Senate and House Probes into Flood Control Projects
The contractor, **Sarah Discaya**, has become a central figure in the ongoing investigations into corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control projects in the Philippines. The controversy stems from a report by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that indicated a small group of 15 contractors, including firms linked to Discaya, secured approximately ₱100 billion of the total ₱545-billion budget for flood control from 2022 to 2025.
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### Discaya's Defense and Admissions
During a Senate hearing, Discaya claimed that a viral video of an interview she gave was "spliced" to create the false impression that her family's wealth was solely from DPWH projects. She stated her family's construction business has existed for 23 years, initially working on projects for local governments before starting with the DPWH in 2012. She admitted that her firms started securing flood control projects "2016 onwards."
However, during the same hearing, Discaya admitted that nine of her family's construction firms had, on occasion, simultaneously bid for the same government projects. This admission led the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to revoke the licenses of these nine firms. The PCAB resolution cited her testimony for raising concerns about collusion and schemes to influence public bidding and corner projects.
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### Family Firms and Lifestyle
Multiple sources allege that the Discaya family built a "constellation of construction firms" that secured a significant portion of flood control contracts. These companies, including Alpha & Omega General Contractor and Development Corp. and St. Timothy Construction Corp., reportedly share a single address and a single auditor. Discaya initially denied direct involvement with some of the firms but later clarified her role as Chief Finance Officer for some of them.
In addition to the corruption allegations, Discaya and her husband, Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya, have drawn scrutiny for their lavish lifestyle. They admitted to owning a collection of luxury cars, with Discaya stating they have 40 such vehicles, 28 of which are for personal use. This prompted the Bureau of Customs to launch an investigation into the payment of duties on these vehicles.
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### Blacklisting and Unfinished Projects
Firms linked to Discaya have faced blacklisting and suspension. For instance, St. Gerrard was suspended in 2015 and blacklisted in 2020 by the DPWH. Despite this, its license from the PCAB was renewed in 2023. Similarly, another Discaya-linked firm, St. Timothy Construction Corp., was responsible for a project in Bulacan that was deemed completed despite having approximately 200 meters of unfinished work. The firm's license was renewed in 2025.
[Sarah Discaya defends her family's wealth at a Senate hearing on flood control projects](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ6zICsj2lM)
This video shows Sarah Discaya's defense of her family's wealth and their involvement in construction projects during a Senate hearing.
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