The Department of Public Works and Highways has blacklisted two more construction firms tied to Sarah Discaya, suspending them from bidding after more than ₱203 million in contracts were terminated for default.
According to The Philippine Star, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon issued the orders under Republic Act 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act. YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc. received a two-year suspension under Department Order 127 as a second offense. Way Maker General Contractor OPC received a one-year suspension under Department Order 128 plus a further two-year suspension under Department Order 131.
The contracts
The Star lists the terminated projects: YPR's ₱95.53-million flood mitigation structures contract on the Aklan River in Kalibo, and Way Maker's ₱80-million Aklan West Road project, both terminated on Oct. 30, and a ₱28.27-million NBI facility contract on Taft Avenue, Manila, terminated on Nov. 19. Together they exceed ₱203 million. The report gives the dates without a year; they refer to contracts that unraveled well before this week's orders.
The gap is worth stating plainly: contracts ended in default, and the blacklisting arrives after that. The Star's account does not say how much of the money was paid out before termination, whether any of it is recoverable, or whether the roads and flood structures were ever finished. Those are the numbers that determine whether the public lost ₱203 million or something less, and they are missing.
Nine companies, one bidding table
The Star notes that Sarah Discaya disclosed ownership or stakes in nine construction companies during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, and that the firms allegedly participated in the same bidding processes, raising concerns about competitive integrity. That is the core procurement problem: bids from nine companies under related ownership can look like competition while functioning as one bidder.
Unknowns
The Star's report does not include a response from Discaya or the two firms, and we could not locate one. Blacklisting is an administrative sanction; it does not by itself establish criminal liability, and no source we reviewed says these firms face new criminal charges.
Context
The flood control scandal has driven weeks of hearings and court action; we reported on the Sandiganbayan's 26 flood control cases and the Senate's audit of 7,107 DPWH projects this week. Blacklisting is the cheapest tool available to the department: it costs nothing to sign and does not touch the money already spent.
Sources
- The Philippine Star, "DPWH blacklists 2 more Discaya firms" (Sept. 28, 2026) — https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/09/28/2559390/dpwh-blacklists-2-more-discaya-firms