Source: Al Jazeera
On Nov. 10, super typhoon Fung-wong killed 224 lives and left 135 people missing in the Philippines. This year alone, the country has faced a turbulent and unpredictable climate with multiple typhoons, monsoon floods, and landslides devastating several provinces; unfortunately, it’s only getting dire due to climate change, global warming, and corruption.
To make matters worse, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto recently claimed that up to ₱118.5 billion ($2 billion) intended for flood control projects may have been lost due to corruption. Moreover, several projects were discovered to either be non-existent or poorly managed and the owners of these contracted firms seem to be obtaining a substantial amount of wealth.
A major focus of public anger has been the Discaya couple — Pacifico “Curlee” II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya — who operate several construction firms that have secured ₱78 billion-worth of government projects since 2016. Despite the massive volume of contracts, many of their supposed flood control projects remain unfinished, substandard, or entirely unverifiable. Investigations allege that the couple delivered around ₱1 billion to a single government official, along with other suspicious financial activities.
Ultimately, citizens are frustrated and angry because of the government’s negligence and greed, leading to numerous protests nation-wide. The Discaya couple is one out of the many examples of inequity and systemic failure: while the couple reportedly owns cars worth ₱277.25 million, more than 1.4 million Filipinos were recently displaced by the recent typhoon.
Beyond material damage, the emotional toll is heavy: farmers lose their crops, families lose their homes, and students lose months of learning to flooded classrooms. If billions of pesos intended for protection were stolen or wasted, accountability cannot be optional and must be demanded. The Philippines cannot continue to treat climate disasters and corruption as separate issues; lives depend on fixing both. For countless Filipinos, the corruption surrounding flood control projects feels not just like a betrayal of public funds, but a betrayal of their right to basic safety and dignity.