Legazpi City – Albay Governor Noel Rosal ordered the accounting of flood protection projects carried out in the province to support the steps of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to determine the status of projects.
“We strongly support the call from President Marcos to check the flood control projects implemented all over the country, especially in Albay, where two of the 15 controversial contractors who implement the projects are based,” said Rosal.
Rosal informed the Manila Times that he wrote the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the flood protection projects carried out in Albay under President Marcos.
“We will meet as soon as the DPWH has submitted its report to us and checked the status and the president, regardless of the development of the projects in Albay, in particular that we are at the beginning of typhoons and rainy seasons,” said Rosal.
“We would like to know how much remedy in Albay is infused for flood control projects,” added Rosal.
The president announced that only 15 out of more than 2,000 contractors were driven 100 billion pesets in flood protection projects, which spent 18 percent of the 545.64 billion peseters from 9,855 projects from July 2022 to May 2025. President Marcos was shaped as disturbing statistics.
Three of the great contractors who packed the multibillion flood projects identified by the President were Sunwest Inc., which was owned by Ako Bicol Party List founder and first candidate Elizaldy Co, Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp. Lawmaker Christopher Co, Brother from Zaldy Co and Albay Vice Vice Vice Vice Vice Vice Vice Vice belonged. and The Centerways Construction and Development Inc., owned by Lawrence Lubiano by Sarsogon City. Lubiano is said to be the son of the former district engineer Walter Lubiano.
After the controversy, Lawrence Lubiano, President of the Centerways Construction and Development Inc., made an explanation in which it insisted that all state contracts that they receive pass through properly bid procedures and comply with the procurement laws.
“Since 2009, our company has been lucky enough to maintain government contracts, the entire proper tender procedure and in full of the procurement laws. We are working to ensure that every project that we treat with the government corresponds to the standards and specifications set by the government,” said Lubiano in a statement.
“All of our transactions are above the board, transparent and in good time. Neither a single complaint nor a case against us that are involved up to this point in time of one of our projects is a recording that we appreciate and are proud of our work,” said Lubiano.
“As a Bicolano, I have supported the Escudero family for a long time because I believe in their notes about the public service. They served our province and our people well and the submissions against the President of the Senate are full of malice, unfair and intended to impair their reputation.”
Lubiano was reported in 2022 as a campaign contribution by the Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, but the senator competedly to participate in flood protection projects in Sorsogon and other parts of the country.
Previously, Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., the Sunwest Inc. and Hitone construction company, which was identified by the president in the top 15 designers of flood protection projects.
Garbin said that Rep. Zaldy Co had long sold his interest from Sunwest Construction after becoming a member of the congress.
“Sunwest has been working in the construction industry for many years. You have consistently participated in public bidders, won projects through proper procurement processes and delivered works that were properly inspected, accepted and paid in accordance with the law,” he added.
Garbin said that Sunwest and Hitone were not newcomers because these companies have long established, highly qualified and respected in the construction industry.