Missing governance: When every storm is both natural and moral disaster

At the rate politicians are tearing each other down, Filipinos could almost be forgiven for greeting typhoon season with grim welcome.

- 

For every swollen river and submerged barangay, every ruined home and shattered livelihood, lays bare what billions in flood control spending have failed to hide: corruption on a scale both brazen and unconscionable. The collapse of dikes and drainage systems exposes plunder more vividly than any audit, compelling politicians to point fingers at one another in a grotesque spectacle - the pot indicting the kettle.

Recent revelations of ghost projects, inflated contracts, and endlessly patched dikes underscore the frailty of our governance. Infrastructure meant to protect lives has become another monument to betrayal.

We live with a public works budget three-fifths stolen. No wonder we have remained trapped in lower middle income for nearly four decades, with poverty stubborn and pervasive. But rather than rehearse the cost of corruption, it will be useful to examine governance itself. The literature reminds us governance is not simply eliminating theft — it is the state's capacity to deliver public goods, uphold fairness, and sustain growth. A study of Philippine governance framed this along three dimensions: political, economic, and social governance.* This framework remains relevant today, especially in understanding why floods reveal not just failed projects but failed governance.

Political governance measures rule of law, property rights, justice, and corruption control. A decade ago, the Philippines ranked a dismal 104th of 187 countries. The flood control fiasco is textbook evidence. Contracts are awarded without transparency. Projects are declared "completed" though no structure exists. Oversight bodies are ignored. Rule of law is replaced by rule of connection.