10/10/2025
๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ก | Hide and Seek with DPWH Project Costs
By: Ariel De Vera
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ต๐ผ๐๐?
It could be a failed situationship, a broken friendship, or your untapped potential. Some might answer the question simply: โMy ghost is my tax.โ Hereโs why.
Who could forget the iconic DPWH tarpaulin? That bold white canvas of public transparency features the phrase, โThis is where your taxes go.โ We see it wherever government projects are underway. You might wonder why? Perhaps itโs their way of assuring Filipino citizens that our taxes are being spent properly. But look closer, and it feels more like an โin your faceโ statement, an obvious attempt to appease the public with empty rhetorical platitudes, meant to shut down questions about where the taxes actually go. Yet, these so-called transparency efforts can actually reveal corruption. One can spot inconsistencies through altered timelines, inflated costs, and shady expenses.
In one signage spotted in Valenzuela City, the project to rehabilitate a road and drainage system originally had a price tag of โฑ48,588,747.16. Guess what? That number seems to have been discreetly replaced with a sheet of bond paper bearing a new, more โreasonableโ figure of โฑ28,884,243.64. Surprise! What a bargain! Seems like the project went on sale! Who needs โฑ19 million anyway?
And just when you thought the numbers were the only thing ghosted, the original project completion date of November 15, 2025 has also been quietly bumped to February 2, 2026. Because whatโs a little delay just to show that the project is being โmeticulouslyโ constructed, right?
Apparently, all it takes is a printer, a bond paper, and some double-sided tape to revise the project and your budget. Now thatโs government efficiency, for sure. It even appears as if theyโre not trying to hide their corruption anymore.
โ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐
๐ฒ๐ ๐ด๐ผ. ๐๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐
๐ฒ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ผ๐๐! ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐บ๐๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป,โ said Khylla Meneses, Akbayan Youth Secretary-General and co-convenor of Youth Against Corruption. This statement has become a powerful tagline, not just for the youth, but for anyone demanding accountability. Whether done knowingly or unknowingly, these alterations or mistakes are a clear sign of corruption. It reveals more than just incompetent public servants misrepresenting project data. It points to a larger issue, that they are not afraid of the consequences because they are backed by many high-ranking officials.
๐ฆ๐ผ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐
๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ด๐ผ? On ghost projects. According to Rappler, this includes government projects that are non-existent, unfinished, or the use of substandard material.
Pangasinan, being one of the top provinces with the highest project cost according to Sumbong Pangulo, appeared prominently in reports with a staggering โฑ13.6 billion allocated for the said flood control projects. However, with floods still hitting hard and there is little to no visible improvements, the question, โwhere did all that money actually go?โ remains. Seeing these records now, itโs hard not to feel confused and frustrated, knowing that the services provided are nowhere near the amount weโre actually paying for.
Reports like this sparked public outrage with many Filipinos, joined by celebrities, demanding accountability, calling for the names of those involved, and for all of them to be jailed. Justice in the Philippines seems, as ever, beyond reach, with ill-gotten wealth piled in the offices and hidden in personal accounts, masked by the lavish lifestyle of corrupt families.
Whenever these issues are pointed out, officials quickly point fingers at each other but never take responsibility. No one steps up, and those who should enforce accountability are just as guilty. Take Alan Cayetanoโs infamous admission, โWeโre all guilty of vote-buying, cheating, stealing, and lyingโฆ Ang importante, repentance.โ Repentance alone can never fix systemic corruption. In fact, such a statement only conditions the public to lower expectations, and accept this kind of mindset from lawmakers, which is an alarming attitude that normalizes wrongdoing.
This way of thinking, where mistakes are shrugged off and excuses are made, doesnโt come from ordinary people. It comes from those in power. Taking note of what Theodore Roosevelt once said, โNo one is above the law, and no one is below it.โ We donโt need permission to ask everyone to do whatโs right.
What we really need are responsible leaders, leaders who wonโt just hold themselves accountable once something goes wrong, but actual leaders who wonโt think of anything evil that will put his people in jeopardy. Leaders who wonโt just say โsorryโ and move on. ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ โ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐โ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต, ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐. ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐.
There are indeed countless corrupt officials in this crooked system. But, change is possible if we actively demand justice. We shouldnโt limit ourselves to critiquing the system; activism for change isnโt an act of rebellion. Rather, itโs an action that informs and inspires us to work together for a cause. Historically and presently, activism has made significant contributions to the countryโs progress or to dismantling systems that donโt serve everyone.
Itโs not always easy to see things clearly or to question the system, but every chance to fix it, really matters. We have the chance to face these problemsโang multo ng mga mamamayang Pilipino. This isnโt the time to wait for justice. Itโs time to demand it.
Editor: Christine Joy Caoile, opinion and devcomm editor
Cartoon: Brena May Pangandian, cartoonist
