Posted on October 8, 2025
Since 2024, a series of allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and irregularities in government-funded flood management projects have been occurring in the Philippines under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos. The controversy centers on billions of pesos allocated for flood management initiatives, reports of “ghost” projects,[a] substandard construction, and the alleged cornering of contracts by a small group of favored contractors. In response, a series of protests against alleged corruption was conducted in commemoration of the 1972 declaration of martial law.[b]
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2025, President Marcos reported that his administration had implemented over 5,500 flood control projects and announced plans for at least ten large-scale projects amounting to more than ₱500 billion (US$10.15 billion) over the next 13 years.[2] The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) justified these projects as urgent measures to mitigate flooding, particularly in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, but admitted that poor waste management practices were aggravating the flooding problem.[3]
Marcos later vetoed ₱16.7 billion (US$339.09 million) worth of flood control projects included in the 2025 national budget, citing redundancy and improper project placement.[4]
