A Study for Government Ghost Project in the Philippines

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Ghost Flood Control Projects in the Philippines: Anatomy of Corruption and Pathways to Reform  

An Academic Essay in Actionable Parlay 


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Introduction: The Specter Beneath the Waters 


In a nation perennially battered by typhoons and monsoon rains, flood control infrastructure should be a lifeline. Yet in the Philippines, it has become a graveyard of ghost projects—phantom constructions that exist only on paper, siphoning billions from public coffers while leaving communities submerged in literal and figurative deluge. Between 2023 and 2025, the Department of Finance estimated that corruption in flood control projects cost the economy up to ₱118.5 billion, robbing Filipinos of over 200,000 potential jobs and stalling GDP growth. This essay interrogates the anatomy of these ghost projects, the systemic collusion that enables them, and proposes actionable reforms to dismantle the machinery of graft. 


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The Political Economy of Kickbacks 


At the heart of the ghost project epidemic lies a transactional logic: flood control allocations are not merely technical responses to climate vulnerability—they are political currencies. Each congressional district is reportedly assigned 100-200 flood control projects, many of which are redundant, misallocated, or entirely fictitious. The underlying motive? Kickbacks. 


Kickbacks, often verbally promised and delivered through bagmen, are informal percentages guaranteed to project proponents—typically legislators or local officials. These are not isolated incidents but systemic arrangements involving the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), House Representatives, city engineering departments, and Commission on Audit (COA) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) have begun probing these networks, revealing uniform pricing, undeclared incomes, and unfinished works across provinces. 


The breakdown is staggering: over ₱4 billion wasted across districts, with some contractors like Wawao Builders receiving ₱9 billion in contracts despite multiple flagged anomalies. The DPWH admitted that many projects in Bulacan were "ghosts," with construction either delayed or nonexistent. These revelations underscore a deeper malaise—flood control has become a conduit for rent-seeking, not resilience. 


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Budgetary Bloat and Misplaced Priorities 


The National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026 earmarked ₱545 billion for flood control, yet over ₱100 billion went to just 15 contractors. This concentration of funds, coupled with vague project descriptions and identical contract prices, suggests deliberate obfuscation. Senators have flagged duplicate entries and called for a return of the DPWH budget for revision. 


The problem is not merely fiscal—it is ethical. When flood control fails, it is not the bagmen or congressmen who suffer, but ordinary Filipinos wading through knee-deep waters, losing homes, livelihoods, and lives. The recent floods displaced over 300,000 people and damaged thousands of homes. The irony is cruel: billions spent, yet the country remains underwater. 


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Accountability Begins with Transparency 


To safeguard every peso, transparency must be institutionalized. This begins with granular budget breakdowns per district, publicly accessible through platforms like “Sombong sa Pangulo,” which received over 1,100 complaints in its first three days. Each Congressman must be held accountable for the projects in their jurisdiction, with mandatory disclosures of project status, contractor details, and fund utilization. 


Moreover, the promise of lump-sum percentages must be criminalized. These verbal kickbacks—often untraceable—should be treated as economic sabotage. Bagmen must be prosecuted, and whistleblower protections strengthened to encourage internal disclosures. 


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Structural Reforms in Procurement and Oversight 


To lessen corruption in infrastructure procurement, the following reforms are proposed: 


- Reduce GAA-Based Infra Budgets: Limit the General Appropriations Act (GAA) allocations for flood control and shift to Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding. Let donor countries manage project implementation, ensuring third-party oversight and minimizing local collusion. 


- No Bribery Covenant: All parties—contractors, officials, legislators—must sign a legally binding No Bribery Covenant. Violations should trigger automatic disqualification from future bids and criminal prosecution. 


- Independent Project Management: Establish an autonomous Flood Control Commission with technical experts, civil society representatives, and international monitors to oversee planning, bidding, and execution. 


- Digital Procurement Platforms: Mandate e-bidding and blockchain-based tracking of fund disbursements to ensure traceability and tamper-proof records. 


- COA and BIR Integration: Synchronize audits and tax compliance checks to detect discrepancies between declared incomes and project awards. 


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The Controversial Edge: Reimposing the Death Penalty 


Among the more radical proposals is the reimposition of the death penalty for large-scale corruption. While this raises ethical and legal debates, proponents argue that the scale of graft—amounting to billions and costing lives—warrants severe deterrents. If corruption in flood control is tantamount to economic sabotage and indirect homicide, should it not be treated with the gravity it deserves? 


This essay does not endorse punitive populism but acknowledges the urgency of deterrence. Whether through life imprisonment, asset forfeiture, or capital punishment, the message must be unequivocal: corruption kills, and justice must be swift. 


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Toward a Golden PH: Reclaiming Public Trust 


The Philippines stands at a crossroads. It can continue to drown in ghost projects and bureaucratic complicity, or it can rise—stronger, cleaner, and more accountable. The path forward demands courage: from citizens who report anomalies, from legislators who refuse kickbacks, and from institutions that choose integrity over inertia. 


Flood control should not be a metaphor for corruption. It should be a testament to resilience, planning, and care. Let us build not just dikes and drainage, but a culture of transparency. Let every peso spent be a promise kept. #StrongerPH #GoldenPH 


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Amiel Gerald Roldan

September 5, 2025



I'm trying to complement my writings with helpful inputs from AI through writing. 

I'm trying to complement my writings with helpful inputs from AI through writing. Bear with me as I am treating this blog www.amielroldan.blogspot.com as repositories, drafts and my journals.  



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amiel_roldan@outlook.com




If you like my concept research, writing explorations, 

and/or simple writings please support me by sending 


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