Death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi rises to 114; corruption in flood-control projects blamed for devastation
MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Kalmaegi, the deadliest storm to hit the Philippines this year, has claimed at least 114 lives and left 127 others missing after triggering massive floods and landslides across Cebu and nearby provinces, authorities reported on Friday, November 7.
The typhoon’s torrential rains inundated entire communities, washed away bridges, and displaced tens of thousands of residents. Search and rescue operations continue in remote mountain areas, where access remains cut off by landslides and collapsed infrastructure.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of national calamity, enabling the government to hasten relief and rehabilitation efforts. He is expected to visit Cebu on Friday to inspect the scale of the devastation.
But the disaster has also reignited public anger over alleged corruption in multibillion-peso flood-control projects, which many claim worsened the destruction. Civil society groups and local leaders said years of mismanagement and substandard infrastructure turned what should have been manageable flooding into a humanitarian crisis.
“Billions have been poured into flood-control systems, yet people are dying in the same areas every year,” said a Cebu-based environmental advocate. “This isn’t just a natural disaster—it’s a governance disaster.”
‘₱26 billion in funds, yet Cebu is underwater’
Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro described the deluge as the province’s “worst flash flood in history,” affecting over 35 municipalities. She said the floods rose so quickly that residents had no time to flee.
“₱26 billion of flood-control funds for Cebu, yet we are flooded to the max,” Baricuatro wrote in a Facebook post. She added that her administration has uncovered “ghost” and “substandard” flood projects across the province.
Government records show that between 2016 and 2025, more than 500 flood-control projects were built in Cebu alone. However, many of these projects are now under scrutiny amid reports that some were either unfinished, poorly constructed, or completely non-existent.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and several lawmakers have been implicated in what watchdogs call the “flood fund scam,” one of the biggest corruption controversies to hound the Marcos administration.
Calls for accountability
The Palace has vowed a full investigation into the alleged misuse of funds. A commission created in September to probe flood-control anomalies recently recommended filing charges against a former public works undersecretary, two senators, and several former lawmakers.
Despite these findings, no one has been jailed—further fueling public frustration.
“The public really needs to see someone be put in jail,” Jean Franco, political science professor at the University of the Philippines, in an interview with TIME said. “People want accountability not just from contractors or DPWH officials but from politicians themselves.”
Newly appointed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has pledged to clean up the agency, promising that “someone will be jailed by Christmas.” But civil society groups remain skeptical, calling the probe a “plunderer’s laundromat.”
Facing another storm
As rescue teams continue to recover bodies from submerged villages, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that another supertyphoon could enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility within days.
For many Filipinos, the recurring devastation from floods and typhoons is no longer just a story of climate vulnerability—but a symbol of how corruption and weak governance continue to cost lives.
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