President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. opened his fourth State of the Nation Address with a direct, stinging message to government officials and contractors behind failed infrastructure.
He told the nation he had seen with his own eyes how many flood control projects either collapsed or never existed in the first place. Without mincing words, he called on corrupt public servants to feel shame. His frustration was visible. He said several of these projects were nothing but fantasies, existing only on paper.
To stop this from ever happening again, he announced a three-step order that would shake the Department of Public Works and Highways to its core. First, he directed the DPWH to immediately submit a complete list of all flood control projects started or completed in the last three years from every region.
Then, he instructed the Regional Project Monitoring Committees to inspect and verify these projects. They must identify which ones failed, which remain unfinished, and which appear to be ghost projects.
Finally, he announced that the verified list will be made public. Citizens will be encouraged to scrutinize the data and share what they know to help the investigation. He stressed that anyone found guilty—whether government official or private contractor—will face charges.
Public accountability and citizen participation
Marcos made it clear that this investigation is not just internal. By releasing the complete list of projects to the public, the administration is inviting every Filipino to take part in uncovering the truth. Transparency, he said, is essential to ending the cycle of corruption in infrastructure programs.
The promise to prosecute both officials and private contractors signals that the president is ready to take on powerful players. Billions of pesos have been allocated for flood control over the years, yet large areas continue to suffer from unmitigated flooding. Teachers, residents, and businesses have been pleading for accountability. Marcos said that this time, the people will see real action.
Flood control failures spark national outrage
Recent typhoons and moderate rains have caused widespread flooding in urban and rural areas, disrupting classes, damaging homes, and straining local government units. Critics have slammed the administration for allowing this to continue despite massive DPWH budgets annually allotted for disaster risk reduction and climate resiliency.
Jaja has a degree in journalism and took classes in international law and business communication. Her career spans roles at prominent international media outlets, including International Business Times, Celebeat and Delightful Philippines. As a news editor, Jaja covered a wide range of beats, including legal, business, economy, cryptocurrency, personal finance, gaming, technology, and entertainment.