Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday assured the public that infrastructure projects set for construction in 2026 will be built at fair cost and proper standards.
In a statement, Dizon said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) would focus on delivering roads, bridges, hospitals, and school buildings that are “rightly priced” without compromising quality, speed, and orderliness, amid growing public concern over alleged irregularities in past projects.
“Our priority now is to replicate what we were able to do during recent storms and earthquakes,” Dizon said. “That will be our mantra next year and in the years that follow.”
He cited several recent projects as examples of faster project delivery, including the Piggatan Detour Bridge in Alcala, Cagayan, which was completed in 60 days; the repair of the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo City, Cebu; and the installation of temporary housing units for residents displaced by the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao.
Dizon also said the renovation of school buildings in Masbate damaged by Typhoon Opong, the partial reopening of the San Juanico Bridge to heavy vehicles, and the reconstruction of a section of the Bukidnon–Davao Road in Sitio Kipolot, Quezon, Bukidnon, are scheduled for completion by Jan. 6.
“So that’s possible — the price can be right, it can be fast, and it can be quality,” Dizon said.
The assurances come as the DPWH has been drawn into investigations over alleged large-scale irregularities in flood control projects implemented in recent years.
The controversy has triggered protests, prompted the resignation of several government officials, and led to the filing of complaints against some legislators, DPWH officials, and contractors.
