Images of Wawao Builders General Manager Mark Allan Arevalo at a Senate hearing on flood control projects have been turned into memes by Filipinos, who poked fun at his refusal to answer questions about his firm’s alleged “ghost” projects.
Arevalo was among those summoned by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Monday, September 1, as lawmakers probe alleged irregularities in flood control projects awarded to certain contractors by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Issues surrounding flood control projects were first raised by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his fourth State of the Nation Address, where he called out alleged corruption as flooding incidents worsened during the rainy season.
READ: FULL TEXT: Marcos’ 2025 State of the Nation Address
Since then, he has named the top contractors who received the bulk of these projects, pointing out that many lacked key details.
Among them was Wawao Builders, a construction company formerly based in Quezon City, which reportedly secured numerous contracts for flood control projects in Bulacan.
Arevalo, the company’s general manager, was summoned by the Senate as part of its probe into alleged anomalies in the country’s flood control projects.
He drew criticism from some lawmakers after invoking his right against self-incrimination during the hearing, refusing to confirm or deny whether his firm was involved in “ghost” flood control projects.
“Ghost” flood control projects refer to infrastructure projects that exist only on paper, either never built or left unfinished, yet reported as “complete” and paid for.
While Arevalo did not admit to having ghost flood control projects in Bulacan, as Sen. Ping Lacson claimed in his privilege speech, he did acknowledge securing contracts for flood control projects in Quezon City and Quezon Province.
Photos of Arevalo during the Senate hearing have since been turned into meme content by some Filipinos who mocked his repeated refusal to answer lawmakers’ questions about his firm’s flood control projects.
“Sabi ko, last pair na talaga,” a shoe store wrote in a Facebook post.
“Wah Wah Pedal,” another Facebook page said, posting an edited image of Arevalo.
“Me to my friend na nag-re-recite para makapasa,” TikTok sensation Spencer Serafica said.
“F [feel] na F [feel] ‘yung MAGBALIK! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA,” a music page said, sharing another edited image of Arevalo.
“Bomba. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA,” it also exclaimed in a different post.
“Anong Nen Type kaya siya nabibilang,” another Facebook page exclaimed, sharing an edited image of Arevalo.
During the hearing, Arevalo stated that they are still verifying whether their firm currently has any “ghost” projects.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada earlier claimed, based on information he received, that Wawao Builders is the contractor behind the alleged “ghost” flood control projects in Bulacan.
