Ramon Ang’s Flood Fix: A Tycoon’s Free Lunch in a Deluged Metropolis

By Louis ‘Barok’ C Biraogo — August 10, 2025

IN THE wet season sequel nobody asked for, Metro Manila returns as ‘Atlantis with traffic,’ starring jeepneys as gondolas and commuters as unwilling extras in a citywide water ballet. Cue Ramon Ang, San Miguel Corporation’s billionaire auteur, who storms into an August 8, 2025 press conference with the swagger of Magellan and the promise to ‘end flooding forever’—and at no cost to government or people. His script features drainage systems, cleared rivers, new homes, even schools, wrapped in the warm glow of corporate charity. But critics note a twist: Ang’s own mega-projects, like MRT Line 7 and the Skyway extensions, have been accused of creating the very swamps he’s now heroically draining. Think firefighter, but the hoses spray gasoline—on sale, today only.

This is no mere act of charity—it’s a high-stakes chess move in a city drowning in water and corruption. Ang’s “no-cost” pledge is a glittering lure, but beneath the surface swim contradictions, hidden costs, and the specter of corporate control. For the 13 million Filipinos wading through Metro Manila’s floods, the question isn’t whether Ang can deliver—it’s whether the price of his generosity will be paid in displaced families, eroded democracy, and a concreted-over future.

The Irony Drips Like Monsoon Rain

Ang’s pledge is a masterclass in narrative judo, flipping SMC from flood villain to urban savior. Just weeks before his August 8 announcement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) skewered SMC’s MRT-7 and Skyway projects for clogging drainage near Batasan Station, turning Commonwealth Avenue into a canal. Ang’s retort? A breezy “Kasalanan ba namin ‘yun? Hindi” (Was that our fault? No), insisting his structures comply with engineering plans and even improved gutters. Yet, evidence suggests otherwise:

SMC’s Flood Footprint: Since 2018, groups like MangingisdaSays have warned that SMC’s Bulacan Aerotropolis could choke regional waterways, while local accounts blame construction debris for unprecedented flooding.
Suspicious Timing: The offer follows DOTr’s accusations, reeking of a PR pivot to deflect blame. SMC’s 2017 spillway proposal, which tied flood control to lucrative land deals, hints at a playbook: dangle “philanthropy” to secure influence.

It’s as if Ang offered to fix a leak he helped spring, all while insisting the pipes were fine. His gambit could boost the value of SMC’s ₱1 trillion-plus landholdings, particularly in flood-prone areas primed for development. This is corporate sleight-of-hand, like a street magician offering free tricks while picking your pocket.

The Case For: A Lifeline in the Flood

Ang’s defenders argue he’s the hero Metro Manila needs, not the villain it deserves. The government’s track record is a soggy mess: the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has squandered billions—₱51 billion now under corruption probes, per President Marcos—while pumps rust and drains choke. SMC, with its ₱1.3 trillion in assets, can move faster than a bureaucracy mired in red tape. Consider the evidence:

Proven Efficiency: Skyway 3, built in 36 months, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), finished ahead of schedule, showcase Ang’s ability to deliver.
Fiscal Relief: The “no-cost” promise frees funds for schools or hospitals, dodging legislative gridlock. Former Senator Ping Lacson mused that if other tycoons followed suit, their CSR could outshine the government’s ₱250 billion annual flood budget.
Holistic Vision: Ang’s plan—drains, housing, schools—could transform slums, offering informal settlers stability. Health expert Tony Leachon hailed it as a beacon of empathy, a private-sector Bayanihan.

SMC’s Better Rivers PH program, clearing 8.52 million cubic meters of waste from 163 kilometers of rivers since 2020, proves Ang’s not just blowing hot air. For a city desperate for dry streets, this could be a lifeline.

