A children's group on Sunday, 21 September lamented that the P465 million worth of luxury cars owned by couple-contractors Pacifico "Curlee" and Cezarah "Sarah" Discaya could have been used to build classrooms.
The Department of Education estimates a backlog of at least 165,000 classrooms as of 2025, attributing the shortage to population growth and slow government construction.
In a statement, SALINLAHI Alliance for Children's Concerns asserted that systemic corruption directly affects Filipino children’s lives by depriving them of essential social services crucial for their development.
"Corruption is a direct violation of the right to survival and development of children, which is why we say that it is not just money that is being stolen, but also their future," Trixie Manalo, Salinlahi spokesperson, said.
"The budget that was supposed to be allocated for basic services like healthcare or education is just being pocketed by the greedy," she added.
The alliance joined the "Baha sa Luneta" march in Rizal Park, Manila, holding signs showing the number of classrooms that could be built with the money spent by the Discayas on luxury cars.
"P465 million, 38 cars for the Discayas. That's equivalent to 715 classrooms for the children. P465 million for 38 luxury cars, and then one out of two Filipino children has nothing to eat," Manalo lamented.
But the issue goes beyond the Discayas, she stressed, adding that it “literally runs in the blood of dynastic and corrupt families in the Executive and Legislative branches, who treat the bureaucracy like their own profit-making enterprise."
Despite this, Salinlahi remains hopeful for the future of Filipino children.
"The fact that thousands of people took action today, from children to adults, is proof that there is really hope and that there is always something we can do," Manalo said.
"This day proves that our true strength is found in our collective action. Together, we will hold accountable all those who have stolen from us," she added.