Business group warns of bleak future if corruption continues
One of the Philippines’ oldest business groups, the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI), has urged all Filipinos to do their share in curbing corruption, saying systemic corruption has crippled the country’s global standing.
The CCPI said it is not only graft in flood control projects that must end, but even corruption in the form of abuse of authority, slow justice and secrecy in the disclosure of net worth. It added that all Filipinos in government and private institutions, not only politicians, should be made accountable.
“The CCPI calls for awakening, repentance and righteousness now, for a brighter future, whether one is corruption culpable, complicit or a bystander,” it said in a statement. “Ethical conduct is both a personal and national duty. A whole-of-nation accountability is essential to building a prosperous and globally respected country.”
In the 1960s, the Philippines ranked among Asia’s top economies in gross domestic product per capita, second only to Japan. Now, “endemic and systemic corruption has pushed us near the bottom—resulting in loss of investments and jobs, weakened institutions, and eroded trust,” the group said.
Gov’t as example
The country is reeling from allegations that lawmakers, public works officials and private contractors pocketed billions of pesos for flood control projects that turned out to be substandard or nonexistent in the last three years of the Marcos administration.
Cecilio Pedro, founder of personal care and hygiene products manufacturer Lamoiyan Corp., said the government should set an example by prosecuting corrupt individuals, and allocating budget to the right sectors to boost investors’ confidence in 2026.
Unless this happens, next year “will be more challenging,” Pedro warned. “That is, for us, very crucial, especially for businessmen. We want to see things being changed.”
Then, there’s talk about the issue of corruption dominating the Philippine narrative ahead of its 2026 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
