In a statement, the advocacy group for a zero waste and toxics-free society denounced the large-scale misuse of public funds for climate-tagged and flood control projects, saying corruption strips communities of much-needed protection from disasters and undermines the country’s response to the escalating climate crisis.
“Every peso lost to corruption is a peso stolen from Filipinos whose lives and livelihoods are on the frontline of climate impacts,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition. “Corruption is not only a betrayal of public trust, but a death sentence for the present and future generations. Instead of strengthening resilience and ecological protection, corruption aggravates people’s vulnerability to floods, pollution, and other environmental risks.”
Recent reports estimate that ₱1.089 trillion in climate-tagged expenditures may have been lost to corruption since 2023, including about ₱560 billion in 2025 alone. In addition, ₱545 billion invested in flood control projects since 2022 has been flagged for irregularities, substandard delivery, or possible “ghost” projects. These alarming figures point to systemic corruption in climate and infrastructure spending that deprives Filipinos of urgently needed protection and resilience.
The EcoWaste Coalition emphasized that this corruption crisis highlights the dangers of prioritizing large-scale, contractor-driven projects over community-based, nature-inspired, and zero waste solutions that deliver real benefits to people and the environment.
“Funds that should have been used for essential flood prevention and control plans and for community-led disaster preparedness, environmental protection and zero waste programs are instead being siphoned off by well-entrenched corruption,” Lucero added. “This is unacceptable. People are left defenseless against floods and other climate disasters, while the pockets of corrupt officials and their cohorts get fatter.”
The EcoWaste Coalition urged the Philippine government to:
- Hold accountable public officials and private contractors implicated in corruption cases, ensuring the thieves are jailed and the stolen funds recovered;
- Safeguard climate and environmental funds through a transparency mechanism that allows citizens’ participation, monitoring, and scrutiny;
- Prioritize people-centered, nature-based, and zero waste solutions instead of relying solely on costly infrastructure; and
- Strengthen democratic governance and public access to information to ensure accountability at all levels.
The group also underscored that the fight against corruption is inextricably linked to the fight for environmental and climate justice.
