“Maraming opisyales ang nagsasabi na may proyekto silang ginagawa ngunit wala naman kaming nakikita.” (“Many officials say they have projects, but we don’t see anything.”)\
“Hindi naman nila pera yun eh, pera yun ng mga tao at dapat ilaan yun para sa taong bayan. Kasi public yan dapat hindi yan tinatago.” (“That’s not their money, it’s the people’s money, and it should be allocated for the public. Because it’s public, it should not be hidden.”)
“‘Wag sanang galawin ang perang dapat sa mga tao, sana wala nang kurapsyon at dapat may transparency.” (“They should not take money meant for the people. We hope there will be no more corruption and that there will be transparency.”)
- Quotes from focus group discussions facilitated by CRC Coalition and Save the Children Philippines on public spending for children
We, the members of the Civil Society Coalition on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC Coalition), are deeply saddened and outraged by the recent reports of massive corruption in flood control projects across the country involving billions of public funds. These funds, which could have been used to finance essential programs and services for children's welfare, such as education, healthcare, and nutrition, have instead been lost to greed.
Corruption in projects like these is a direct assault on children’s rights and well-being. Children are the ones most severely affected by flooding. Their homes are destroyed, their classrooms are submerged, and their access to essential services is disrupted.
Studies show flooding-related displacement puts children at risk of poor health, disrupted schooling, and safety and protection concerns while in evacuation centers, temporary shelters, or staying with relatives or neighbors. These risks are even greater for the very young, girls,Indigenous children, children with disabilities, and those with diverse identities.
Based on official data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, an estimated four million children in 9,984 barangays in all regions across the country were affected, mostly by severe flooding due to the combined effects of Tropical Storms Crising, Dante, and Emong, and the enhanced southwest monsoon in late July 2025.
About 400,000 children, nearly 10 percent of the total, were affected in Bulacan, the province the report identifies as having the highest number of affected persons. Incidentally, it is also the province with the most Department of Public Works and Highways flood control projects since 2022. At least four children were reported to have died due to drowning in flood waters, overflowing rivers, and canals. Children, too, were among those awaiting treatment for leptospirosis in crowded hospitals.
Three days after the onslaught of the three consecutive cyclones and monsoon rains, the Department of Education reported almost half a million learners were affected, 1,457 classrooms destroyed, and 263 schools doubled as evacuation centers. Classes were suspended for up to a week in many areas.
Inside overcrowded evacuation centers, children face a lack of privacy and no child-friendly spaces. They face heightened risks of gender-based violence, psychosocial distress, and illnesses such as diarrhea, skin infections, and flu-like symptoms.
Weeks after the devastations, several low-lying areas in parts of the country, including Bulacan, remain submerged—not from new typhoons, but from persistent tidal flooding.
Families are trapped in a cycle of displacement and return.
Children Speak Up on Corruption
Children are very much aware of corruption happening in their communities. In several consultations, children point to corruption as the main reason why there are no available programs and services that will address their priority concerns.
To curb corruption, children urge the government to recover public funds pocketed by corrupt officials and redirect them to services for children, poverty alleviation, and disaster risk reduction and programs.
Children call on government officials to not steal or misuse public funds. “Government officials should make decisions for the people’s benefit and not for personal or political gains,” they said.
They stressed that public spending should be transparent, serve the people’s interests, and be felt in their daily lives.
A Call for Accountability and Transparency
The CRC Coalition demands immediate and decisive action. There must be a full, impartial and transparent investigation into the corruption in these flood control projects, led by an independent body.
We call on the government to hold corrupt public officials and contractors accountable, and to file appropriate criminal and administrative cases against all those found guilty. The misuse of public funds is not a victimless crime; its victims are the most vulnerable, especially children.
We call for a complete overhaul of the budgeting and implementation processes, especially for public works. Implementing agencies must allocate sufficient funds to ensure quality infrastructure projects and service delivery. This can be achieved by eliminating shortcuts and penny-pinching that result in substandard or no work at all, adopting fair and transparent bidding and awarding processes, and adhering to strict quality standards.
There must be genuine participation and transparency, allowing citizens, including children, to have a say on how public money is spent, to gain access to information on the status of projects, and to participate in the monitoring and evaluation of government projects.
We support the call of civil society for government to open budget processes, including congressional hearings, to genuine and meaningful participation of CSOs and grassroots groups, children’s organizations, ensuring a safe space for Filipinos to raise their concerns.
Citizens’ voices and perspectives are crucial in ensuring that projects are truly effective and responsive to the needs of families and communities.
We stand in solidarity with all Filipino children and their families in the call for justice and accountability, and for government leaders to put children’s best interests, not their own personal and political gains, at the center of governance.
All government officials should demonstrate honesty and integrity and serve as good role models for our future leaders. Mahiya naman kayo sa mga bata.