Dizon wants Maharlika Highway obstruction-free for Holy Week
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon ordered on Monday the completion by the end of March of all roadwork and clearing operations being done along Maharlika Highway in preparation for the Holy Week exodus.
At a press briefing, Dizon said that the highway should be ready before Holy Week, as many Filipinos are expected to take advantage of the long break to visit their home provinces.
Uneven sections of Maharlika Highway, he added, would also undergo temporary patching.
From end to end
“No more obstructions, no more ongoing construction. That’s why everyone is in a rush, everyone is scrambling. Because our instruction is, everything should be done before Holy Week 2026. The ongoing work you saw earlier, the re-blocking, the work being done there on the drainage, asphalting, these should all be done.” he added.
“And when Holy Week comes, when our countrymen start traveling, it should be clear, through and through,” Dizon said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary said that after Holy Week, the long-term rehabilitation of Maharlika Highway would take place under three conditions. One, only big-time contractors can join the bidding for the project; two, foreign consultants would be brought on board for their input on international highway standards; and lastly, new technology would be used.
“I will not allow the work to be done on a piecemeal basis by small contractors because that became the root of the problem,” Dizon said.
The Maharlika Highway, the country’s longest road network, which spans over 3,000 kilometers, connects Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Dizon, meanwhile, said that the first phase of the Edsa rehabilitation project is targeted for completion in July.
According to him, the first phase, which covers Roxas Boulevard to Orense in Makati, is already close to 50-percent complete.
“By July 2026, it should be complete with sidewalks,” Dizon said.
The overhaul of Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare started on Dec. 24 last year.
