The Philippines is facing a surge of public anger over a multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has not only tarnished the government’s credibility but also reawakened a wave of student activism reminiscent of the country’s most turbulent political moments. What began as scattered demonstrations has rapidly evolved into a nationwide movement of outrage, marked by walkouts, rallies, and renewed calls for accountability.

On September 12, the University of the Philippines’ main campus in Quezon City became the epicenter of dissent. More than 3,000 students and lecturers abandoned their classrooms to rally against what they described as deeply entrenched corruption in flood control projects. The atmosphere carried echoes of the past, when the university’s grounds became a rallying point for resistance to the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in the 1970s and 1980s, the 1986 People Power Revolution, and the 2001 movement that ousted President Joseph Estrada over corruption.

Among those who joined the recent protest was Assistant Professor Raymond Macapagal of the Centre for International Studies. For him, the demonstration was personal. As a student during the early 2000s, he had marched against Estrada’s administration. This time, he urged his students to step out of their classrooms and confront corruption directly.

“I usually perceive my students to be studious but aloof,” Macapagal reflected. “But I have now seen, with much pride, that my students are knowledgeable and justly enraged by what their government is doing. I’m happy to see that they want a better future for themselves.”

Macapagal also noted how the flow of information has changed dramatically. During the anti-Estrada protests, live television broadcasts of impeachment hearings were the only reliable way to stay informed. Today, Filipinos are inundated with an overwhelming........

© Blitz