When Corruption Meets Climate Risk, Lives Are Lost

December 9 was Anti-Corruption Day. This article touches only the surface of what is happening behind the scenes. With recent scandals in the Philippines involving flood control anomalies, the sale of goods meant for flood victims, and other forms of corruption, keeping quiet is no longer an option. My stomach turned as I watched the news. Those accused of corruption, along with their families, openly flaunt stolen wealth without any sense of guilt or conscience.

Corruption is theft in broad daylight. It steals more than money. It steals trust, safety, and hope. It sabotages systems meant to protect people, weakens institutions, and undermines future generations.

When those involved inflate contracts or build ghost projects, they do more than waste public funds. They put lives at risk, especially the poor who depend on proper disaster-prevention infrastructure.

The scandal at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) represents a grave betrayal of public trust. It has exposed a disturbing pattern of anomalies and collusion in flood control and infrastructure projects.

The extent of loss is staggering.

A top official recently stated that as much as 70 percent of funds intended for flood control were lost to corruption. In just the past two years, this could amount to roughly US$2 billion wasted. Between 2023 and 2025, estimates suggest losses ranging from ₱42.3 billion to ₱118.5 billion. That money could have strengthened flood defenses and saved lives.

A ₱289.5 million river dike project in Oriental Mindoro was flagged for substandard construction and alleged kickbacks. This led to the preventive suspension of twelve DPWH officials and criminal charges for graft and malversation.

Bulacan, one of the country’s most flood-prone provinces, also came under scrutiny. Four flood control projects worth nearly ₱297 million were flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) as suspicious. Auditors cited serious and recurring signs of misuse of public funds.

These are not simple mistakes. They are deliberate acts and part of a systematic scheme involving padded budgets, ghost or substandard projects, rigged bidding, and collusion between officials and private contractors across multiple layers of government.

The Philippines ranked 114th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International. With a score of 33 out of 100, the country was placed among the most corrupt. This ranking came even before the flood control scandal erupted in 2025.

Why this matters now

Corruption and climate risk create a dangerous combination. The country is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Typhoons are stronger, rains heavier, and sea levels higher. What many refer to as infrastructure is, in reality, frontline protection. Flood walls, river dikes, revetments, and drainage systems are critical to saving lives and livelihoods.

When these defenses are compromised by corruption, the consequences go beyond financial loss. Homes are flooded, livelihoods destroyed, and lives lost.

Corruption in flood control goes far beyond DPWH. It draws in lawmakers who approve or insert inflated budgets, contractors awarded padded contracts, agencies that allow duplicate or phantom projects to proceed, and audit and oversight bodies that fail to do their duties.

Even institutions meant to safeguard public funds and public trust are dragged into the mess. This scandal exposes deep weaknesses across the entire governance framework. When all these fail, the system collapses.

A Call to Action: Reclaiming our Future

We must demand full transparency. We must support the recovery of stolen funds and the proper prosecution of everyone involved. Reform must extend beyond DPWH to all government institutions tied to infrastructure, budgeting, and public spending.

Public service must be treated for what it truly is: a duty to the people, not a business for the powerful.

If we remain silent, corruption wins. If we stay passive, we betray future generations.

Corruption is not just a crime against the state. It is a crime against trust, against the most vulnerable, and against hope itself.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, public action has shifted from deeply divided and politicized movements to rallies focused on accountability and nation-building. Across the country, groups from different political, religious, and social backgrounds have taken coordinated action against corruption.

The nationwide protests on November 30 brought together religious groups, civic organizations, youth movements, interfaith and community coalitions, and even government-linked entities in peaceful demonstrations. Despite their differences, they stood behind one clear demand: transparency, accountability, and an end to corruption in public spending.