“Until when will we still put up with this facade long before we hold those people accountable?”

Typhoons, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides are some of the calamities that Filipinos usually experience. Yet, despite the hazards they impose is the kind of spirit in which Filipinos continue to embody— it is the resilience amidst these adversities. Being resilient has long been a characteristic of Filipinos, and it is deeply rooted in our history and culture. The idea of resiliency implies that one must be courageous and optimistic in such perilous situations, but how far can we maintain this kind of facade? It may seem admirable that we find strength in our struggles and see the silver lining in difficulties that we encounter, although resiliency should not be romanticized at all. We must not glorify resiliency; rather, demand accountability. 

The ‘Filipinos are resilient’ narrative is evident, especially when typhoons hit the country. Recently, a southwest monsoon “habagat” and three typhoon cyclones, namely Crising, Dante, and Emong, entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) , which resulted in devastation of infrastructure and damage to agriculture in various provinces— especially in Central Luzon. Several places were surrounded by flood due to heavy rains, a lot of drivers and passengers were stuck in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), and some even lost electricity in remote areas. All of these occurrences happened in bliss, and Filipinos, known as resilient people, still find a way to make ends meet in spite of the weather conditions. 

“Bagyo ka lang, Pinoy kami.” is a phrase used to display resiliency in such tragedies. However, with this kind of mindset, would growth and development be achieved? We, as taxpayers, should demand better because we deserve better governance from our public servants than finding solutions on our own. Where did the budget for flood control projects go? It was reported that there is a ₱360 billion budget allocated for flood management under the 2025 national budget, but why does the state of the country remain the same during the rainy season? The suffering of many Filipinos just repeats because there are no sufficient actions and plans to resolve this recurrent problem. 

“Flood control ang pangako, pero flood out of control ang inabot ng taumbayan. Kailangang busisiin natin nang husto kung nagamit ba sa tama ang bilyun-bilyong pisong pondo para sa flood control”, Senator Bam Aquino stated. 

Our government must implement effective and strategic projects that will help avoid this kind of immense flooding, especially in rural areas. Clean-up operations in canals are one way to improve the flow of water so that flooding would not occur. The  Local Government Units (LGUs) of each town must, at all times, be alert when calamities are happening to watch over the people and how the situation is  affecting their areas. It all boils down to  wise preparation and prevention to eradicate the impending doom of casualties that may destroy lives and livelihoods. 

With that vast amount of budget, it would aid the predicament that Filipinos have been enduring for a long time. Just because of our resilience, it does not mean that we should remain like this forever, we need a better system, a competent one that we can hold onto in times of crisis. How sick it is that a lot of lives are at stake due to the inclement weather, but some officials live comfortably in their complete shelters. Our taxes are not utilized properly when in fact, they should be allocated for the betterment of the country. Resilience is just a facade of the Filipinos, and this is how we cope because we are used to a system that chooses to blatantly ignore us. We Filipinos deserve more than just the bare minimum; it is time that we hold those in power accountable. “Ang tax ng bayan ay para lang sa taumbayan.”

REFERENCES: 

Mangaluz, Jean. 2025. “Where Did the Money Go? Bam Aquino Seeks Probe on Flood Control Projects.” Philstar.com. July 25, 2025. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/07/25/2460663/where-did-money-go-bam-aquino-seeks-probe-flood-control-projects.

“Reclaiming the ‘Resilient Filipino’: From Romanticised Climate Narratives towards Resilience-Focused Climate Policy in the Philippines | FULCRUM.” 2024. FULCRUM. December 10, 2024. https://fulcrum.sg/reclaiming-the-resilient-filipino-from-romanticised-climate-narratives-towards-resilience-focused-climate-policy-in-the-philippines/.

VIKTOR, JON. 2025. “Habagat, Crising, Dante, Emong Combined Infra Damage Hits P5B.” GMA News Online. July 27, 2025. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/953905/habagat-crising-dante-emong-combined-infra-damage-hits-p5b/story/.