According to the recently published World Risk Report 2025, the Philippines remains one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with flooding posing the most serious and frequent threat. The findings come as the country sees nationwide protests against corruption and church-led demands for transparency in government flood control projects.
The annual report published by Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft and the International Law Institute for Peace and Armed Conflict ranked the Philippines as one of the countries most exposed to natural disasters. The report highlighted that “floods are the most frequent and most devastating natural disasters around the world” and cause more loss and damage than any other weather-related disaster.
The report said the Philippines’ geographic location and high social vulnerability continue to make it vulnerable to flooding. The report warned that dense urbanization, poverty and climate-related rainfall patterns are amplifying risks to communities across the country.
“Flood disasters affect more people around the world than any other natural disaster,” the report said, noting that tropical countries like the Philippines face increased risks from heavy rains, rising sea levels and more intense storms. The report called on national and local governments to “improve flood risk reduction, preparedness and prevention investments” rather than relying solely on emergency response.
WorldRiskReport 2025 also highlighted that effective flood mitigation requires more than physical infrastructure. The report called for a multifaceted approach, including “social, environmental and organizational measures” such as environmental protection, early warning systems and public awareness programmes.
The report’s release follows weeks of public outcry over allegations of corruption in government flood control projects, a scandal that church leaders denounced as a “moral abomination.” As previously reported by Christian Daily International, the controversy, which surfaced after an investigative report revealed massive misappropriation of funds, has fueled protests and brought new scrutiny to infrastructure spending.
Christian leaders have warned that corruption in flood control operations not only wastes public money but also puts lives at risk.
The National Council for Transforming Church Leadership, a group of Catholic and evangelical leaders, said in a statement on social media on Sept. 5 that the revelations at the recent Senate hearing show a “disastrous pattern of graft.”
They lamented that the diversion of resources meant to protect the population from floods reflected a “deep crisis of conscience” in the national leadership and called for repentance, transparency and justice. Corruption is a “sin against both God and neighbor,” the group said.
In late September, Christian leaders were among the organizers of the Trillion Pesos March, a nationwide movement against corruption and misuse of public funds. They called the turnout of tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators a “miracle” and called on Filipinos to maintain momentum for accountability.
“The awakening of the people is itself a work of grace,” one church leader said during the meeting, stressing that moral renewal must be accompanied by political reform.
Faith-based organizations are calling on the government to restore public trust by conducting independent audits of flood control projects and ensuring infrastructure spending truly benefits vulnerable communities.
WorldRiskReport 2025 also emphasized that resilience depends not only on infrastructure but also on good governance and public participation. Experts said flood preparedness is a shared responsibility of governments, civil society and international partners.
“Flood risk reduction is a global challenge,” the report said, adding that sustainable adaptation requires long-term investments that integrate infrastructure, social protection and environmental management.
