Crissa Tolentino has long been resigned to floods as a way of life.

The 36-year-old public school teacher takes a paddle boat through the inundated streets nearly every day. It's the only way to travel from her home in the suburbs to the heart of Apalit, a low-lying town near the Philippine capital Manila.

The boat takes her to work, and to the clinic where she is being treated for cancer. She says she only sees dry streets for about two months in the year.

But this year she is very angry.

An unusually fierce monsoon has derailed daily life more than ever in the Southeast Asian nation, and sparked anger and allegations about corruption in flood control projects.

The rains have stranded millions mid-commute, left cars floating in streets that have turned into rivers, and caused outbreaks of leptospirosis, a liver ailment that spreads through the excrement of sewer rats.

I feel betrayed, Ms Tolentino says. I work hard, I don't spend too much and taxes are deducted from my salary every month. Then I learn that billions in our taxes are being enjoyed by corrupt politicians.

This charge resonates across the Philippines, where people are questioning why the government cannot adequately address the flooding with the billions of pesos poured into infrastructure like roads, bridges, and embankments.

The anger has spilled onto social media, targeting lawmakers and construction tycoons accused of winning contracts for ghost projects that never materialize. President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr acknowledged the challenge during his visit to a flood control dam that he later found did not exist, leading to public suspicion about how funds were allocated.

As public scrutiny deepens, many are turning their outrage against the children of wealthy politicians, dubbed nepo babies>, whose lavish lifestyles starkly contrast with the suffering of ordinary citizens.

This rage has resulted in planned anti-corruption protests, set for September 21, commemorating the day back in 1972 when Ferdinand Marcos Sr imposed martial law during his dictatorship.

Filipinos have a historic context for such uprisings; previous anti-corruption sentiments brought down two presidents, suggesting a significant potential for change as citizens demand accountability.