By Staff
On September 21, 2025, over 100,000 protesters, the majority of whom were Generation Z (Gen Z)—the group between the ages of 13 and 28—took to the streets in Manila following allegations that corrupt politicians and contractors had squandered or stolen hundreds of billions of pesos allocated for flood control projects in the region.
The outrage ensued after monsoon rains left millions of commuters wading through knee-deep floodwaters and their cars floating in the streets. At least thirty perished while hundreds more were injured.
Citizens have been sounding the alarm about the decades-long kleptocracy, which dates back to Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos’s dictatorial reign from 1965 to 1986 and beyond. Following his ouster, a quasi-judicial government agency reported he had stolen (US) $5 billion to $10 billion from the Central Bank of the Philippines during his tenure. Much of that money remains unaccounted for.
While Filipinos dealt with the calamity that government officials primarily attribute to climate change, netizens became appalled to see the children of contractors and politicians linked to flood control projects, flaunting their wealth while the city drowned.
Prominent influencers looking deeper into the scandal, connected the dots, and started posting videos on TikTok, pointing out that the money allocated for preventative construction in flood-prone areas—now referred to as “ghost projects” because they were never completed—was instead used to support an elite ruling class and their privileged children—a point of contention for the 20% of youth unemployed in Manila.
Social media was inundated with screenshots of elite “nepo babies”, a term popularized in 2022 when critics discussed the unearned success and privilage of celebrity children in Hollywood. The lavish displays of wealth included extravagant European vacations, luxury cars, and designer bags.
Followers who once viewed the bourgeois displays as aspirational, quickly turned against the revered influencers, sparking a viral online campaign that fueled a Gen Z political revolution.
After the daughter of a former congressman was shamed for posting pictures of herself with high-priced designer bags, some argued that the outrage was misappropriated and should be reserved for corrupt politicians and contractors, not their children—but others disagreed.
“Why can’t we be outraged at both? You wanna flaunt all that wealth from our stolen money? “We’re coming for you!” was the message. “The money for that luxury bag should have been spent on a flood barrier!” The outrage was so intense that despite having hundreds of thousands of followers, several deleted their accounts.
In addition to children directly linked to the corruption, others with apparently no connection were also targeted. One young influencer under scrutiny, Mia Fortich, posted a video responding to the backlash, asserting she was being unfairly associated with the flood contract corruption scandal simply because of her family’s wealth.
“First of all, we aren’t politicians,” she explained. “We don’t handle any flood control projects or any government infrastructure projects. Our livelihood is private. It doesn’t involve the government at all!”
She continued, “I respect everybody’s right to speak up about what’s happening in our country, but please place the blame on those who need to take accountability, and not on those who aren’t involved.” After revealing that her family had received death threats, she made one final plea to her followers: “Send kindness and prayers to those who are affected, instead of spreading hate towards people who don’t even deserve it.”
The disdain, however, for corruption-linked #nepobabies had gained so much momentum that even those born into privilege and wealth were now perceived as enemies by the disenfranchised youth. A newly formed network of popular Filipino influencers, called “Creators Against Corruption,” summed up the group’s cause.
“We will be relentless. We will be loud. We will be a mirror held up to power, and we will not look away until justice is served” was the message on their Facebook page.
Read the rest of the article in the Summer 2025 RECAP issue of Rounder Magazine
Images by Jan Sy
