contractor & Development Corporation was the project’s contractor. The company is among the construction firms linked to detained businesswoman Sarah Discaya, whose contractor licenses were revoked by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) in 2025.

The project remains 84.37% listed as ongoing on the DPWH transparency website since then. However, a site inspection along Tamban Street found that while some portions had already been completed, others remained unfinished.

Also documented was an unfinished creek barrier wall, with pieces of wood that have been attached as a temporary replacement. 

PANSAMANTAGAL? Wood replaces an unfinished creek barrier along Tamban Street. Photo by Eunicito Barreno.

The department is yet to issue a response to this unfinished project. This story will be updated once they do.

No improvement

Rose Marie de Chavez, a 65-year-old Barangay 16 resident and a market vendor, said nothing has improved in their community in terms of curbing the flooding problem in almost 30 years of living there. It has even worsened, she added. 

When above-knee-deep floodwaters reached her home, which is near the creek, de Chavez paid ₱100 every time she rode a sidecar home from the market where she sells to avoid walking through the floodwaters and risk being infected with leptospirosis. 

Asked what the road and drainage rehabilitation had done for their community, she said it had only caused them additional inconvenience. 

“Pinagawa nga, palpak naman. [Lalo] kaming binaha. Maganda pa ‘yong dating kalsada [na] medyo mababa, hindi kami pinapasok ng tubig. Ngayon tinaasan nga, eh lalo namang binaha,” de Chavez said in an interview.

“Kailangan paayos nila (Caloocan City Government) lahat ng mga baradong kanal, ‘yong mga maruruming creek na puro mga basura. Dapat linisan, palinis nila,” she added.

“Pinagawa nga, palpak naman. [Lalo] kaming binaha. Maganda pa ‘yong dating kalsada [na] medyo mababa, hindi kami pinapasok ng tubig. Ngayon tinaasan nga, eh lalo namang binaha,” de Chavez said in an interview.

TOO MUCH. A creek along Tamban Street filled with silt and trash. Photo by Eunicito Barreno.

Hopeless? 

Barangay 18 resident Vertudez España is pessimistic about resolving the perennial flooding in their community. Whenever floodwaters reach knee level, she and her family stay home instead of going to work. 

“Hirap ka rin sa pagtatrabaho din kasi lalo na ulan nang ulan. Pagka talaga sa baha, wala talaga.Talagang [ang] hirap kumilos … Dito lang kami sa tulay. Hindi na kami makalabas kasi ang laki nga ng tubig dito. Kahapon lang ang laki ng tubig,” España said in an interview. 

Similar to de Chavez’s experience, España attributed the knee-deep flooding to accumulated garbage and silt in canals. However, she is not hopeful the problem will be resolved because a metal barrier blocks the creek in front of their house. 

Asked for comment on residents’ complaints about perennial flooding in the community, the City Planning and Development Department, in a statement sent to Rappler, said addressing the flooding issue requires “coordinated and long-term interventions involving various government agencies and stakeholders.” 

“Changing rainfall patterns associated with climate variability, continuing urban development, and the increase in impervious surfaces may affect the performance of portions of the existing drainage system during periods of heavy rainfall,” the department said.

“The effectiveness of drainage systems may also be affected by factors such as the improper disposal of solid waste, obstructions within waterways, and encroachments along drainage easements,” it added. 

The city department also said it is strengthening its approach to addressing flooding through the Integrated Urban Flood Management (IUFM) framework, which integrates land-use planning, drainage and flood control infrastructure, environmental management, disaster risk reduction and institutional governance.

With the Discaya-linked project’s contract revoked and portions of the infrastructure still unfinished, residents are calling on the DPWH and the Caloocan City government to address the remaining structures and persistent flooding in their community.