Systemic corruption in Philippine flood control projects has stolen billions from the public, enriching politicians and contractors while leaving communities defenseless against disasters. The unholy alliance of lawmakers, bureaucrats, auditors and construction firms operates with brazen impunity, manipulating budgets and delivering ghost projects instead of protection. This criminal enterprise has drained over 545 billion pesosover sincethe 2022years, with investigations revealing identical costs for different locations and 15 contractors seizing 20 percent of total funds while thousands of projects remain substandard or non-existent.