September 17, 2025
MANILA – Metro Manila mayors are calling on national government agencies to seek their approval first before implementing any infrastructure projects, lamenting that some of these works were done without their knowledge.
In a press conference on Tuesday, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora stated that the Metro Manila Council (MMC) has passed a resolution urging national government agencies to coordinate with the relevant local government units (LGUs) before initiating any public works.
Zamora, who is also the president of MMC, stressed that the resolution concerns not just flood control projects but any kind of infrastructure projects, and concerns all national government agencies, not just the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“This is important for us to avoid the incidents that are happening right now, wherein national government agencies would just start their projects without coordinating with the city government. They start digging and building while our mayors are unaware,” he said in Filipino.
“The problem is, when these projects are revealed to have irregularities, that’s when people would start pointing fingers and blaming each other,” Zamora added.
READ: Marcos orders restoration of LGUs’ signoff on completed gov’t projects
According to Zamora, the MMC resolution is in support of the directive issued by President Marcos, who earlier ordered national agencies to secure the approval of LGUs before implementing national government-funded projects.
“When it comes to what we call ‘ghost projects,’ if our mayors have the authority to accept projects, then, before we approve them, we can check if these works were indeed completed properly, if the scope of work was followed, and if it really exists,” Zamora said.
He added that by giving mayors authority to approve projects, they will now also become accountable should there be irregularities found with the given work.
“If we accept these projects, that means we saw it. We knew that this project was done properly, and we become part of [the process of] accountability,” Zamora said. “Of course, we will not accept projects that we know are substandard, and we will not accept any project that we know are nonexistent, or what we call ‘ghost’ projects.”
During the briefing, Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said consultations between the national and local governments should begin in the “planning stage” in order to make sure that projects are in line with the needs of the city or municipality.
“If possible, national government agencies implementing projects should inform us first so we can talk about it and to see if it is part of our priority agenda,” she said.
For Mayor Gerald German of the municipality of Pateros, national government agencies should secure a “permit” from the LGU first in order to ensure that projects are implemented properly.
“No permit, no construction. No permit, no implementation of the project,” he said.
READ: Zamora: Some agencies bypass LGUs; backs Marcos’ push for consult rule
The move was supported by Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, who lamented the problems caused by the sudden implementation of an infrastructure project, such as the buildup of traffic.
“It’s been a long time. Local and national had no coordination ever since. Sometimes there would be vertical and horizontal projects, and traffic becomes a mess because there’s no traffic plan and these projects would just suddenly be implemented, suddenly appear,” she said.
Sandoval shared that she also once questioned the construction of a pumping station in an area that already has one, lamenting that the fund should have been used for other projects for the city.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, meanwhile, brought up the suggestion that the DPWH should let the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) “synchronize and unify” all flood control projects in Metro Manila.
“This is also to avoid [the problem of] a pumping station being built every meter. Public funds are being wasted because it is not synchronized with the Metro Manila flood control plan,” he said.
Domagosa also said that LGUs should be consulted first for guidance and approval when it comes to the DPWH’s flood mitigation program.
Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez added that private-public partnerships initiated by national agencies, such as the DPWH and the Department of Transportation, should also be well-coordinated with the LGU.
“[Projects] like the C5 south lane, the [North South Commuter Railway], these will pass through areas with right-of-way and hit certain infrastructures. These should be well-coordinated with the LGUs so we can help implement these projects, and those affected will be given a solution,” he said.
“I think every member of the MMC will agree that LGUs are more knowledgeable about the situation of their area,” he added.