Liza Marcos blasts work of Discaya-owned firm as a 'rotten monument'
MANILA, Philippines — “Mahiya naman kayo!”
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos echoed her husband’s words as she blasted what she called shoddy work by a company owned by contractor Sarah Discaya at the Philippine Film Heritage Building, a project she said cost about P200 million.
Araneta-Marcos, who has several pet projects for culture and heritage, inspected the building on Thursday, September 4.
In a statement the following day she said her inspection found “leaking roofs, cracked walls, unfinished theaters, ceilings already sustained with water.”
“Seriously?! Mahiya naman kayo! Pati ito, ninakawan niyo ng dignidad,” Araneta-Marcos said. (Seriously?! You should be ashamed! Even this, you stole its dignity.)
She also described the work as a “rotten monument of incompetence.”
Contractor named. The First Lady shared the project profile with the Department of Public Works and Highways, which listed Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor Inc. as the contractor for Phase 1 of the project.
Great Pacific Builders is among nine firms owned by Sarah Discaya and her family.
Phase 1 was scheduled for completion in 2024, with a second phase slated for September 2025. Construction, however, appeared to be ongoing in photos Araneta-Marcos posted from the site.
Project background and response. Efforts to renew the Philippine Film Heritage Building began in 2023. Once finished, the building is to house the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the Cinematheque Centre Manila and the Philippine Film Archive.
Speaking to reporters, Discaya lawyer Cornelio Samaniego III said the work his client was contracted to do had been completed and turned over to the implementing agency.
Samaniego, however, added that subsequent work done to overhaul the finished portions did not belong to the Discaya firm.
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