Silent killers

The staggering amount of government funds spent and lost on flood control projects is a pressing issue that tugs at the heart.

Every peso is an investment in safety and infrastructure, but financial mismanagement and inefficiency can lead to deep sorrow and frustration.

The immense loss affects budgets and threatens communities dependent on effective flood prevention measures from the government.

Communities often bear the heavy burden of understanding the significant amount of money spent on initiatives that ultimately fail to provide practical solutions. The emotional toll of these failures is overwhelming as they represent lost opportunities for safety and stability in vulnerable areas.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is considering filing charges of economic sabotage against major companies involved in fraudulent flood-control projects. The harsh reality is that lives are lost while funds are being misused. This situation reveals a troubling story of corruption, neglect, and mismanagement.

Filipinos are resilient; they have faced super typhoons and severe rains that devastate entire regions. Yet, even as communities prepare for the worst, the question echoes louder than ever: where is the funding going?

Since President Marcos took office, an average of 212 lives have been lost each year due to weather-related incidents. These are numbers and families torn apart, communities shattered, and futures extinguished.

In 2022, Region 8 recorded the highest death toll, with Cyclone Agaton claiming 187 lives, despite the government investing over P5.59 billion in flood-control projects.

In 2024, CALABARZON reported 74 lives lost despite P37.13 billion in completed flood management projects. How can we reconcile these figures?

The reality is that the Philippine government is attracting attention with its financial investments. Still, it is failing to convert these investments into absolute safety and security for its people, such as for lowering the crime rate, building adequate infrastructure, and providing sufficient emergency services.

This gap between investment and the well-being of the populace raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of government policies in addressing the fundamental needs of the people.

We have reached a critical point where ghost projects are more than just a bureaucratic inconvenience — they are silent killers. These projects represent a systemic failure to protect Filipinos from the forces of nature, even as the government strives to account for misallocated funds.

The Department of Public Works and Highways acknowledges these projects, yet the investigations appear to be dragging on with little urgency, leaving a trail of despair in their wake.

As lawmakers carry out separate investigations into fund allocations, we must demand more than accountability. We need transformative actions that prioritize our communities’ safety.

We must not only blame the individuals who profit; we must examine the entire system that enables these tragedies to occur repeatedly.

In the end, the cost of failed flood management is insurmountable in terms of money, lives lost, and shattered futures. The consequences can ripple through generations, leaving scars that may never fully heal.

It is the sum of all fears that everyone dreads.