A Filipino billionaire is pushing to privatize solutions to Metro Manila’s worsening flood crisis — a move that could test the political will of those who, critics allege, enriched themselves from the government’s multibillion-peso flood control budgets.

Observers note that during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, nearly ₱1 trillion was allocated for flood control projects. Skeptics argue much of it was wasted, with little to show for the staggering sum.

San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang has offered to address Metro Manila’s flooding problem at no cost to the government.

His plan reportedly includes removing riverside obstructions — even if that means purchasing land to relocate schools and informal housing, then rebuilding them in safer locations.

In a joint appearance with Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on August 8, Ang emphasized that the removal of these obstructions is key to restoring natural water flow.

He expressed readiness to fund the relocation efforts himself, underscoring his belief that decisive private-sector action is needed where public efforts have failed.

The Department of Public Works and Highways recently acknowledged the need for a comprehensive drainage master plan for the capital.

The push for privatized solutions now raises questions: will entrenched political and bureaucratic interests — long accused of profiting from flood-related contracts — allow Ang’s proposal to move forward?

And more urgently, where exactly did the ₱1 trillion flood control budget of the Duterte years go?