Tragic cycle of paying twice for every storm

The widespread corruption revealed in flood control projects has made every storm that causes damage feel like a double blow for Filipinos. They end up paying twice — once to repair projects that were either poorly constructed or never constructed, and again for the lives shattered as a result.

After typhoon “Tino” devastated the Visayas, the government now faces the expensive task of repairing damaged roads, bridges, and flood control systems while also allocating billions in relief aid for families who have lost everything.

The images from Cebu, Samar and Bohol tell a familiar story — towns underwater, bridges washed away, families huddled on rooftops. What makes each storm more painful isn’t just nature’s wrath, it’s our continued unpreparedness — not due to a lack of knowledge, but because inadequate infrastructure has failed to protect communities during these natural calamities.

When President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared a state of national calamity, it unlocked emergency funds for relief and recovery. Yet the deeper question remains: how much of the money meant for prevention actually prevented anything?

Unfortunately, many flood control projects exist only on paper. Drainage systems are often built with substandard materials, and embankments can collapse after just one storm. This situation makes the tragedy feel man-made. If these projects had been properly constructed, perhaps fewer towns would have been submerged in floodwaters.

What corrupt government officials often fail to understand is that stealing from public funds has severe consequences; it affects lives, displacing families and causing numerous casualties. Every peso taken from a flood mitigation project is a peso not spent on strengthening riverbanks or improving evacuation routes. In a country that averages 20 tropical cyclones annually, this negligence is deadly and costly.

And as flood control systems failed, the government must now spend billions more to either construct infrastructure that supposedly existed or rebuild what was destroyed along with the billions earmarked for food packs, housing, and cash aid.

As of this writing, tropical storm “Uwan” is forming east of Luzon and poses a threat to areas still recovering from typhoon “Tino.” If it makes landfall, it will quickly test the efficacy of any remaining flood control systems and assess whether local governments have learned from the devastation experienced in the Visayas last week.

As a Poll Starter, preparedness cannot be an afterthought, and it cannot coexist with corruption.

Both the national and local governments must move beyond photo-op relief missions and concentrate on effective prevention measures. This approach should include transparent audits of all infrastructure spending, real-time public reporting on flood control projects, and community-level disaster plans that empower residents rather than leave them stranded and helpless.

The Philippines is home to some of the world’s most resilient people and dedicated first responders. However, their efforts are undermined when funds designated for disaster protection disappear long before the storms hit.

As the floodwaters recede, the difficult work of rebuilding trust, infrastructure, and accountability begins. If corruption continues to undermine preparedness, then every typhoon season will become an endless cycle of losses that could have been prevented.