Ex-DPWH Engineer Admits Substandard Infrastructure Projects in Bulacan Amid Corruption Claims

In a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on September 23, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez admitted that all infrastructure projects in Bulacan executed from 2019 until the present have been substandard. Hernandez’s revelation emerged during discussions on controversies surrounding flood control initiatives in the province.

Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV directly questioned Hernandez about the quality of various public works, including classrooms, hospitals, bridges, roads, and streetlights. Gonzalez conceded, “Yes po, your honor,” affirming that these projects did not meet specifications and included overpriced components such as streetlights.

Hernandez further detailed that adherence to proper construction standards was deliberately compromised to ensure allocations favored officials and influential figures who demanded a portion of the project budgets.

“The DPWH had plans and budgets, but because the funds were divided among individuals, none of the projects were completed properly,” Hernandez stated, confirming that no work met the engineering specifications outlined in the plans from 2019 to 2025.

When pressed by Senator Aquino about the pervasiveness of corruption, Hernandez responded unequivocally, “Lahat po (Everything), your honor.”

This admission sheds light on systemic issues within infrastructure development in Bulacan, implicating longstanding graft that has undermined public service delivery and project integrity in the region.