What looks like competition may have been nothing more than a charade. During a heated Senate probe, controversial contractor Sarah Discaya admitted she controls nine construction companies that all joined the same Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project biddings—raising the specter of a rigged system siphoning billions in taxpayer funds.
The disclosure comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed that over P500 billion in flood control contracts were awarded from July 2022 to May 2025, with just 15 favored contractors cornering one-fifth of the total. At the center of the controversy is Discaya, who has now been unmasked not as the face of one firm, but as the hidden hand behind a web of companies designed to dominate government contracts.
Marcos flags big players
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a press briefing following his fourth State of the Nation Address, disclosed that from July 2022 to May 2025, the Philippines poured more than P500 billion into flood control projects. Alarmingly, just 15 contractors were awarded roughly 20 percent of that total amount.
Among those flagged were industry giants such as Sunwest Inc., Royal Crown Monarch Construction, and Hi-Tone Construction. But the spotlight quickly turned toward Discaya, who had already drawn public attention for flaunting a lavish lifestyle in interviews with Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao.
The Senate steps in
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, led by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, convened to investigate. In the chamber’s second hearing, Discaya faced pointed questions about her business empire. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada pressed her repeatedly on whether her nine firms had competed against one another in DPWH bidding.
Initially, she denied it. But under further questioning, she conceded: yes, her companies had joined the same project tenders.
The firms include:
- Alpha and Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
- St. Gerrard Construction and Development Corp.
- St. Timothy Construction Corp.
- St. Matthew General Contractor and Development Corp.
- Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.
- Amethyst Horizon Builders and General Contractor, and Development Corp.
- YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc.
- Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor Inc.
- Way Maker One Person Corp.
“Bidding-biddingan”
Estrada minced no words in describing the setup: “That is not legitimate bidding. If all nine are yours, then whichever company wins, you still win.”
Neophyte Senator Erwin Tulfo went further, dismissing the practice as nothing more than “bidding-biddingan”—a mock competition designed to create the illusion of transparency.
Discaya defended her wealth and denied bribing officials, though she admitted that some of the firms were nominally under the names of relatives, such as her niece Roma Angeline Rimando and cousin Marie Tony Miligrito.
Public reaction
The scandal has struck a chord beyond the Senate floor. Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, whose city hosts one of Discaya’s firms, weighed in publicly, saying the issue raises deeper concerns about entrenched practices in public infrastructure contracts.
For now, the Senate has subpoenaed several contractors who failed to attend the initial hearing, warning that the investigation will dig deeper into not only the companies but also the public officials who may have benefited from the alleged scheme.
With P500 billion of taxpayer money already spent and the rainy season looming, the question remains: how many of these flood control projects were truly built for the people, and how many were designed only to enrich a powerful few?