Surviving Typhoon Kalmaegi

By Liliana Chai December 10, 2025

The morning of Nov. 6, Typhoon Kalmaegi unleashed a torrent of destruction on the central Philippines, killing at least 188 people in the country. Heavy rains brought by the typhoon triggered landslides, obliterating residential areas and public buildings. Underlying the storm’s physical damage is the nation’s long-standing issue of corruption-plagued flood control infrastructure projects. This failure in disaster preparedness has exacerbated  the country’s ability to mitigate the consequences of floods experienced by residents. 

Typhoon Kalmaegi reached a peak intensity of a Category 4 Typhoon with winds up to 130 mph. Due to the flooding caused by the storm, victims drowned, were electrocuted or were buried by uprooted trees and mudslides. The typhoon swept cars off the streets of the populous island of Cebu before barrelling its way west towards Cambodia and Laos with central winds up to 92 mph. 2.4 million Filipinos were directly impacted by noon; they are currently staying in evacuation centers or seeking safety under the roofs of friends and family, as reported by The New York Times. Civil defense officials informed local media that search and rescue efforts are underway with death tolls continuing to rise, and teams are searching tirelessly for dozens still missing in the country.

Many Filipinos see the severity of the disaster as the result of ineffective, carelessly done flood-control projects. Part of a bigger government corruption scandal, these mismanaged projects are leaving communities dangerously unprotected in flood-related calamities. Heavy rain and flooding are common in the Philippines due to its location along the Pacific typhoon belt. Therefore, flood control infrastructure projects are vital to shield residents from natural disasters. However, the $440 millions of funds originally allocated for these projects were funneled, impeding evacuation efforts during Typhoon Kalmaegi.

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There have been numerous other instances of fraud. Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro led investigations of flood-control measures and found that ever since current President Marcos Jr. took office in 2022, several hundred projects turned out to be nonexistent, unfinished or completed at a

substandard level. In July, Marcos had ordered a nationwide audit and found that the government spent 9.2 billion in US dollars on nearly 10,000 flood projects in the past three years with an unusually small group of contractors handling a large share of the funds. Construction company owners Pacifico and Sarah Discaya testified against Philippine congressmen and public work officials under a nationally televised Senate investigation committee on Sept. 8. They accused certain officials of forcing them to pay kickbacks in exchange for control over flood projects.

According to the news outlet Time, the money to build these projects for proper flood prevention was pocketed by contractors and officials involved. Social media has further revealed the lavish spending habits of officials tied to these projects. Known as “ghost projects”, they are approved on paper and announced to the public but are built with a fraction of the budget, leading to financial losses and structures providing little to no real flood protection. Elajiah San Fernando, a member of the House of Representatives, emphasized that when flood control fails, it is not the wealthy politicians or congressmen who suffer but the ordinary citizens who bear the repercussions.

“It is unsettling that disasters become worse because the money meant to protect people ended up in the wrong hands, exposing that system either lacks real oversight or has entrusted the wrong people to manage these projects. Those officials should pay back what they stole and be removed from their positions so the country can rebuild its trust,” Junior Ella Santos said.

The unveiling of the major corruption scandal and the flooding caused by recurring typhoons triggered a mass protest on Sept. 21 where members of the Philippine civil society gathered to demand accountability from government officials. In response, the government created an independent commission in October that recommended criminal and administrative charges against high-ranking officials and increased transparency by livestreaming flood-control related hearings. 

“Whenever something major happens, Filipinos support each other by rallying. We are naturally resilient, but the problem is that we forgive and forget easily because we are so used to natural disasters. That is why the same corrupt people stay in government; there is no closure, no action, no accountability. Too often people move on, thinking they have been through many times like these and can get through it again. This cycle will continue until a responsible leader steps up,” Katrina Thoman, Mathematics Department, said.

Frustration persists. No one has been jailed or held accountable for their involvement, and civil society groups warn that the lack of action against injustice will undermine public trust in the government. Cleve Arguelles, a political scientist in Manila, argues that the Sept. 21 protest will likely not be the last as the detrimental effects of the typhoons continue sparking public rage. If concerns remain unaddressed, public unrest may escalate to the point of ousting top officials to ensure that they face real consequences, especially when robust, corruption-free infrastructure is needed to protect citizens from the increasingly frequent floods brought on by climate change.

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About this Contributor

Liliana Chai

staff writer

Liliana Chai is a junior at Leland High School and the page editor for Investigative Report and Science and Tech. This is her third year in journalism. She likes to listen to music, hang out with friends, sleep, and binge watch shows during her free time.

Yunseo Kim

Artist

Yunseo Kim is an artist. She enjoys trying out new art and this is her second year in journalism. Outside of school, she likes to do Taekwondo, and experiment with cooking.