Sumulong Highway Drainage Project Contractor Given Ultimatum

MANILA, Philippines — The contractor of the P158.3-million drainage improvement project along Sumulong Highway in Marikina has been given until Oct. 15 to finish the job. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon inspected yesterday the long-delayed project, which was originally set for completion on Nov. 20, 2025. Dizon said the contractor, Anore Construction, attributed the delays to underground utility works in the area. “We are reviewing the contract to determine if liquidated damages should still apply despite these utility-related hurdles,” Dizon told reporters. Phase 4 of the drainage improvement project, which started on Feb. 24, 2025, covers major civil works along the 1.3-kilometer alignment on Sumulong Highway. Meanwhile, Dizon said it is up to the Office of the Ombudsman to prosecute DPWH officials tagged in the allegedly anomalous flood control projects in Taguig, which has been flagged as illegal reclamation by the Philippine Reclamation Authority. The DPWH has submitted to the ombudsman documents pertaining to the project in Taguig lakeshore, according to Dizon. “Let’s just wait for the investigation of the ombudsman,” he said. Dizon said some of the DPWH officials and district engineers who were involved in the reclamation projects may have already retired.