Corruption in our country is not just a political issue — it’s a daily burden that robs citizens of their rights, drains public resources, and erodes trust in institutions. A few make money dishonestly, while millions endure inadequate healthcare, dysfunctional educational systems, and limited opportunities. Being silence is not an option. It's time to hold people accountable, demand openness, and hold those who misuse their position of authority to account.

Manila has spent billions of dollars on flood mitigation projects, but few have been completed. Public outrage sparked by revelations on the country’s flood control budget and projects is not just understandable but justified, given the rotten system that has allowed corruption and incompetence to thrive for years, while Filipinos endured knee- to neck-deep floods every rainy season. Not only should contractors who embezzle public cash without carrying out their obligations be publicly condemned, but they should also face fines, blacklisting, and legal action. Similar consequences must be imposed on government officials who authorized, condoned, or neglected to oversee these initiatives. There is never just one side to corruption. Every contractor who embezzled public cash had a government counterpart who made it possible, whether through direct cooperation, incompetence, or carelessness.

We must demand that the investigations on this do not only identify and punish the culprits but also pave the way for systemic reforms. Unless we go beyond witch hunts and actually fix the broken system, we will be having this same conversation again in a few years – wondering why we’re still knee-deep in water and where our taxes went.

First is complete transparency: the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) must launch an open-access digital platform or website where every project is logged --- complete with contractor names, budgets, timelines, and progress reports verified by independent third-party inspectors. This way, the public can see the actual status of these projects – whether they are real or not.

Second, procurement reform. The competitive bidding method is obviously flawed, as only a small number of contractors are controlling nearly PHP100 billion worth of flood protection projects. Expanding and strengthening procurement is necessary to prevent questionable, inferior vendors from receiving contracts and to enable more reliable contractors to participate. Violations should be strictly enforced by blacklisting them.

Last is a call to rethink flood control. We can't just keep removing drains and constructing dikes. Flood management needs to be incorporated into urban planning and created holistically, taking into account long-term profitability, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability in addition to engineering standards.

Contractors who pocketed public funds must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But equally, systems must be reformed to ensure that such abuses do not happen again. Accountability without reform is hollow. Reform without accountability is meaningless.

At the end of the day, Filipinos are not demanding miracles. They are demanding results – and rightly so, because it is the people’s money they are plundering.