Flooding in Sorsogon: An Environmental Crisis Rooted in Corruption
Flooding is one of the most persistent and destructive issues in the Philippines, particularly in
provinces such as Sorsogon. Each year, heavy rainfall and powerful typhoons wreak havoc on
communities, destroying homes, displacing families, and interrupting economic activities. While the
dominant narrative tends to quote environmental destruction by deforestation, inadequate waste
disposal, and the general effects of climate change as the root cause, deeper examination suggests that
something much more heinous is at play under these floods, corruption. Mismanagement of
infrastructure funds is one of the most evident examples of corruption.
Each year, billions of pesos are spent by the government on flood control projects such as
drainage system construction, floodway construction, and road upgrading. Yet these projects are often
plagued by massive delays, shoddy construction, or outright abandonment because of corruption—
where kickbacks, bribery, and political patronage distort the awarding of contracts. For instance, a
crucial ₱120-million flood control project in Puerto Princesa was red-flagged by the Commission on
Audit (COA) for excessive delays and anomalies in its implementation (Philippine Center for Investigative
Journalism [PCIJ], 2025). While this incident occurred beyond Sorsogon, these same problems have been
widely reported nationwide. In Sorsogon, incomplete and poorly kept flood control facilities directly
make people vulnerable when nature strikes. Typhoon Kristine, which hit in October 2024, is an extreme
case in point of these failures.
The typhoon had widespread flooding throughout the Bicol region, swallowing up entire rural
barangays and necessitating a mass evacuation of residents. Improper infrastructure constructed on
misappropriated funds left the government with no choice but to fail at a quick and effective response,
leaving communities on their own in the crisis. This accident not only indicates the material impacts of
corruption on project management but also the larger failure of national and local authorities to provide
the safety and security of their people. Corruption is also the foundation for weak enforcement of
environmental law.
It is well known that regions such as Sorsogon depend on natural buffers such as forests,
mangroves, and watersheds to reduce flood impacts by soaking up rainwater and shielding storm
surges. Yet, environmental degradation is widespread owing to a measure of corrupt acts which enable
illegal logging, unplanned land conversion, and poorly planned construction activities. Countless reports
have identified corruption in permitting processes and lax enforcement of environmental policies as key
factors causing deforestation and unsustainable land management practices. These activities in
Sorsogon have degraded the natural ability of the environment to recover from rainfall and has
escalated the frequency and severity of flooding. In addition, disaster risk management in the country
has been impacted negatively by diversion and misappropriation of funds meant for emergency
preparedness and response.
Government resources allocated for setting up early warning systems, building evacuation
facilities, and conducting relief operations are always misdirected or left unused. In 2014, PCIJ
investigated the inconsistencies in the use of calamity funds, citing that money was frequently diverted
or lost through bureaucratic inefficiency, and as a result, affected communities are not properly assisted
during disasters (PCIJ, 2014). In Sorsogon, people have consistently complained about delayed
responses and inadequate assistance during flooding incidents. These failures are not just logistical
errors; they are manifestations of a tainted system where political self-interest is placed above public
welfare, and as a result, disaster preparedness is ineffectual. Growing up in Sorsogon my whole life,
residing in the municipality of Bulan, I have seen firsthand the fruits of poor governance, especially
regarding flooding.
When I was younger, I didn't know that there was more to it. Like a lot of people, I believed that
flooding was just the way of nature, brought about by heavy rains and the location we were in. But
growing up, I realized there was another more disturbing truth: our town's frequent floods are not only
the product of natural causes, but also of the country's corruption and government negligence. Year
after year, I watched as streets were flooded and homes suffered damage, yet officials made little to no
visible effort to invest in proper drainage systems or long-term flood control infrastructure. It painfully
became evident that the ruling class was not serving the welfare of Bulan's inhabitants. Instead of
addressing our community’s vulnerability, they failed to allocate sufficient resources and funding to
mitigate the damage, leaving us to suffer the consequences in silence.
In Sorsogon, some believe that natural landscapes and pronounced climate change effects
should guarantee floods as a way of life. Geography and adverse weather may be contributory factors;
however, human actions., make these risks worse. Governments anywhere without corruption have
been able to implement sustainable measures to avert such flooding and adapt to changing climate
conditions. The main issue in Sorsogon is not just the typhoons or floods, that is the realm of leadership
and governance and their inability to manage and use the resources they have.
The corrupt practices do far more than the economic destruction that the storms cause. It
erodes public confidence in the government's ability to mitigate disasters, and weakens institutions that
are established to protect and serve the people. The ramifications of any poorly implemented or
incompletely executed flood prevention or environmental protection infrastructure programs come
down very hard on the citizens themselves, particularly those from poorer sectors. Recovery becomes all
the more expensive and arduous, creating a diabolical cycle whereby every disaster becomes an outlet
for local government funds for poverty creation and inequality growth.
To address flooding in Sorsogon, we must address its parent, the corruption issue. We must
demand an accounting from public officials for the spending they do; ensure that there is full
transparency in bids for infrastructure projects; and environmental regulations must not just stay on
paper but be enforced. Though a lot can be done in the way of reforestation and waste management, it
would amount to nothing if government will not use its resources frankly. Only by removing corruption
would Sorsogon able to implement disaster response systems and climate resilience that genuinely
protect its people.
Flooding in Sorsogon is really a political challenge stemming from longtime corruption. Bad
governance in infrastructure projects, weak environmental enforcement, and inefficient disaster relief
worsen the unending crisis even more. Real change will require serious reforms and honest leadership
to be backed by the social pressure from the people. It is imperative that we demand this from our
leaders to avoid more suffering. Only then will public welfare surpass political interest.
References
Mangahas, M., Caronan, R. F., Mangahas, M., & Caronan, R. F. (2015, January 15). A lot of
money, impact too little too late. PCIJ.org. https://pcij.org/2015/01/15/a-lot-of-money-
impact-too-little-too-late/
Journalism, P. C. F. I., & Journalism, P. C. F. I. (2025, February 25). COA flagged delays in Puerto
Princesa’s P120M flood control project — then the floods came. PCIJ.org.
https://pcij.org/2025/02/18/coa-flag-delay-puerto-princesa-flood-control-project-then-
floods-came/
Pulhin, J. M., Cruz, R. V., Tapia, M. A., & Dizon, J. T. (2014). Philippine forest cover and the
challenges of sustainable forest management. Ecosystems & Development Journal, 4(2),
46–56. https://ovcre.uplb.edu.ph/journals-uplb/index.php/EDJ/article/view/948
