When the government announced massive spending on flood control projects, many Filipinos hoped this would finally ease the constant problem of flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. But instead of solutions, what we got was an investigation into alleged corruption and misuse of funds.
Billions of pesos meant for infrastructure were reportedly lost to overpricing, ghost projects, and questionable bidding practices. And while the Senate, COA, and NBI continue to probe the matter, one painful reality remains: this is taxpayers’ money—our money—that could’ve been used to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos.
How Much Money Are We Talking About?
The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged billions of pesos worth of flood control projects with irregularities. To put this into perspective, let’s do a quick breakdown:
- ₱1 billion wasted = could have funded around 50,000 Pag-IBIG affordable housing loans (assuming ₱200,000 per borrower).
- ₱5 billion wasted = could have covered the monthly pensions of 500,000 SSS retirees for an entire year.
- ₱10 billion wasted = could have been invested in Retail Treasury Bonds (RTBs), paying interest to thousands of Filipino investors instead of lining the pockets of corrupt officials.
When you see it in numbers like this, it hurts more. It’s not just “government money” lost—it’s opportunity lost for every Filipino.
Why This Matters for Your Wallet
Flood control corruption might sound like a distant “political issue,” but in reality, it affects your personal finances in three ways:
- Higher Taxes – The government will always find ways to recover wasted funds. And who pays? Us—through VAT, excise taxes, and other everyday levies.
- Fewer Benefits – Money wasted on corruption means fewer funds for SSS benefits, Pag-IBIG housing programs, or better public healthcare.
- Lost Investments – If these billions had been funneled into government bonds like RTBs, small investors could have earned safe and steady returns.
What Ordinary Filipinos Can Do
We can’t directly stop corruption, but we can take steps to protect and grow our own money despite it:
- Diversify your savings – Don’t rely only on government benefits. Explore Pag-IBIG MP2, RTBs, or digital banks with high interest rates.
- Stay informed – The more you understand how public funds are managed, the more pressure you can apply on government agencies to stay accountable.
- Vote wisely – Corruption thrives when leaders are not held accountable. Your vote is still one of your strongest financial tools.
Blogger’s Corner
Corruption isn’t just numbers on paper — it’s billions wasted that could’ve changed lives. Imagine if the money lost in these flood control anomalies were instead invested in Pag-IBIG housing loans. Thousands of Filipino families could’ve had their own homes. Or kung sa SSS sana napunta, baka mas malaki ang natatanggap na pension ng mga lolo’t lola natin.
Nakakagalit, diba? Instead of solving problems, pera natin napupunta sa bulsa ng iilan. And in the end, tayo pa rin ang talo — the ordinary Filipino who struggles every day with high prices, low wages, and limited benefits.
Here’s the painful truth: corruption makes us all poorer. Kaya kung hindi natin kayang pigilan ang mga nasa taas, ang pwede lang natin gawin is take control of what we can. Save, invest wisely, and never rely on the government alone to secure your financial future.