DPWH, PCCI push ‘green lane’ scheme for legitimate contractors
A program to fast-track approvals for “legitimate” contractors bidding on state projects is in the works, as businesses and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) seek to speed up stalled infrastructure spending.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business group, had proposed a scheme to streamline procurement and contract processing for vetted contractors with clean track records.
If approved, the initiative would operate similarly to the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) “green lane” program, according to PCCI president Ferdinand Ferrer.
“There’s no reason why we can’t do that in the DPWH,” Dizon said at the PCCI’s general membership meeting on Monday, adding that the reform would be “another step forward in rebuilding trust in government.”
Who can get in?
Ferrer said the DPWH would define the criteria for “legitimate” contractors.
Recognizing firms with clean records would help distinguish them from erring companies, he noted, referencing the multibillion-peso graft scandal that has shaken the public works sector since mid-2025.
“‘Yong masamang image is only very few bad apples. Sayang naman ‘yong legitimate contractors (The bad image only applies to a very few bad apples. It would be a waste [to sideline] the legitimate contractors),” Ferrer said.
He added that “no Discayas” or other unscrupulous contractors would be allowed into the scheme.
Ferrer said he would hold further talks with Dizon and coordinate with the DTI and its investment promotion arms, including the Board of Investments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
The framework is expected to be finalized within three months.
More reforms eyed
Dizon said the program was part of a broader DPWH reform drive aimed at restoring credibility and improving efficiency following allegations of systemic corruption in infrastructure spending.
Earlier this month, DPWH launched its Integrity Chain Portal. In its first phase, the platform puts foreign-assisted projects on a blockchain for review by accredited validators.
Dizon noted that reforms must also be made at the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board, which, at the height of the corruption scandal, was placed under the supervision of the DTI as part of a “major cleanup.”
On Feb. 23, the DPWH will sign a memorandum of cooperation with PCCI, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and Mayors for Good Governance to strengthen collaboration in monitoring government projects.
For its part, PCCI is also planning to meet with Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan on March 5 to propose a permanent seat for the private sector in regional development council planning.
“If the private sector has a buy-in on a project, mas malakas ‘yong credibility ng project (then the project would be more credible),” Ferrer said, noting that this would mark a shift from the current setup, where private sector participation is limited to invitations.
