September 2, 2025 | Manila
Flood control contractor Sarah Discaya clarified on Monday that a viral video interview suggesting her family gained wealth solely through projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was misleading, claiming it had been spliced to alter its context.
Testifying before a Senate inquiry into questionable flood control projects, Discaya explained that her family has been in the construction industry for over two decades.
“In our 23 years in business, it’s reasonable to think we have earned from it,” she said, noting that their firms initially handled local government projects before bidding for DPWH contracts.
She added that her remark about the DPWH being a “turning point” in their family’s life was misinterpreted. “Before DPWH, we were dependent on local government contracts, which were difficult to collect payment from. That was the context, but the video was cut,” Discaya said.
Discaya, who ran for mayor of Pasig in the May 2025 elections, is linked to several firms, including St. Gerrard Construction and St. Timothy Construction Corp. These companies were among the 15 contractors that secured nearly ₱100 billion worth of projects, or about 20 percent of the government’s ₱545-billion flood control budget, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed last month.
She also shared that her father had been a contractor for local projects and that she previously worked overseas as a dental receptionist and orthodontic nurse before joining the family business. The firms, she said, started joining DPWH bids around 2012, with flood control contracts awarded beginning 2016.
Discaya committed to submitting her accountant’s records of their tax payments to the Senate.
Issues on Licensing Despite Blacklisting
Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III questioned how Discaya-linked firms continued to secure valid licenses despite being suspended and blacklisted by the DPWH in the past.
Records show that St. Gerrard was suspended in 2015 and blacklisted in 2020, but its license from the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) was renewed in 2023 and remains valid until 2026. Meanwhile, St. Timothy Construction, which faced scrutiny for a Bulacan river project marked complete despite 200 meters of unfinished revetment, renewed its license in 2025, valid until 2027.
PCAB chair Pericles Dakay explained that DPWH blacklists are time-bound. “Once a project is declared completed, the blacklist is lifted,” he said. He added that PCAB only imposes disciplinary action when there is a complaint or verified violation.
The Senate inquiry continues as investigators look deeper into alleged irregularities surrounding the multi-billion-peso flood control projects.
