The dismayed remarks of Secretary Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Vince Dizon about an incomplete flood control project in Davao City drew attention of Filipinos.
The Cabinet official inspected a dike project along the Talomo River in Barangay Bangkal after residents in the area were affected by flooding when the river overflowed following continuous heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat).
During the inspection on Wednesday, July 29, Dizon expressed dismay after learning that the dike had not been raised, saying it could have helped protect nearby residents from the overflowing river during periods of heavy rain.
A dike is a long embankment, typically made of of earth or stone built to prevent water from overflowing into low-lying areas.
Upon seeing the unfinished infrastructure, Dizon could not help but utter profanities.
“P***** ***, pitong taon niyong hindi ginawa ‘to, Diyos ko!” he exclaimed while inspecting the dike.
“2019 pa ‘to… ito… tapos wala nang ginawa dito? Oh, ‘yon ang problema. P***** *** talaga, oh,” Dizon added.
“Kitang-kita mo, mataas doon, dito mababa, eh ba’t hindi pa pinantay ‘yan lahat? Anak ng p*** talaga, oh,” he exclaimed, noting the unfinished portion of the dike.
A male resident in the area claimed that officials had “pocketed the money,” saying the dike should have been completed to prevent flooding in their community.
“Totoo ‘yan, kung hindi ninakaw ang pera eh, dapat walang ganito,” Dizon replied.
A video of Dizon’s inspection drew attention online, with some Filipinos noting his repeated use of profanities.
“Vince Dizon; binasag ang naratibo na mala-Singapore ang Davao City,” a Reddit user wrote in the “r/Philippines” community on Thursday, July 30.
Vince Dizon; Binasag ang naratibo na malasingapore ang davao city
by
u/Careful-Tension-5689 in
Philippines
The post has garnered 5,400 upvotes and almost 200 comments on Reddit.
“Taga-Davao na mismo ang nagsabi,” the uploader said, referring to the resident who talked to Dizon in the video.
“Basag ang naratibo na mala-Singapore ang Davao City at walang corrupt daw,” the Redditor added.
“Singapore? Baka Singha More! Sa sobrang baho ng mga maanomalyang projects [diyan]!” another Reddit user exclaimed.
“It is still Singapore [though]… specifically Singapore in the 1950s,” a different Reddit user quipped, adding a laughing emoji.
“More like Singapoor,” another Redditor commented.
‘Singapore’ narrative
Davao City has often been described as being “Singapore-like” or compared to the city-state, with supporters citing its relatively clean environment, strict local ordinances and public safety.
In 2020, a video feature described Davao City as “fast becoming a boom town,” calling it the “darling of potential investors.”
A city hall employee interviewed in the feature also said she envisioned Davao City becoming “like Singapore” within “five years” because of its bus systems.
The city is also the political bailiwick of the Duterte family, which includes former president Rodrigo Duterte, his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte, Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte (Davao City First District) and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
Flood control
Following his inspection, Dizon described the situation along the Talomo River “saddening.”
“Hindi nga umuulan sa Davao no’n eh, umuulan sa bundok pero rumagasa ‘yung tubig mula sa bundok pababa sa, dito sa Talomo River, at ang dami pong mga kababayan natin ang naperwisyo,” he said in an interview.
“What we will do now is to dredge it immediately,” Dizon added, referring to the river. He said that he was told by residents there have been no dredging operations in the area for 10 years.
Dredging is the process of removing mud, sand, silt and other debris from the bottom of rivers.
Dizon also said he plans to raise the elevation of the communities located along the river.
The DPWH chief added that a master plan intended to address the flooding problems had already been prepared but was never implemented. He said the department would review the plan and move forward with its implementation.
Meanwhile, Pulong said that while he agreed with Dizon’s sentiments, the DPWH should first examine its own records instead of asking where the problem began.
The lawmaker said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Davao Flood Control Master Plan had already been submitted to the national government as early as 2023, but remained unimplemented.
Pulong urged the DPWH to review its records to determine who prepared the projects, approved them, failed to provide funding and allowed the master plan to remain unimplemented.
He added that those found responsible should be identified and that appropriate cases should be filed if warranted.
