Storing scanned copies of flood control files ongoing - DPWH

Metro Manila, Philippines - The process to digitize documents related to the flood control investigation is ongoing, the Department of Public Works and Highways said, in the wake of public fear that integral papers were burned down in the fire that razed its Bureau of Research and Standards building in Quezon City.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Oct. 23, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon maintained that documents related to the alleged pocketing of multi-billion peso funds were not affected in the blaze on Wednesday.

He said flood control documents from 2022 to 2025 are stored in its central office in Manila City, adding that the agency is starting to receive files from the past years.

Public Works Undersecretary Arthur Bisnar, who joined the news conference, said that in September, he was instructed to keep digital files of flood control projects from the past 10 years – which the Independent Commission for Infrastructure is probing.

“Isa sa mga naging utos niya ay ipa-scan at magkaroon ng digital copy, lahat ng documents, patungkol po sa, hindi lang po sa flood control projects in the last 10 years, pero para sa lahat po ng mga infra projects. So ‘yan po ay ginagawa ng ating mga regional and district offices,” he said.

[Translation: One of Dizon’s directives was to have all documents scanned and digitized — not just those related to flood control projects in the last 10 years, but for all infrastructure projects. So this is currently being carried out by our regional and district offices.]

Meanwhile, Lara Esquibuil, newly-appointed DPWH officer in charge of convergence projects and technical services, said there are backup files of the documents affected in the BRS building. She said these documents included manuals, design guidelines, and procurement documents of the BRS, among others.

Dizon also corrected his assistant secretary’s testimony in a Senate hearing that the facility of the nearby Region IV-B (Mimaropa) building was affected.

“The Region IV-B building is safe and sound but it is a couple 100 meters away from the BRS building,” he said.

Citing the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Secretary also noted that the fire was caused by an electrical failure on one of the ceilings in the building’s third floor – not by a computer unit that exploded, as earlier reported.

“Hindi pa final ang investigation results…(The investigation is not yet final) Right now, we will take the facts as they are,” Dizon said, when asked if the fire was intentional or not.