Ghost Projects Run Wild in Bulacan—Engineers’ Casino Secrets Revealed!

Senator Panfilo Lacson has unleashed a bombshell: the province of Bulacan is the nation’s epicenter of corrupt flood control projects, with ghost projects, fake contractors, and millions in kickbacks.

In a fiery privilege speech on August 20, Lacson revealed a syndicate running the First Engineering District, allegedly led by former District Engineer Henry Alcantara and ex-Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez—both described as “masters of the scheme.”

According to the senator, these officials are practically twins in their love of money, with one even reportedly losing hundreds of millions of pesos in a Manila casino—a staggering twist in a government corruption scandal.

Under their watch, 28 projects in 2024 alone were priced at ₱72 million each, but investigations revealed that many were non-existent or “ghost projects.”

Lacson explained the shady operation: the engineers borrow licenses from preferred contractors, implement nothing themselves, and forge documents to make it appear that the projects are complete.

Contractors under scrutiny include Darcy and Anna Builders and Wawao Builders. Darcy and Anna allegedly claimed riverbank protection projects worth ₱77.199 million across Bulacan, but Lacson’s team found no trace of actual construction, and their listed business address in Cardona, Rizal, was fake.

Wawao Builders’ project, also valued at ₱77.199 million in 2023, had already been completed in 2017, meaning government funds were still being misallocated for a finished project.

“Same contract price, same riverbank protection, same imaginary projects—these are classic ghost projects,” Lacson said.

Adding fuel to the fire, Wawao Builders is listed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as one of the Top 15 contractors handling ₱100 billion in flood control projects from 2022 to 2025.

With ghost projects, casino shockers, and phony contractors exposed, Bulacan’s flood control program has become the latest national corruption scandal—and the public is demanding answers.