Crissa Tolentino has long been resigned to floods as a way of life. The 36-year-old public school teacher takes a paddle boat through the inundated streets nearly every day. It's the only way to travel from her home in the suburbs to the heart of Apalit, a low-lying town near the Philippine capital Manila. The boat takes her to work, and to the clinic where she is being treated for cancer. She says she only sees dry streets for about two months in the year.
But this year she is very angry. An unusually fierce monsoon has derailed daily life more than ever in the South East Asian nation, and sparked anger and allegations about corruption in flood control projects. The rains have stranded millions mid-commute, left cars floating in streets that have turned into rivers and caused outbreaks of leptospirosis, a liver ailment that spreads through the excrement of sewer rats.
I feel betrayed, Ms. Tolentino says. I work hard, I don't spend too much and taxes are deducted from my salary every month. Then I learn that billions in our taxes are being enjoyed by corrupt politicians.
It's a charge that is resonating across the Philippines, where people are asking why the government cannot tame the floods with the billions of pesos it pours into infrastructure like roads, bridges and embankments.
Anger is palpable on TikTok, Facebook, and X, where citizens vent against lawmakers and construction tycoons who allegedly win contracts for ghost projects that never materialize. President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr himself acknowledged this as a continuing challenge on a visit to inspect a flood control dam that he found did not exist. The economic planning minister later stated that corruption had claimed 70% of public funds allocated for flood control.
Outraged Filipinos have also turned to social media to create viral content criticizing politicians, with many accusing the offspring of wealthy politicians of living lavish lifestyles while ordinary citizens suffer, dubbing them nepo babies.
Life continues under these extraordinarily challenging circumstances, with even resilient residents like Rhens Rafael Galang making businesses out of necessity. His entrepreneurial spirit encapsulates a growing demand for practical solutions in the face of governmental incompetence.
As the situation intensifies, an anti-corruption protest is scheduled for September 21, and with public sentiment rising, the administration is feeling the pressure to address the rampant corruption within flood control projects.
Moreover, as frustration boils, President Marcos Jr has promised an inquiry aimed at exposing the culprits behind the corruption, urging citizens to voice their grievances peacefully. However, how deeply this will affect change remains to be seen.
