20/11/2025
Typhoons Turn Deadly as Flood Control Promises Wash Away
Hundreds of lives lost, thousands of residents displaced, and millions in economic damages — these are the horrific consequences of years of mismanagement, corruption, and inadequate infrastructure planning.
With the back-to-back onslaughts of Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) and Uwan (Fung-wong), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on November 17, 2025, a total of 297 deaths, 575 injured, and 115 missing people.
Every year, the Philippines endures brutal typhoons that bring unimaginable floods and destruction. These catastrophic outcomes are not inevitable; they can be mitigated through an effective flood control system underpinned by clear transparency, stricter oversight, and science-based planning.
But who pays the ultimate price of inaction? The Filipino people. Months have passed since the flood control scandal erupted, several public protests were launched, and yet up until now no one stands behind bars. No one has been held accountable.
Will the trillion-peso budget simply be washed away like the floodwater?
For many Filipinos, this tragedy is no longer about the floods but a call for justice.
The Philippines needs more than another pledge of resilience; it demands an effective government capable of building resilient infrastructures in the hopes of keeping its people safe before the next storm strikes.
Words by Dexter Amorao & Joanne Benitez | The Red Chronicles
Cartoon by Andrea Formalejo | The Red Chronicles
Layout by Lou Margaret Nebit | The Red Chronicles
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