Heavy rains that flooded Manila and parts of Luzon this week have intensified public scrutiny over longstanding concerns about corruption in flood-control projects, raising questions about political accountability under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration. The latest deluge has revived debate over the effectiveness of government spending on flood prevention and the transparency of ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities.
On Monday, the capital city experienced 20.7 millimeters of rainfall within five hours, leading to widespread waterlogging, immobilized vehicles, and flooding in areas not typically prone to such conditions. Outside Manila, numerous villages across Luzon were also submerged after weeks of monsoon rains, displacing thousands of residents and reigniting familiar frustrations about persistent flooding despite significant budget allocations.
Since 2011, nearly 2 trillion pesos (approximately HK$254 billion) have been dedicated to flood-control programs managed primarily by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned the outcome of this spending, highlighting that flood-prone areas continue to experience severe inundations despite the large investment spanning three presidential terms. “1.939 trillion pesos funded the DPWH flood control management programme under three presidents from 2011 to 2025, and the result is uncontrolled floods,” Lacson said.
The floods have sparked mixed reactions among Filipinos. In Pampanga’s town of Macabebe, a local store owner fortified his shop’s entrance with rice sacks to prevent water intrusion, a gesture some media and social platforms have portrayed as resourceful. However, this depiction met resistance online, with critics arguing that celebrating “resilience” should not overshadow demands for better government action and accountability. One popular post argued for the need to pressure authorities to develop more effective solutions rather than normalizing annual suffering, stressing that taxpayers’ money should result in tangible protections.
The ongoing crisis has also refocused attention on a high-profile investigation into alleged corruption surrounding flood-control expenditures. President Marcos, in his recent state of the nation address, reaffirmed that several high-ranking DPWH officials, contractors, and lawmakers had been arrested and charged as part of a corruption scheme uncovered after a year-long inquiry. According to Marcos, nearly 545 billion pesos have been spent on almost 10,000 flood-control projects since 2022, many of which were found to be either substandard or non-existent “ghost” projects linked to collusion among officials and private contractors.
The Department of Justice reported last month that 841 million pesos had been recovered from those implicated, funds that were deposited into the national treasury. As of late July, courts had charged 45 individuals and two contracting firms in 26 cases related to the flood-control scandal. However, observers contend that judicial progress has been slow relative to the scale of corruption and damage caused.
“More than a year since the issue was raised, there were only a few people who were charged in courts. At this stage, most of the alleged perpetrators should have been facing the judicial process,” said Nathaniel Candelaria, assistant professor of political science at the University of the Philippines Diliman. His counterpart at Ateneo de Manila University, Arjan Aguirre, also expressed concern about the pace of investigations and accountability measures. “At this point, we should already be seeing clearer findings, stronger accountability and concrete action against those responsible,” Aguirre said.
The recurring flooding amid ongoing probes into corruption continues to highlight the gap between government promises to curb disasters and the lived realities of affected communities, as many Filipinos await substantial improvements before the next rainy season begins.