HUNDREDS of residents marched through flooded streets in Malolos, Bulacan, on Aug. 31 to protest alleged irregularities in flood-control projects and oppose coastal reclamation projects.

Led by anti-corruption alliance Kilos Bulacan, the National Heroes Day protest brought together about 30 local organizations that marched along flooded portions of MacArthur Highway toward the Bulacan Provincial Capitol.

Included in the march in Malolos were fishermen and farmers, members of fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, and Anakpawis Party-list. 

Call for Justice

Kilos Bulacan urged the government to implement comprehensive, pro-environment flood solutions, compensate flood victims, and directly address climate change across the province. The groups also demanded the recovery of misused public funds and immediate aid for the affected communities.

The protest came as 23 municipalities in Bulacan remained under a state of calamity following weeks of flooding attributed to Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon. Floodwaters reportedly reached up to six feet, affecting more than 275,000 families and nearly one million residents, while causing millions of pesos in losses to agriculture and fisheries.

Protesters said that while monsoon rains contributed to the flooding, inadequate infrastructure and alleged irregularities in flood-control projects worsened its impact.

They called for the prosecution of corrupt officials within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units allegedly involved in the anomalous flood control projects. Their demands align with ongoing Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations and court cases targeting the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office and private contractors over alleged "ghost" projects and technical malversation. 

The groups called for an end to reclamation projects, citing San Miguel Corporation’s 2,500-hectare New Manila International Airport (NMIA) project in Bulacan. According to Pamalakaya (Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas), the airport displaced roughly 1,000 coastal families and cleared over 600 mangrove trees. 

Pamalakaya Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo said the environmental impacts of the project could increase risks of subsidence and long-term flooding in surrounding communities.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas leader Danilo Ramos said farmers and residents of Bulacan have long endured repeated flooding, which he attributed to anomalous flood-control projects. “While corrupt officials and big corporations plunder public funds and our environment, ordinary people suffer,” Ramos said.

Organizers expressed that they will hold more rallies until the government takes real action.