By Nycel Jane Dela
Another rainy season, another round of floods. And yet, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported that 9,856 flood control projects have already been completed under the Marcos administration. Completed? Really? Because some areas are still drowning every time the skies open.
Let’s talk numbers. A jaw-dropping ₱545.64 billion has been spent on these so-called “flood control” projects since 2022. That’s taxpayers’ money. That’s our money. Out of that, about ₱100 billion went to just 15 contractors. Big money, big promises. But where are the results? Where’s the safety? Because all I see is floodwater creeping into homes, barangays, and livelihoods.
When projects get funneled into the same companies tied to political families, how can people not question where the money is really going? Roads collapse, dikes break, and yet politicians smile during ribbon-cuttings as if they’ve given us gold. What do we actually get? Cracked cement, weak foundations, and substandard projects that collapse faster than their excuses.
So, where did the money go? Cars? Mansions? Weekend trips abroad? Luxuries while ordinary people scoop floodwater out of their houses? We don’t need glossy reports or photo ops, we need working flood control systems. Is that too much to ask after billions have already been spent?
Transparency should not be optional. Accountability should not be lip service. If the government can boast about how much has been “completed,” then it should also explain why floods remain unchecked. Stop hiding behind numbers, and start showing results.
I am not writing this out of anger alone. I am writing because fairness is missing. Our leaders and agencies cannot continue to celebrate numbers on paper while ordinary citizens continue to suffer. We don’t need statistics; we need working solutions. We don’t need billions spent; we need billions felt.
So, to government officials, DPWH and the contractors: prove to us that these billions are not sitting in your pockets. Prove to us that the promise of flood control is more than just a line item in a budget. Until then, every drop of rain will remind us of what we lost, not only to floods, but to misplaced trust.
Billions are gone. The water is still here. And the people? Still drowning.
