As the country reels from the multi-billion peso flood control project anomalies, GMA Public Affairs presents a special documentary, “Broken Roads, Broken Promises: Isang Paglalakbay Kasama si Dingdong Dantes,” airing this Saturday (November 15), 9:30 p.m. on GMA.
Multi-awarded actor Dingdong Dantes leads this compelling journey across the Philippines, bringing viewers face-to-face with the victims of systemic failure – where funds meant to protect communities from flooding were lost to corruption, leading to real floods that drown homes, schools, hospitals, and dreams.
Dantes stresses the urgency and impact of this documentary to the Filipinos, especially now that calls for truth and accountability grow louder.
“Napakahalaga [nito] lalo na sa panahon ngayon. Nakikita natin ang lahat ng nangyayari sa balita…Noong pumunta ako mismo doon sa ground, sa mga case studies, noong nagkaroon ng mukha ang mga kwentong ito, mas naintindihan ko kung gaano talaga kalala ang ating sitwasyon at kung gaano kahalagang magkaroon agad ng aksyon para rito,” Dantes shares.
He adds, “Bilang Pilipino, nakakabawas at nakakatanggal ng dangal talaga lalo ‘pag malaman mong pinagnanakawan ka. Kaya ‘Broken Roads, Broken Promises,’ dahil sa ating paglalakbay, nadi-discover natin ang mga pangakong napako at nasira. Gusto nating ibalik ang dangal at pag-asa because this is what we deserve.”
A journey towards “real progress”
The documentary begins in Bulacan, the epicenter of a massive corruption scandal. Despite billions spent on flood control, Dingdong uncovers unfinished, defective, or “ghost” projects.
One is a senior citizen who has to live in a house that has always been flooded in the past five years because she can’t afford to move. Another is a father who brings his daughter to school every day through knee-deep water.
Here, playgrounds that once echoed with laughter are now submerged, classrooms remain flooded – haunting symbols of broken promises despite “completed” projects.
Along the Bulacan river, Dingdong uncovers more signs of corruption — unfinished or projects that exist only on paper. Residents continue to cry for help as they live with the consequences: sinking homes, destroyed livelihoods, and uncertain futures.
In Pampanga, Dingdong crosses a potholed road in Apalit, a daily struggle for residents who pass through it.
The investigation extends far beyond Bulacan and Pampanga, revealing a national crisis of neglect while children and families risk their safety every day simply to study, work, or access basic services.
Dingdong travels all the way to Northern Samar, where he meets students attending classes in makeshift classrooms, beside an abandoned school building – one that could have changed their future if only it had been completed.
The team also discovers one of the most overpriced farm-to-market road projects in the Philippines, which was previously flagged in a Senate hearing.
In Zambales, children cross a broken bridge to reach school. In Nueva Ecija, farmers drag their produce through mud, sometimes letting their carabaos swim across rivers or using makeshift rafts to cross.
And in Maguindanao, one of the country’s poorest provinces, doctors and health workers hike through thick mud and slippery trails to bring vaccines and medical aid to residents isolated by inaccessible roads.
“Broken Roads, Broken Promises” is a powerful journey across the Philippines, exposing how corruption erodes not only infrastructure but also trust, dignity, and hope. Through every flooded classroom and muddy road, Dingdong Dantes shares the voices of Filipinos who continue to believe that real progress is possible.
Don’t miss “Broken Roads, Broken Promises: Isang Paglalakbay Kasama si Dingdong Dantes” this Saturday, November 15, at 9:30 p.m. on GMA.
