Thousands Take to the Streets as Philippines Protests Flood Control Fraud

Manila, Philippines – Thousands of Filipinos gathered on Sunday to protest a growing scandal involving bogus flood-control projects, believed to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

The so-called ghost infrastructure projects have triggered outrage across the Southeast Asian nation, particularly after President Ferdinand Marcos highlighted the issue in his July State of the Nation Address, following weeks of deadly flooding.

President Marcos stated on Monday that he did not blame citizens for protesting, while urging that demonstrations remain peaceful. As a precaution, the Philippine army has been placed on red alert.

Aly Villahermosa, 23, a nursing student from Metro Manila, told AFP: “There were times I personally waded through floods. If there’s a budget for ghost projects, then why is there no budget for the health sector? It’s truly shameful.”

Teddy Casino, 56, chairman of the left-wing alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, emphasised that protesters are calling for the return of stolen funds and prison sentences for those responsible: “Corruption requires people to go to the streets and express their outrage in the hope of pressuring government to actually do their jobs.”

An estimated 13,000 people gathered in Luneta Park in the morning, with even larger crowds expected later to march down EDSA, the historic thoroughfare where the People Power Movement protests ousted Marcos’s dictator father in 1986.

The scandal has prompted leadership changes in both houses of Congress. Earlier this week, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of President Marcos, resigned as an investigation began.

Earlier this month, the owners of a construction firm accused nearly 30 House members and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials of accepting cash payments for flood-control contracts.

The Department of Finance has estimated that the Philippine economy lost up to ₱118.5 billion ($2 billion) from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood-control projects. Greenpeace suggests the figure may be closer to $18 billion.

The Philippines has a long history of public fund scandals, with high-ranking officials often escaping serious jail time despite convictions for corruption.

AFP reporters visiting Bulacan, a flood-prone province north of Manila, observed residents navigating murky water in rubber boots. Multiple bogus projects have been identified in the area.

Elizabeth Abanilla, an 81-year-old retiree, condemned both politicians and contractors: “They should not have handed over money before the job was completed. Both of them are guilty.”

Key Details Table

The protests underscore widespread public frustration with corruption in infrastructure projects, and signal growing demands for transparency, accountability, and reform in the Philippine government.