THE story of corruption in Philippine flood control projects is as old as the floods themselves. For decades, dredging contracts have offered quick, murky money. With underwater verification difficult and oversight often compromised, it is no surprise that these projects have become milking cows for unscrupulous officials and contractors.
Meanwhile, the government has steadily lost control over our natural waterways. Once-crucial esteros have vanished, and rivers have narrowed or disappeared under layers of garbage, informal settlements, and even factories. Urbanization, mostly rapid and unplanned, has only worsened the problem. Incompetent solid and liquid waste management has turned our rainy season into a season of disaster.
That’s why, in his fourth state of the nation address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s announcement of a thorough review of flood control projects struck a chord. His vow to go after corrupt officials involved in these projects drew thunderous applause, including, ironically, from lawmakers who may themselves have benefited from these questionable ventures.
But applause, unfortunately, does not translate into accountability. On its own, applause doesn’t unclog canals or un-pave rivers, refund stolen public funds, or move bulldozers or dredgers.
It was therefore timely and necessary that the “Right to Know, Right Now Coalition,” a non-government watchdog group, called for more than just a list of names. They called for real action: transparency, prosecution and reforms that go beyond the headlines. Their call deserves more than lip service. It deserves the support of every citizen who has waded through flooded streets, lost property to torrential rains, or suffered illness from polluted waters.
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The problem we face is not just one of drainage or infrastructure. It is a collapse of governance and stewardship of the environment. Corruption in flood control projects is a symptom. The disease is decades of abuse, inaction and impunity. That is why we must go beyond expletives. These people are shameless to begin with. What is now sorely needed is legislation with teeth.
Congress must pass a “climate accountability” bill, one that institutionalizes transparency in climate adaptation spending, penalizes false reporting or ghost projects, and holds both public officials and private contractors accountable. The bill must ensure citizen access to environmental information and create clear audit trails for every peso spent in the name of climate resilience.
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This bill cannot be watered down to please vested interests or be buried in committee hearings. It must have clear guidelines for public disclosure, regular third-party audits, and digital platforms where the public can track implementation progress in real time. The data should not sit in dusty offices but should be accessible, understandable and actionable.
The bill should also establish a mechanism for public participation in the planning and monitoring of these projects. Local communities, who know the terrain and suffer the consequences firsthand, must be part of the solution. It must link accountability with long-term planning, integrating land use, zoning and flood control into a coherent national strategy rooted in science, not kickbacks.
Let’s be clear: This isn’t a problem that can be solved with press releases and ribbon-cuttings. It demands coordination across agencies and local government units that often operate like competing fiefdoms. Without their active collaboration with each other, it’s like we’re patching potholes in a collapsing bridge.
This is not just an environmental issue. It is a matter of public safety, economic survival, and intergenerational justice. Every year we delay is another year of deepening risk for the poorest families living near creeks, urban centers choked by cement and neglect, and taxpayers whose money is siphoned off in the name of disaster mitigation without really benefiting from it.
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It is also a matter of public trust. When citizens see dredging projects that dredge nothing, flood walls that crumble at the first downpour, or drainage systems that flood more than they drain, they begin to question not only the competence of government but also its conscience.
President Marcos has acknowledged the problem. But acknowledgment is not action. The test of sincerity is not in applause lines but in the hard work of reform. If this administration truly wants to make a dent in both corruption and climate vulnerability, it must not only investigate the past. It must legislate for the future. We owe it to the children of our children to create a livable and sustainable environment amid climate risks so they can flourish.
We cannot simply wait for the next calamity to be shocked into motion. The flooding will keep coming, because the real flood isn’t “just” the water. It’s the dysfunction. It’s the rot. And unless we act, that flood will drown every promise of progress we’ve ever made.
It is time to drain the swamp, not just the literal ones.
