23/09/2025
As you are all well aware, the hunger games in Congress have just only begun. The flood control scandal is but the tip of the iceberg.
Consider this:
For flood control projects, Filipino taxpayers spend about PHP 150,000 to 200,000 per linear meter.
For bridges we spend about PHP 2 Million to 3 Million per linear meter. Looks almost reasonable. Sort of, I will leave it to an engineer to tell me otherwise.
For traffic engineering (e.g., traffic lights), we spend about PHP 10,000 to 130,000 per linear meter. A rather long and wide price spectrum, isn't it?
The big kahuna: Road Construction/Renovation and Slope Control (all lumped together) cost taxpayers anywhere between PHP 500 Thousand and 1.3 Million per meter. Yes, this means a kilometer-wide road will cost us over a Billion Pesos! Back in 2010, 1 kilometer would have cost us between PHP 30 Million and 50 Million. How far inflation goes!
So the flood controls are just the beginning! It is just a matter of time before some investigative journalist or a maverick politician will commence the investigation of ALL infrastructure projects. Almost no politician will be spared.
(Data gathered was taken from general contractors, whose names are withheld for security reasons)
