“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” – Isaiah 10:1-2, NIV
A year ago, during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that 5,500 flood control projects had been completed, while many others are still in progress. Two days after, Typhoon Carina combined with the Southwest Monsoon submerged most of Metro Manila and many parts of Luzon. Now, days before the President’s 4th SONA, many parts of Luzon and other parts of the Philippines have been inundated by floodwaters as a result of the Southwest Monsoon and a series of typhoons.
The people’s increasing vulnerability to disasters is shown in the helplessness and desperation of Filipinos as they watch their homes, properties, farm animals, crops, and livelihoods being damaged by the flood, yet protection and assistance are gravely insufficient. The people have every right to demand accountability amid the report that the government spent Php 1.4 billion[1] for flood control projects. Corruption runs rampant in the country, as shown by our ranking[2] in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), so it is not hard to imagine where our hard-earned taxes went.
Poverty has also exacerbated people’s vulnerabilities, with 55% of Filipinos rating themselves as poor. Where the daily minimum wage is not enough for a family of five to live with dignity. Meanwhile, the prices of basic commodities continue to rise. No wonder that some Filipinos are driven to extreme acts of desperation to survive. A recent report from the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) states that there is an alarming rise in cases of baby selling online. Infants are advertised on Facebook and sold for 90,000 pesos, with the assistance of syndicates. While this practice is unquestionably unacceptable, illegal, and inhumane, it highlights the extreme and desperate circumstances faced by many Filipinos today.
These realities are pressing the people to organize themselves and claim their democratic rights. However, our civic space is shrinking as a result of various human rights violations, due to the weaponization of laws like the Anti-terrorism Law and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Law, which have been used against humanitarian workers and even church-related programs.
While the people are experiencing the brunt of the impacts of heavy rains, President Marcos Jr. was in the United States for a meeting with one of the most despised leaders today, US President Donald Trump, where he negotiated a measly 1% reduction of tariffs on Philippine products. Meanwhile, our sovereignty and safety are increasingly at risk due to expanded military arrangements under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and similar defense pacts with the United States. These deals entangle the Philippines in the escalating U.S.-China conflict, exposing the country to greater geopolitical danger and dragging us further into its conflict with China.
The roots of the Filipino people’s vulnerabilities to natural and human-made disasters run deep – widespread poverty, endemic corruption, and compromised sovereignty – and these worsened under the present dispensation. Thus, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) urges President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address the legitimate demands of the Filipino people: the provision of domestic jobs with sustainable and decent wages, the delivery of basic social services, and the implementation of national industrialization and genuine land reform initiatives to boost the local economy, strengthen the agricultural sector, and provide opportunities for inclusive growth and development. It is also imperative for the government to build on our win in the Arbitral Tribunal on the West Philippine Sea instead of aligning our country with the US.
We thus also call on the President to abolish confidential funds at all levels of the government agencies and departments. Hold all government officials accountable for the abuse of their power and misuse of government funds, not only on political opponents but also on political allies.
We also call on the president to rectify the mistakes of the past administration by rejoining the Philippines in the International Criminal Court. Doing so is a vital step toward upholding justice and accountability, especially while domestic mechanisms remain weak. It also offers hope to victims and their families, preventing them from falling further into despair and helplessness.
Signed:
27 July 2025
Sgd.) Bishop Joseph G. Agpaoa
Vice-Chairperson
(Sgd.) Ms. Jennifer Ferariza-Meneses
Vice-Chairperson
(Sgd.) Rev. Jon Dave Angeles
Vice-Chairperson
(Sgd.) Rev. Leonardo R. Morada
Corporate Treasurer
(Sgd.) Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub
General Secretary
[1] https://opinion.inquirer.net/184876/billions-down-the-drain/amp
[2] https://share.google/VzNlyvd0KYExrCdWH
