While Filipinos Drown, Government Officials and their Family Swim in Tax Money

What breaks my heart is watching headlines now: engineers and contractors confess to widespread corruption schemes, while the people—our people—still suffer from floods, failing infrastructure, and deepening poverty.

This is not just misguided governance. It is BETRAYAL.

New Revelations: Substandard Work & Lavish Lifestyles

• In Bulacan, two former engineers testified that many flood control projects were built substandard or overpriced precisely to allow huge kickbacks to congressmen, senators, and public officials. AP News+1

• Public Works officials have been flagged with lavish lifestyles beyond means—private jet trips, luxury vehicles, expensive watches—all while the communities they’re supposed to protect go without. ABC News+1

• The Department of Justice and House leadership are now under scrutiny: almost 200 people (contractors, engineers, middlemen) have been tied to the flood control mess. ABS-CBN

• President Marcos has named a new DPWH team that will hopefully rid the department of corrupt elements. The Manila Times

The contrast is unforgiving: while families beg for drains, dikes, safer roads, these same funds financed designer goods and luxury travel.

The Political Backlash & Public Uprising

• On September 21, 2025, tens of thousands of Filipinos marched nationwide in protests against systemic corruption. They called it the Trillion Peso March and Baha sa Luneta. The Guardian+2Wikipedia+2

• This isn’t just nagging at the edges. It’s a generational awakening. Young people, students, civic groups—everyone wants to be part of the demand for truth and return of what’s stolen. Asia Media Centre+1

• An alliance of 30 business and civic groups is now pushing for an independent investigation of major infrastructure corruption. Reuters

But protests and investigations alone aren’t enough. The money must come back. The stolen must be held accountable. The broken systems must be fixed.

Who’s Already Being Held Accountable?

• Henry Alcantara, a former DPWH engineer in Bulacan, was found guilty of grave misconduct connected with ghost and substandard flood projects. He admitted to receiving luxury vehicles and an expensive watch. Wikipedia

• The Commission on Audit (COA) launched a fraud audit for flood control projects in Bulacan, demanding geo-tagged site inspections for everything from 2022 to mid-2025. Wikipedia

• COA and DPWH have already flagged ₱341 million in suspicious flood control projects—including some that were never built—to possible charges before the Ombudsman. Wikipedia

• Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has tightened rules on large cash withdrawals (over ₱500,000) as part of the crackdown on laundering and illicit funds. Reuters

These are steps. But they must lead to more than headlines. They must lead to real justice, real reparations, and structural change.

Why This Is Worse Than We Think

• These revelations show that luxury condos and private developments get built faster and better than flood control projects funded by the public. How is that possible? Because private capital isn’t siphoned off. Corrupt public funds are.

• Infrastructure failures here cost lives. Floods trap families in cycles of loss, repair, and debt. Schools close. Crops sink. Mothers and fathers scramble for survival.

• The richer the elite, the poorer the people get. The more they spend on luxury, the more vital public services are neglected.

• If this is allowed to fade, we lose even our voice. We lose momentum. We lose hope.

What Must Happen Now

• Full transparency: Public release of all flood control contracts, project status, and contractor credentials.

• Return of funds: The stolen public money must be reclaimed—and put into rebuilding what was never built.

• Justice, not lip service: Those who stole must face jail time and reparative action.

• New infrastructure with integrity: No more ghost projects. No shortcuts. Real materials, real oversight.

• Community-driven monitoring: Let citizens, civil society, engineers, and local groups track progress.

• Safe, dignified aid now: While justice is underway, we must help affected families immediately with real support—not empty promises.

Conclusion

It’s sad and heartbreaking, but it’s real. While our communities drown—figuratively and literally—those in power float on the currency we earned. It’s not enough to expose them once. We must refuse to let this die down.

This blog isn’t just words on a screen. It’s a rallying cry. It’s for the mothers wading through muddy water, the farmers losing their fields, the children who can’t go to school because roads are rivers.

So share this. Talk about it. Use your voice. Because we must make sure this doesn’t fade into the background. This isn’t just their scandal—it’s our fight, our future.