“The fact that flooding continues to worsen across the country tells us very clearly that a massive revamp of the DPWH should begin right now”
DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon takes over the helm of the agency at a time when it has come under intense scrutiny for anomalous, substandard and ghost flood control projects worth billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money.
Allegations of irregularities in flood control projects have prompted President Marcos Jr. to form an independent commission to investigate collusion among lawmakers, DPWH officials, and contractors.
These projects, after all, are critical to disaster resilience, so any corruption here directly affects public safety.
Numerous reports have surfaced about non-existent or incomplete infrastructure projects that were still marked as “completed” and funded.
The ghost projects are said to often involve collusion between DPWH officials and private contractors, raising serious concerns about bribery and misuse of public funds.
The DPWH has also been roundly criticized for lack of accountability and oversight, as well as weak internal controls, allowing anomalies to persist for years.
Dizon has called for courtesy resignations from over 400 personnel, including undersecretaries, regional directors, and district engineers, to facilitate a full organizational sweep.
What is clear at this point is that the DPWH suffers from public trust deficit. Years of scandals have eroded public confidence in the agency.
The challenge for Dizon is therefore not just administrative, but also repairing reputational damage.
Dizon’s approach is bold: clean house, rebuild trust, and ensure infrastructure spending actually benefits the Filipino people. If he will be able to pull it off, it could be one of the most significant reforms in the agency’s history.
What reforms can we expect from Secretary Dizon?
One is to overhaul the budget and enhance integrity.
He was given just seven days to clean up the proposed ₱881.3 billion DPWH budget for 2026. He has already flagged questionable allocations – like flood control projects in areas that aren’t even flood-prone in the first place and has indicated that is open to cutting funds for corruption-prone items.
Another is to review the Flood Control Master Plan.
Dizon discovered that many flood control projects were not based on the 2014 master plan for Metro Manila and 18 river basins. By realigning projects with actual scientific data and strategic planning, infrastructure could finally become resilient and future-proof.
Still another is ensuring contractor accountability.
Under new management, the DPWH has started freezing payments to contractors with shady records and pushing for warranties and reimbursements for ghost or substandard projects.
This signals a culture shift where contractors are held to higher standards, or else banned entirely.
The DPWH must also undertake a top-to-bottom organizational sweep. Over 400 officials may be replaced or investigated, including district engineers and regional directors.
The anticipated deep clean should be able to dismantle entrenched networks of corruption and open the door for merit-based leadership.
We await the announcement by Malacañang that it has already established an independent commission to investigate flood control anomalies and recommend reforms.
This external review adds a layer of public trust and transparency, especially in high-stakes projects.
What all this means for the government’s infrastructure development program or what’s been called “Build Better More” since the second half of 2022 is that more strategic infrastructure projects that are need-driven rather than greed-motivated would be implemented.
There’s also faster and cleaner execution of infrastructure projects. With better coordination between DPWH and local governments, delays and inefficiencies could be reduced.
As we all know by now, the flood control controversy is a Gordian knot that must be untangled not with kid gloves, but perhaps even with an iron hand, to solve a seemingly intractable problem that involves not only the DPWH but also lawmakers and private contractors acting in cahoots with one another.
With more than half a trillion pesos lost to corruption in flood control projects in the DPWH corruption in flood control projects since 2022, the fact that flooding continues to worsen across the country tells us very clearly that a massive revamp of the DPWH should begin right now. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
