Corruption in the Philippines: Young Filipinos Take a Stand

Abby Cruz
Nov 4
3 min read

In recent news, corruption scandals in the Philippines have enraged fellow Filipinos all over the country. Information from this year has shown more evidence of government officials and nepo-babies misusing government funds. Corruption in the Philippines is not a new issue that has sparked recently, but has been a recurring one over several centuries. Even though this problem has been around for many years, the new wave of corruption that was revealed to citizens has caused public outrage. The young generation of Filipinos was the one who decided to assert their position against the corruption occurring in their country. Several anti-corruption protests were held, as well as the use of social media to spread their cause. These young people strive to fight against corruption for their future.

Start of Corruption

Corruption has been a long-standing issue in the Philippines. Dating back to the Spanish Colonial Era, the foundation for corrupt practices was created. At the time, the Spanish established a strict hierarchy with several inequalities that concentrated power in the wealthy and corrupt hands of a handful of people, while the majority of Filipinos under colonial rule lived in poverty. Instead of leaving the government in the hands of capable individuals, the public offices were instead sold off to those who had enough to buy them off. This created a government based solely on wealth rather than responsibility and accountability, as well as for the good of the people. Officials were cruel and held policies that benefited only the wealthy few rather than the many. They collected cash, produce, or labor as tribute from local populations, as well as required forced labor from Filipino men without compensation.

Even when Spanish rule ended and American rule was introduced to the Philippines, the system of corruption persisted. During America’s rule over the Philippines, democratic institutions were introduced in opposition to how the Spanish had ruled. Although more democratic practices were used, elite networks were still reinforced, which led to more control and corruption.

Recent Corruption

A major corruption scandal was investigated from late 2024 to 2025, centering around the embezzlement of billions of pesos in flood-control funds. The Department of Finance has estimated that about ₱118.5 billion, which is about $2 billion USD, was lost from the economy. High-profile officials and corrupt businesses who worked with them were at the root of these corrupt practices, such as Christopher Co, Noel Cruz, and Angelo “Gel” Alonte. Contractors such as Noel Cruz were among the 15 who were discovered to have gotten ₱100 billion from flood control projects dating back to 2022.

Take Action

In recent media, people have discovered the social media profiles of the children of those in government positions or involved in corrupt business practices. In the posts, they flaunt their wealth from taxpayer money by showing off their expensive clothes, bags, accessories, etc. This has greatly angered the public with how careless they were with the things they bought with the money from their parents’ corruption.

In turn, they have made posts of their own, picking apart how the children of corrupt parents acted and focusing on how their taxpayer money was spent by them. Many of these have especially gone viral on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Claudinde Co., Jammy Cruz, and Gela Alonte are examples of some of the nepo-babies showing off their shopping sprees and vacations on taxpayers' money. They have left comments on their posts criticizing their luxury and made videos about the corrupt acts of their parents on platforms they are active on.

Another effective way that young Filipinos advocate against corruption is by partaking in protests and rallies. Some rallies that occurred were Baha sa Luneta and the Trillion Peso March with both taking place on September 21st. Baha sa Luneta was held at Luneta Park in Manila, and those who participated were students from universities such as the University of the Philippines, while the Trillion Peso March took place at the People Power Monument in Quezon City and was led by church leaders, civil society organizations, and youth networks. They took the initiative to put themselves out in public to fight for their natural rights as citizens and to stop the corruption from furthering even more. These people are desperate to actively change the government and society in the Philippines to secure their future and future generations to come.