P5.16 Billion in Flood Control Projects Flow to Chiz Escudero’s Top Campaign Donor — All Roads Lead to Sorsogon

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

It’s not just the rivers of Sorsogon that are overflowing — so are the government contracts pouring into the pockets of one man deeply tied to Senate President Chiz Escudero.

Lawrence R. Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., was no ordinary supporter in Escudero’s 2022 Senate comeback bid. He was the top donor, contributing a staggering ₱30 million — nearly one-fifth of Escudero’s entire declared campaign war chest of ₱146.5 million.

Two years later, the returns on that political investment appear to have arrived in torrents.

From 2021 to 2024, Centerways Construction secured ₱5.16 billion worth of flood control projects. In 2021, the company had only five such projects. But in 2022 — the year Escudero reclaimed a Senate seat — those contracts exploded to 44, a nearly ninefold jump.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his recent State of the Nation Address, publicly named the top 15 flood control contractors cornering one-fifth of all nationwide projects — ₱100 billion in total. Centerways ranked 7th.

And where did most of this flood control work happen? In the very heart of Escudero’s political kingdom.

The Sorsogon Connection

A staggering 96% of Centerways’ projects between 2021 and 2024 were in the Bicol region, with 54 projects in Sorsogon alone. Even more striking, 36 of those were in Sorsogon’s First District — Escudero’s long-time political turf.

This district has been firmly under the Escudero dynasty’s grip since 1987, alternating between Chiz, his father Salvador, his mother Evelina, and his sister Maria Bernadette.

Before returning to the Senate in 2022, Escudero served as Sorsogon’s governor from 2019 to 2022. Now, with him wielding the Senate’s gavel, a former top campaign donor is raking in billions in local projects.

A President’s Warning — and an Awkward Backdrop

During his SONA, President Marcos made a fiery vow to crack down on corruption in flood control contracts:

“Mga kickback, mga initiative, errata, SOP, for the boys… sa mga nakikipagsabwatan upang kunin ang pondo ng bayan at nakawin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga mamamayan, mahiya naman kayo sa inyong kapwa Pilipino!”

As he said those words, Senate President Escudero was seated directly behind him — alongside House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the President’s cousin.

Was it a general warning to all contractors and politicians? Or a pointed reminder to those within arm’s reach?

Escudero Fires Back

Escudero has rejected insinuations that he inserted questionable items in the budget to benefit specific contractors.

“Grabe naman kasi ‘yong insinuation ng mga naninira. ‘Pag nag-amyenda ka ng budget, insert na agad, iligal na agad, at bawal na agad, may kita na agad. Hindi naman siguro tama ‘yon,” Escudero said.

But critics argue the numbers tell their own story — one where political loyalty and public funds appear to flow in the same direction.

Patterns in the Flood

Centerways isn’t alone in drawing suspicion. Other contractors on Marcos’ list have known political ties, including those linked to the Discayas and to Congressman Zaldy Co, both of whom have also been embroiled in controversies over project allocations.

The President himself admitted his findings were “disturbing,” noting that just 15 contractors captured a disproportionate share of the nation’s flood control spending.

The Larger Storm

Flood control projects are critical in a country battered yearly by typhoons and rising sea levels. But they have long been a magnet for corruption — padded budgets, substandard work, and “SOPs” that turn public works into private profit streams.

When political allies and campaign donors dominate these projects, the line between public service and political payback becomes dangerously blurred.

The people of Sorsogon — and the rest of the Philippines — deserve flood control systems built on integrity, not loyalty. Because in the end, real flood protection is not about concrete walls or drainage canals — it’s about protecting the nation from the rising tide of corruption.

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