Luxury built on misery

By Artchil B. Fernandez

‘Nepo babies’ are the current rage of the nation. These “nepo babies” are daughters of contractors and politicians who obscenely flaunt their wealthy lifestyle in public. Public anger is directed at them as the faces of plunder and shameless theft of people’s money.

Originally, the term “nepo babies” or nepotism babies referred to kids of Hollywood celebrities who gained success or opportunities through family connections. The present “nepo babies” who are the object of public scorn, derision, and fury are offspring of contractors and politicians who rose to notoriety through social media. They publicly bragged on their accounts about their scandalously affluent lives by parading the luxurious branded clothes, bags, and other accessories they accumulated. The items they brandish cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

The “nepo babies” acquired their expensive lifestyle courtesy of their parents and relatives who are either contractors of government projects or politicians. One “nepo baby” publicly thanked her father for her lavish and obscene lifestyle, calling him “my never-ending ATM machine.”

The scandal involving the “nepo babies” is an offshoot of the controversy over substandard or ghost flood control projects all over the country. President Bongbong Marcos (BBM) opened a can of worms during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), lashing out against corruption in infrastructure projects and singling out contractors and suppliers. “Mahiya naman kayo” (Have some shame), BBM called them out.

A week after BBM delivered his SONA, floods hit many parts of the country after successive typhoons. Millions of Filipinos were affected by massive flooding, which drew attention to flood control projects. Why did these projects fail despite hundreds of billions of pesos poured into them? How come floodwaters inundated the country when thousands of flood control projects were built in the past decade? What happened to these projects where huge government resources went?

The government was forced to face head-on the questions amid public anger over the failure of flood control projects. On Aug. 11, 2025, BBM publicly named the top 15 contractors involved in these projects. These contractors cornered 20 percent of the PHP 545-billion flood control contracts from 2022 to 2025.

Two contractors—Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp. and St. Timothy Construction Corporation, owned by Pacifico “Curlee” II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya—stood out. They ranked second and third on BBM’s list. The couple came under close public scrutiny due to their highly publicized interviews with veteran journalists Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao.

Both journalists are now under fire for probable violations of journalistic ethics. The feature on the Discayas was presented as a “rags-to-riches” story meant to inspire the public, but it turned out to be a sickening display of wealth porn.

The Discayas declared they owned a fleet of 40 luxury cars. Among the expensive cars are a Rolls Royce (PHP 40 million), Bentley (PHP 20 million), Mercedes G 63 (PHP 20 million), and Cadillac Escalade (PHP 19 million). Asked about their gateway to enormous wealth, the couple casually admitted it was when they started as contractors with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). During a Senate hearing, Sarah Discaya admitted it was in 2016 when they began contracting flood control projects.

A report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reveals that the Discayas’ companies had a total of 345 solo and joint projects on flood control. From 2022 to 2025 alone, they secured over PHP 31 billion in government contracts, according to the PCIJ investigation.

The story of the Discayas shows the pathway to riches is via the DPWH. Is this way of accumulating wealth a good example to the young generation? Is this an inspiring story, as the two veteran entrepreneurial journalists claim, worthy of public emulation?

There are three key ingredients to be rich and wealthy in the Discaya and “nepo babies” template—corrupt politicians, corrupt DPWH officials, and greedy contractors. The three connive to steal billions of pesos of public funds through substandard or ghost flood control projects.

While millions of Filipinos suffer in massive flooding—their lives and property drowned—the kids of flood control contractors and politicians are also drowning in stolen wealth. The luxury of the Discayas and the “nepo babies” is built on the misery of millions of Filipinos. It is wealth created on the poverty of millions.

Filipinos are angry and outraged. While they work hard to earn a living and pay taxes, the Discayas and the “nepo babies” are wallowing in opulence at their expense. Worse, the “nepo babies” and the Discayas publicly insult Filipinos with their wanton and shameless flaunting of ill-gotten affluence.

The flood control projects scandal dwarfs the Napoles PDAF infamy. Hundreds of billions of pesos are allocated by politicians to flood control projects, which they steal with the assistance of corrupt DPWH officials and predatory contractors. Public funds pocketed from these projects are excessively spent by the kids of politicians and contractors on wasteful foreign travels, luxury items, flashy cars, and ostentatious lifestyles.

Heads must roll. Politicians and DPWH officials involved in the substandard and ghost flood control projects must be hounded and punished. “Nepo babies” should be publicly shamed and called out. It is time for these wicked people to pay for their crimes.