Why the Philippines Needs a National Project Management Office for Infrastructure

Billions are wasted on ghost projects, substandard works, and contractor syndicates. A National PMO is the urgent fix.

Situation

The Philippines has allocated ₱545 billion to flood-control projects since 2022, with an infrastructure pipeline projected to exceed ₱140 trillion by 2030. These funds are intended to protect communities, build resilience, and drive national growth.

Yet, reality tells another story. In Quezon City, only 2 of 254 DPWH flood-control projects were coordinated with the LGU before construction — a basic safeguard ignored. Across the country, the scale of contracting is massive: in just ten provinces from July 2022 to May 2025, there were 3,047 projects worth ₱201.33 billion. Bulacan alone accounted for ₱43.75 billion across 668 projects.

On paper, this should mean safer communities. Instead, hearings and audits suggest the ₱545 billion may only be the tip of the iceberg, with billions committed to projects that are incomplete, misallocated, or fictitious.

Complication

Ghost projects — Bulacan contractors like Wawao Builders were awarded ₱6B, later exposed as “ghost” or “half-ghost.” In Mindoro, a ₱192.9M “completed” project was missing on site.
Contract hoarding — Just 15 contractors cornered ₱100B in flood-control contracts using dummies and license leasing.
Commission skimming — Up to 25% of budgets siphoned off, leaving only 30–40% for real work.
Substandard works — Projects appear finished but fail under ordinary rain.
Funding misallocation — Non-flood-prone areas get projects while Laguna de Bay and Parañaque Spillway remain stalled.
Discoordination — In Quezon City, only 2 of 254 DPWH projects had LGU endorsements.

At the root is a broken contracting regime. Lump sum and remeasureable contracts obscure how much is really spent on actual works, how much scope is delivered, and whether benefits are realized.

Question

How can the Philippines ensure that allocations — like the ₱43.7B in Bulacan or ₱201B across the top 10 provinces — actually produce real, functional, and accountable infrastructure, instead of ghost projects and rent-seeking?

Resolution

Create a National Project Management Office for Infrastructure and Buildings (NPMO-I) — a multi-agency body chaired by DTI (CIAP), with DPWH and DHSUD as co-leads, and DBM and NEDA ensuring budget discipline and alignment.

The NPMO-I will:

Enforce stage-gates — Independent validation at every step.
Mandate transparency — PMIS + dashboards with live project data.
Fix contracting opacity — Require breakdowns, apply EVM, audit performance.
Shut down syndicates — Ban license leasing, enforce capacity checks.
Institutionalize accountability — Credential project leaders, benchmark organizations, sanction violators.
Align budgets with risk — Prioritize high-risk flood zones, not politics.

Why Now

Bulacan shows how billions vanish into ghost projects and syndicates.
Mindoro proves “completed” projects can be entirely missing.
₱201B in just 10 provinces highlights the scale of exposure.
With ₱140T on the line by 2030, failure is not an option.

👉 The NPMO-I is how we ensure authority comes with ability, titles with trust, and every peso spent delivers the infrastructure our people deserve.

Next: Authority Without Ability →