Rocky Rivera

Everybody’s mad.
Flood control ghost projects?
Yeah, I’m mad too.
Mad like a jeepney stuck in EDSA at 5 PM
with no aircon and a driver who thinks he’s in Fast & Furious.
Billions gone.
Concrete poured into thin air.
Drainage systems that drain nothing but public trust.
We all got played.
Again.

But hold up.
Before we burn the whole DPWH to the ground (which almost does),
Can we talk about the real horror show?
The one that doesn’t need rain to drown you?
The one where ghosts don’t haunt you… they invoice you?
Welcome to the Philippine health care system.
Where getting sick is a luxury.
Where hospitals look less like sanctuaries and more like casinos
Except here, the house always wins,
And you don’t even get free drinks.

The Real Ghost: Your Wallet
You walk into a hospital with a fever.
You walk out with trauma and a bill that looks like it was printed by the IMF.
Private hospitals?
They’ll treat you alright… like a walking ATM.
Public hospitals?
Good luck finding a bed that isn’t shared with three other souls and a stray cat.
People ain’t scared of ghosts.
They’re scared of being robbed while dying.
Scared of being scammed while sedated.
Scared of being told, “Wala pong PhilHealth coverage yan,”

PhilHealth: The National Magic Trick
PhilHealth is like that ex who promises to change.
Every year, it swears it’s better.
Every year, it cheats again.
Premiums go up.
Coverage goes down.
And when you need it most?
Poof… it disappears like a ghost project in a flood.

Hospitals or Hustlers?
Let’s be real.
The health care system is a cartel with stethoscopes.
You pay for the consultation,
Then pay again for the lab tests,
Then pay for the medicine,
Then pay for the room,
Then pay for the air you breathe —
And if you die?
Guess what?
Your family pays for that too.

The Irony of It All
We scream bloody murder over ghost projects.
We demand accountability.
We want names, receipts, resignations.
But when it comes to health care?
We whisper.
We endure.
We say, “Ganun talaga.”
As if suffering is a national sport.

So What Now?
I ain’t saying forget the ghost projects.
Hell no.
Let’s chase those ghosts with pitchforks and FOI requests.
But let’s not be so hypnotized by concrete scandals
That we ignore the flesh-and-blood robbery happening in our hospitals.
Because while ghost projects flood our streets,
The health care system is flooding our souls…
With fear, debt, and quiet rage.

Final Word?
Ghost projects steal billions.
Hospitals steal dignity.
And between the two?
Only one makes you feel like dying is cheaper than surviving.