HANDING over flood control projects to the private sector is the only effective way to address the Philippines’ chronic flooding crisis and curb rampant corruption, according to former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) chairman Greco Belgica.
Belgica, who served under former President Rodrigo Duterte, stated that current government efforts under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will yield little progress as heavy rains continue to submerge roads, homes, schools, and business establishments.
According to Belgica, decades of government-led flood control initiatives have failed due to poor implementation, deteriorating infrastructure, and entrenched corruption that wastes billions of taxpayers’ money without delivering results.
“No matter how many exposés and criticisms we make to stop corruption in flood control projects and in government, nothing seems to change. It all falls on deaf ears,” Belgica said. He argued that as long as state agencies manage these developments, systemic corruption will continue to undermine their execution.
To fix the crisis, Belgica proposed shifting the responsibility and financial investment entirely to private investors, with the government offering strategic incentives to ensure a reasonable return on investment.
“The best solution is to let the private sector handle flood control projects. Let them solve the problem and shoulder the investments,” he urged.
Belgica pointed out that private developers naturally utilize state-of-the-art technologies and superior engineering standards to protect their own capital.
As evidence, he highlighted major commercial hubs like Bonifacio Global City, the Makati Central Business District, Ortigas Center, and various master-planned townships, which remain largely resilient to heavy flooding compared to publicly funded infrastructure.
To attract private capital, Belgica suggested granting developers rights to build new central business districts, integrated townships, cyberparks, and IT hubs.
The anti-corruption czar emphasized that this privatization strategy would eliminate corrupt public bidding practices, reduce government spending, create millions of jobs, and drive long-term economic growth across the country.
