Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said he will no longer allow small-time contractors to handle the rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway.
Dizon stressed over the weekend that only large “quadruple-A” firms have the financial and technical capacity to fully rebuild the aging national road.
He said smaller contractors have been limited to patchwork repairs, often addressing isolated potholes instead of undertaking comprehensive reconstruction.
“To fix the deteriorating national road once and for all, the big guns need to step in. They have the financial capability and technical expertise to properly implement projects. They will not compromise quality, and they will not be delayed,” he said.
The more than 3,000-kilometer Maharlika Highway is a key transport corridor linking Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Its rehabilitation, scheduled to start this year, has been identified as a priority by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to improve mobility and reduce travel time.
Dizon said several major construction firms have expressed interest in participating in the highway overhaul and in building additional classrooms nationwide.
Among the quadruple-A contractors he met this week were DMCI, EEI Corp., Megawide Construction Corp., Makati Development Corp., Hillmarc’s Construction Corp., DATEM Inc., CM Pancho Construction Inc., AG&P, and Sta. Clara International Corp.
He noted that many of these firms typically avoid bidding for regular DPWH projects—except for large foreign-assisted undertakings—due to concerns about alleged corruption in some government contracts.
The DPWH is considering assigning at least one major contractor per region, initially tapping four to five firms.
Priority areas include Region 4A, particularly Quezon and the Andaya Highway, as well as sections in Albay, Samar—where road conditions are among the worst—and Northern Mindanao.
Dizon emphasized that despite early engagement with large firms, all projects will still undergo the required public bidding process.
Meanwhile, contractors also signified interest in helping address the country’s classroom backlog, estimated at around 165,000 units.
Dizon said they proposed using precast components to speed up construction, instead of the traditional on-site hollow-block method.
He said he will meet the group again next month to present detailed plans and seek their formal commitment to participate.
