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‘We all have the right to be cynical, but we also have a part to play in this push for accountability’
Hello!
In the days after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s promise to investigate corruption in flood control projects nationwide, we’ve heard these pronouncements from our leaders:
- The House of Representatives, led by Marcos’ cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez, began its formal review of flood control programs on August 4. The chamber’s public accounts committee has directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit a list of all such projects.
- Senate President Francis Escudero, a day after the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), said he would push for a law that would bar relatives to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity of any lawmaker or government official from being a government contractor. He promised to include this proposed bill in the agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
- Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan welcomed the investigation, saying the department would comply. But Negros Occidental Representative Albee Benitez called on Bonoan to take a leave of absence while the audit is taking place, saying the “implementor should not be the evaluator.” (READ: [In This Economy] We’re deluged with flood control projects, yet Filipinos are still drowning)
- Elsewhere in the executive branch, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan revived a longstanding call for a unified flood masterplan.
The officials have responded in varying degrees of commitment. But what will ordinary citizens’ response be? In the minutes after Marcos’ “mahiya naman kayo” (shame on you) remark in the SONA, Filipinos predictably reacted with memes and throwback posts about the Marcoses’ own ill-gotten wealth and ill-fated public works projects.
We all have the right to be cynical, but we also have a part to play in this push for accountability. Wittingly or not, Marcos has also thrown the ball in the court of citizens. He promised the publication of the investigation results. He promised transparency. We expect to see a list of subpar contractors, reasons for failures of flood control projects, and the government offices or officials involved in these projects.
We don’t have to wait for the weeks, months, or years this investigation will take. Many of us live with these flood control projects. We pass by the construction sites. We endure the floods that happen despite these projects. We can be the eyes and ears of anyone who wants to hold corrupt contractors and public officials accountable for our community’s failed flood management.
Rappler wants to work with citizens to do just this. Our new Liveable Cities reporting and engagement team will be closely monitoring the Marcos administration’s investigation and conducting our own independent probe. You can be part of this by telling us about your city’s, town’s, or province’s flood control projects.
Share with us your experiences and your assessment of these projects. Did they alleviate flooding in your area, or worsen it? Is construction taking too long? Are there red flags that make you think something anomalous is going on? In what other ways did they impact your community?
We’ve created a dedicated chat room for collecting your anecdotes and reports: the FloodControlPH chat room. This chat room will serve as a mail box for anything you want to say, or report, about flood control projects in your area.
To help us in this reporting project, please ensure that your messages to the chat room contain the following:
- Location of the flood control project
- Your firsthand experience, be as detailed and specific as possible (please don’t share secondhand information, or the experience of others)
- Relevant photos with date, time, exact location, and description
Stay in the chat room so we can tag you for follow-up questions! We’ll also send updates about our flood control reporting project to the chat room.
If enough people report, we would be able to give a comprehensive citizens’ account of the flood control projects that could supplement or challenge whatever the government comes up with. This helps us keep the government accountable, and on their toes.
Join this crowdsourcing project either as an individual or as part of a group. As an individual, you can send reports on your own. But you can also ask your barkada to pitch in, or assign your class to do it as a group project, or your fellow student journalists to contribute. If your organization decides to help out, let us know so we can cite your efforts!
The best way to monitor progress on this project is by downloading the Rappler app. It’s crowdsourcing initiatives and breaking news in your pocket. If your friends need a guide to the app, we’ve made this one for you to share.
Hope to see you in the FloodControlPH chat room!
What’s cooking?
I’m excited to announce Rappler’s 2025 roadshow, “#AmbagNatin: Engage for Change”! Our first stop is Zamboanga City. Save the date: September 3 to 6, 2025, hosted by our partner, Ateneo de Zamboanga University. There will be a public forum about the top concerns of Zamboangeños in terms of quality of life. We’re also giving community journalism and civic engagement workshops to select Zamboangeño youths interested in becoming Movers. You can’t engage for change on an empty stomach. Mang Inasal, our major sponsor for the roadshow, is providing food!
– Rappler.com
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