DRIVING THOUGHTS
The heavy downpour started Saturday, sounding like the raging waters of a waterfall. It persisted through Sunday, becoming heavier and lasting longer, and continued into Monday. Flooding prompted many local governments, including those in Metro Manila, to suspend classes at all levels through Tuesday.
The onset of the habagat rains trapped many people at home over the weekend, largely because floodwaters had made roads impassable. On social media, the content reflected an angry public mood: What has happened to the investigations—and the promised punishment—of those involved in the questionable flood-control projects worth billions of pesos? Some were exposed as ghost projects, while others were discovered to be substandard and failed to perform their purpose when the rains came.
As Senator Bam Aquino reminded us Tuesday: “It has been more than a year since we called for an investigation into the government’s flood-control projects, but the issue remains unresolved. Until now, flooding continues to cause severe hardship to the public.”
On July 29, 2025, Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 28 calling for an investigation into the utilization of funds allocated for the country’s flood-control program. He said the government must account for the billions of pesos spent on these projects and provide the public with clear information on where the money went and how it was used.
Being confined at home gave us more time to watch social-media videos and news reports showing the miserable conditions in many flooded communities. These were not unfamiliar scenes. Once again, for four days, we watched our countrymen being evacuated or rescued, or wading through streets submerged in knee-deep to waist-deep water.
As of Aug. 10, at least 414 areas remained flooded across several regions because of the enhanced southwest monsoon. The Office of Civil Defense reported that Central Luzon had the largest number, with 227 flooded areas, followed by Calabarzon with 88, the Ilocos Region with 65, and Mimaropa with 34.
By Tuesday, Aug. 11, the human toll had become even more painful. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 19 deaths, 15 injuries, and four people missing. More than 2.27 million people had been affected, including nearly 95,000 who were staying in evacuation centers.
How tragic that flooding continues to bring so much suffering—and even death—to our communities.
The contrast is infuriating. While ordinary people fled their homes, waited for rescue, or struggled through filthy floodwaters, those who may have profited from ghost or substandard flood-control projects were presumably safe, dry, and warm in their homes in exclusive villages—perhaps even posting their own views on social media.
The people are angry as they watch floodwaters once again make roads impassable and force residents to move through their neighborhoods aboard bancas.
But how long will this anger last? Will it once again flare across social media, only to fade when the skies clear and the floodwaters recede?
And when the next heavy rain comes, will we merely ask the same questions all over again?
What must happen next is no longer another investigation that produces headlines but no consequences. Cases must be filed, those responsible must be prosecuted, stolen public funds must be recovered, and every flood-control contract—its cost, contractor, location, specifications, and actual state of completion—must be open to public scrutiny.
This is precisely what Senator Aquino’s proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability, or CADENA Act, seeks to accomplish: create a digital platform where citizens can trace government spending and examine contracts, project costs, and procurement records. The Senate has already approved the measure; the House of Representatives must now act on it.
Accountability must not recede with the floodwaters. Otherwise, when the rains return, so will the suffering, the anger, and the same unanswered questions.
Meanwhile, on a related note – it’s time to check your go-bags. Will you be ready for the next monsoon rains that will last for many days? Put more attention to including a small power source in that go-bag. When the electricity goes off, be ready with a power source to charge your phones, electric fans, and lights. Also include an extra liter of water, packs of crackers, and essential medicines. With the “habagat rains” and the solid waste disposal problem (the videos on garbage floating around the flooded areas tell of another serious problem) – being stranded at home will likely happen again soon. (Email: pinkycolmenares@yahoo.com)
