Almost a year after President Marcos scolded corrupt officials with a blunt “Mahiya naman kayo” as floodwaters swallowed towns and ghost projects surfaced, the government is still patching holes with new oversight tools, but watchdogs insist deeper reforms are overdue, Philstar Biz reported.
The administration has rolled out enhanced procurement transparency measures and digital tracking systems for infrastructure projects to prevent fund leakage. These fiscal fixes aim to restore public trust after a series of scandals involving ghost projects and delayed aid distribution during recent typhoons.
However, governance watchdogs argue that piecemeal tools are insufficient without structural reforms, such as strengthening the Ombudsman and enforcing stricter asset declarations. They noted that without political will to prosecute high-level officials, the cycle of scandals and reactive fixes will persist.