The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has so far identified 15 “non-existent” projects following its initial round of project validation, Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan confirmed on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

“We have identified 15 non-existent. Hindi pa naman ghost,” Bonoan said when asked about the agency’s findings during the DPWH Turnover Ceremony.

According to Bonoan, most of these projects are located in Bulacan’s first district, with a few scattered in other regions.

Out of 1,600 project sites that have been validated, 15 turned out to be non-existent, while around 160 more locations are still subject to verification.

Bonoan explained the difference between a “non-existent” and a “ghost” project.

“Ghost projects [are] those already validated not to be there. Non-existent [is] a matter of validating the locations of the projects being talked about,” he said.

The DPWH is conducting the validation as part of efforts to clean up its project list and address issues of irregularities in flood control projects in the country.