An entry at the Sumbong sa Pangulo website claims that the map coordinates of a revetment construction project point to the Mawab River in Barangay Poblacion, Mawab, Davao de Oro.
However, the Sumbong sa Pangulo claim is FALSE as the coordinates are incorrect. The coordinates (7.809070, 125.918212) lead to Prosperidad in Montevista, Davao de Oro instead.
The Government-owned website identified the project’s coordinates at Poblacion, Mawab, Davao de Oro, based on the project description.
MindaNews fact-checked this item as the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has touted its website as a public list of infrastructure projects and has urged citizens to point out irregularities through a reporting form.
Barangay Prosperidad, Montevista, Davao de Oro is around 55 kilometers, or around one hour’s drive, from the Poblacion, Mawab project site.
MindaNews flew a drone in the general vicinity of the Sumbong sa Pangulo coordinates and found no large river where a flood control project was being constructed or had been completed.
While there were creeks and small rivers in the area, no project was in sight.
MindaNews stumbled upon the error during a mapping of some flood control projects around the Davao Region.
Using publicly available data, we were curious why the Mawab project did not mark the location towards Mawab but in an area that is an hour’s drive away and another kilometer uphill by foot.
The Mawab flood control project should be located around the general vicinity of these coordinates.
MindaNews triangulated the location to make sure it is correctly tagged elsewhere in non-government organization databases (BetterGov) as well as Department of Public Works and Highways sources (DPWH Transparency Portal).
The map view of the Sumbong sa Pangulo website (below) also plots the project coordinates for Project Contract ID 22LA0046, or the Construction of Revetment along Mawab River, Barangay Poblacion, Mawab, Davao de Oro.
Onsite in Prosperidad, MindaNews found a shallow creek, and further uphill, residents said they were neither aware of such a project nor did they see any equipment beginning work in the area, if any.
As with all our other reports, MindaNews welcomes fact-check leads or suggestions from the public. (Yas D. Ocampo, with reports from Justine Paul Paraz / MindaNews)
