Ninong Ry Speaks Out on Flooding & Corruption in Flood Control Projects
NINONG RY – Food vlogger Ninong Ry opened up about his lifelong struggle with floods, linking the recurring devastation to deep-rooted corruption in flood control projects.
Malabon food vlogger Ninong Ry used his platform at the Trillion Peso March to put a personal face on the country’s persistent flooding problem — and to call out the corruption he believes helped cause it.
The content creator, who posted photos of his flooded kitchen and living room after heavy rains in July, has since shared plans to move his studio. In a lengthy Facebook message on Sunday, September 21, he laid out how floods have shaped his life and the lives of many Filipinos he knows.
“Buong buhay ko, binabaha na kami. Mahirap, pero naging parte na ng buhay namin. Akala ko parte lang talaga ng buhay. Natutunan naming tanggapin. Natutunan naming mag adapt. Natutunan naming lunukin na lang ang sama ng loob kasi wala, ganun talaga eh.“
Ninong Ry said the light tone he adopts in his online posts masks a deeper pain. He described countless moments of starting over after a deluge — replacing appliances, fixing motorcycles, and grieving lost family albums. “Nakikita nyo sa mga post namin tungkol sa baha na parang tinatawanan lang namin. Na para bang sanay na sanay na kame. Na para bang ok lang. Ang totoo, hinde. Naiiyak ako sa napakaraming pagkakataon na kinailangan ko ulit na magsimula. Bili ng bagong gamit. Pagawa ng motor. Mga family album na inanod. Malaki ang perang nawawala tuwing baha pero pucha, hindi lahat nabibili ng pera.”
He recalled a terrifying moment when his wife had just given birth and their home was flooded so badly that he tried to calm her while watching irreplaceable possessions float away. “Nung kakapanganak lang ng misis ko, binaha kame ng matinde. Ako bilang sanay na, pinapakalma ko siya pero ang totoo. Nababaliw na din ako… Isa, dalawang beses, baka ok lang e. Minsan delubyo talaga. Pero yung ganto? Yung paulit ulit na? Di natin deserve to.”
Anger and sorrow intensified when Ninong Ry learned about alleged misallocated budgets intended to prevent such disasters. “Tas biglang lalabas ang issue na ang lintik na budget pala para hindi maranasan tong mga bagay na to e napunta lang sa mga taong sakim? Ang sakit sa loob ko. Ang sakit sa loob natin.”
He closed by expressing weary hope for accountability and change while demanding better for ordinary Filipinos. “Hindi deserve ng Pilipino to. Hindi natin deserve na paulit ulit anurin. Hindi. Pinagdadasal ko na sana kung sino man ang mga taong nasa likod nito e magbayad… Tama na to. Hindi natin deserve to. Ayusin nyo to. Hindi namin deserve to.”
READ ALSO: Ninong Ry’s Home in Malabon Flooded Due to Typhoon Carina