The Case Against: A Wolf in Waders

Don’t sip the corporate Kool-Aid yet. Ang’s offer is less a gift than a Trojan horse, rolling into Metro Manila with hidden costs. “No cost” sounds sweet, but it likely excludes:

Shadow Liabilities: Land acquisition, maintenance, or environmental offsets could balloon into billions.
Displacement Risks: Clearing rivers means evicting thousands from informal settlements. Ang’s vague relocation promises echo past failures that left families stranded in remote Bulacan or Cavite, far from jobs or schools. It’s like a free ticket to a new home, only to find it’s a shack in nowhere.

The plan’s opacity is a governance red flag. As a CSR project, it sidesteps public bidding and Commission on Audit (COA) scrutiny, letting SMC mark its own homework. Critics warn of regulatory capture, with agencies like the DPWH or MMDA ceding control to a conglomerate that could dictate future projects. One X post called it a step toward “privatizing” flood solutions, a corporate coup dressed as charity. Environmentally, Ang’s concrete-heavy fixes—drains and dikes—ignore climate change’s root causes, like deforestation or rising sea levels, risking drowned poorer areas like Navotas in a game of pass-the-misery.

Broader Impacts: A Flood of Consequences

Economic

Ang’s plan could spark a ₱20-30 billion construction boom, creating 10-15,000 jobs and easing flood-related losses (e.g., shuttered businesses, leptospirosis outbreaks). But hidden costs could strain future budgets, crowding out projects like Mindanao’s rail. Long-term, SMC’s model might deter public-private partnership (PPP) competition, entrenching corporate dominance.

Political

This offer normalizes billionaire-led governance, filling voids left by a corrupt state. Administration candidates could ride the “zero-flood” wave into the 2028 elections, while SMC lobbies for CSR tax breaks that sap revenue. The danger? Democratic erosion: when SMC’s boardroom outranks the DPWH, voters lose.

Social

Housing and schools sound like a win, but gentrification looms. Cleared riverbanks could become SMC’s next real estate jackpot, displacing the poor for condos. The Bayanihan Ang touts feels like a corporate hijacking of Filipino solidarity. Health gains—fewer waterborne diseases—are real, but only if relocations don’t maroon families in flood-prone fringes.

Environmental

Concrete drains might stem floods temporarily but exacerbate urban heat and reduce aquifer recharge. Metro Manila needs green solutions—bioswales, urban forests—not a cement spree. SMC’s cleanup of 700,000 tons of river waste is impressive, but without addressing climate realities, it’s like rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.

Recommendations: Draining the Spin

To keep Ang’s offer from becoming a corporate con, the government must act with the savvy of a Quiapo vendor spotting a scam:

Radical Transparency: Publish all plans, budgets, and environmental assessments online, with real-time sensor data. A multi-agency panel with civil society reps should audit SMC’s work.
Equity Guarantees: Secure relocation sites within Metro Manila, with jobs, schools, and transport access. A legally binding escrow fund must cover housing and maintenance.
Climate-First Design: Mandate 100-year flood standards and green infrastructure, vetted by independent climate experts, not SMC’s engineers.
Check Corporate Power: Require competitive bidding for future flood contracts to prevent SMC’s monopoly. The MMDA and DPWH must retain design vetoes.
People’s Oversight: Launch a national dialogue with fisherfolk, urban poor, and environmentalists to shape the project, ensuring Bayanihan isn’t just a slogan.

Conclusion: The Real Deluge

Ramon Ang’s “no-cost” flood fix is a dazzling mirage in a waterlogged metropolis, promising dry streets while glossing over murky motives. It’s tempting to cheer a tycoon stepping in where the government stumbles, but the real flood risk isn’t water—it’s the deluge of corporate spin that could swamp accountability and equity. Filipinos deserve solutions, not a billionaire’s benevolence with strings longer than an EDSA traffic jam. If Ang wants to play savior, let him do it under public scrutiny’s glare, not a press conference’s soft lights. Otherwise, this free lunch might leave Metro Manila with a bill it can’t pay.