Flood Projects Are for Safety, Not Self-Interest

By Sherman Calotes | Philippine People's Press 

Every rainy season, the same story repeats itself across the Philippines: submerged streets, stranded commuters, homes damaged, and livelihoods disrupted. Billions of pesos are poured into flood control projects year after year, yet the country continues to drown literally and figuratively in the same cycle. This raises an uncomfortable question: are our flood control projects genuine solutions, or are they just expensive band-aids?

On paper, these projects sound impressive dikes, pumping stations, drainage systems, and floodways designed to protect urban centers and rural communities alike. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) often headlines multi-billion peso projects Across Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cagayan, Visayas and Mindanao. Yet, many Filipinos remain skeptical. Why? Because despite massive spending, floodwaters still overwhelm our cities after just a few hours of heavy rainfall.

The truth is, flood control is not just an engineering problem it’s a governance problem. Corruption and political interference plague infrastructure projects. Too often, politicians themselves act as contractors directly or through dummy corporations competing for public works projects in their own jurisdictions. This creates a conflict of interest: how can a public official ensure proper oversight when they are also profiting from the contracts?

Fortunately, the law is clear on this matter. Section 89 of the Local Government Code (Republic Act 7160) prohibits local officials from having a financial interest in any business or contract with the government within their jurisdiction. The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) likewise forbids public officers from directly or indirectly participating in government contracts. In short, politicians are not supposed to be contractors. Yet loopholes, weak enforcement, and political influence often allow these practices to continue unchecked.

Another factor often overlooked is environmental degradation. Deforestation in the uplands, quarrying near rivers, and reclamation projects in coastal areas all worsen flooding. Even the most sophisticated flood control infrastructure will fail if watersheds are stripped bare and wetlands, which naturally absorb floodwaters, are destroyed.

This is not to say flood control projects are useless they are necessary. But they must be implemented with transparency, strict accountability, and free from political profiteering. Infrastructure should go hand in hand with strict zoning laws, reforestation programs, solid waste management, and climate adaptation measures.

At the end of the day, Filipinos deserve more than temporary relief. If flood control projects continue to be used as political cash cows, then they become monuments of wasted money. What the country needs is not just more concrete, but more foresight, stronger laws, and leaders who respect the line between governance and business.

Flooding is not inevitable; it is a problem we can manage. But only if our leaders stop dipping their hands into the projects meant to save lives, and start treating flood control as a matter of national survival not political profit.

Philippine People's Press | In Truth We Prevail