A general view of damaged vehicles along a road in Consolacion town, Cebu province, on November 4, 2025, after Typhoon Kalmaegi hit overnight. Residents sought refuge on rooftops and cars floated through flooded streets on November 4 as Typhoon Kalmaegi battered the central Philippines, leaving at least two people dead. Alan Tangcawan, AFP
MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday urged Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro to provide more information about questionable flood control projects in the province — including those constructed during the previous administration.
Baricuatro earlier claimed that despite over P26-billion in flood control funding for Cebu, nearly all flood control projects since 2019 in Visayas’ richest province were either non-existent or substandard.
“Iyan po ang dahilan kung bakit po nagpapaimbestiga ang Pangulong Marcos Jr. dahil nakita niya po iyong epekto, may mga budget na inilaan para dito pero parang hindi gumagana,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.
“Kung siya man po ay nagagalit, iyan din po ang nararamdaman ng Pangulong Marcos Jr,” she said.
“Kung mayroon po siya pang mga alam, may mga facts, may mga data rin po si Gov. Baricuatro na makakatulong sa ating gobyerno para mapanagot ang dapat mapanagot, iyan po ay welcome,” she said.
Tino brought 'worst flash flood' in history of Cebu: governor
Castro underscored that there were 343 flood control projects in Cebu from 2016 to 2022, during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, while there were only 168 anti-flood programs in the province from 2023 to 2025 under the current administration.
“Hindi lamang po sa panahon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. iyong mga flood control projects ang dapat malaman dahil lumalabas po kanina,” Castro said.
“Dapat din po itong makita dahil kung mayroon pong 343 flood control projects noon pa man, dapat po sana ay gumagana ito so pagtulung-tulungan po nating mahanap ang dapat na mapanagot sa mga maanomalyang flood control projects,” she said.
Duterte endorsed Baricuatro’s gubernatorial bid in 2025, where she defeated then-incumbent governor and administration bet Gwendolyn Garcia.
But the Palace official denied Marcos was prioritizing anti-flood investigations and providing more aid to the bailiwicks of his allies.
“Kahit naman po hindi kaalyado ng Pangulo, kahit anong kulay po niyan, ang Pangulo po ay handang tumulong kahit po kanino basta po kinakailangan ang tulong ng gobyerno, kahit ano po ang kanilang … saan sila kaalyado, tutulong ang Pangulo,” Castro said.
“Noong nakaraan lamang po, napabalita rin po na pumunta ang Pangulo sa Cebu, at siya naman po ay sinalubong ni governor at nagpasalamat pa po si governor ng Cebu dahil sa agarang tulong na ibinigay ng Pangulo sa nasabing siyudad o lungsod,” she said.
Typhoon Tino death toll soars past 90
Floodwaters described as unprecedented had rushed through the province's towns and cities a day earlier, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and even massive shipping containers.
Some 119,000 individuals have been evacuated from Tino’s onslaught, weeks after Northern Cebu was devastated by twin earthquakes.