State auditors find cracks, corrosion and exposed steel bars in hundreds of public works projects and tell the DPWH to fix them
MANILA – The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged 300 infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) worth about P17.34 billion for “visible defects,” ranging from cracked walls to exposed steel bars, in its 2025 annual audit report on the agency released this week, November 2026.
State auditors told the DPWH to adopt “corrective measures” and to tighten the way it builds and maintains public works, warning that the problems could affect the safety and lifespan of the structures.
Leyte, Tacloban top the list
The biggest single cluster was in the first district of Leyte, where 71 projects costing P4.33 billion showed cracks on parapet walls, missing sealants at construction joints, corroded railings, and drainage covers and solar light poles that were not properly installed.
In Eastern Visayas, another 17 projects worth P3.62 billion had cracks, damaged structural and surface parts, rusting metal and other safety-related defects. In Tacloban City alone, auditors found 58 projects with clogged or damaged inlets and manholes, damaged structural components, rusting railings and exposed steel bars that could pose a danger to the public.
“The foregoing observations suggest weaknesses in project planning, coordination, supervision, monitoring, inspection, accomplishment validation, contract administration, warranty enforcement, and post-completion maintenance,” the COA said.
The commission traced most of the problems to work that did not follow approved plans, specifications and contract terms, poor execution, and incomplete project documents. It warned that the “visible defects, deterioration and unaddressed maintenance issues may affect the functionality, safety, durability and serviceability of project assets.”
716 projects with missing or deficient signboards
Auditors also found problems with the project billboards of 716 infrastructure projects, which either had no signboard at all, carried incomplete details or did not follow the required design. Northern Mindanao had the most with 141 projects, followed by Surigao del Norte with 108. The DPWH blamed bad weather, wear and tear, theft, unauthorized removal and typhoon damage.
Low spending, missed targets
The same audit showed the DPWH inefficiently carried out 9,061 infrastructure and consultancy projects worth P531.79 billion in 2025 because of delays, long suspensions and idle works. Of the P1.077 trillion it obligated, only P491.72 billion, or 45.65 percent, was actually disbursed by the end of the year.
The agency built only 13.18 kilometers of national roads against a target of 849.71 kilometers. For the rehabilitation of Marawi City, it disbursed just P300,000 out of P1.97 billion obligated. The COA also gave the DPWH a qualified opinion on its 2025 financial statements over P17.28 billion in uncorrected misstatements.
The DPWH said the findings have been sent to the offices concerned for prompt action and that it will carry out the COA’s recommendations.
The audit adds to the pressure on the agency as lawmakers comb through the 2027 budget. The Senate earlier moved to strip 295 DPWH projects worth P8.8 billion that lacked supporting documents, while the Ombudsman recently filed graft charges against six DPWH personnel over an alleged P491.9-million road right-of-way scheme.