Reforming the DPWH, finally

The people’s attention in the past several months has been focused largely on the massive flood control corruption scandal, which is not surprising considering the scale of stealing of taxpayers’ money by unscrupulous lawmakers, government officials, and private contractors. However, buried in the news are the reforms now being undertaken to plug the root causes of the corruption.

The country’s economic growth slumped to a post-pandemic low of 3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from the already disappointing 3.9 percent in the previous quarter. This was in large part due to the big decline in government infrastructure spending and Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan admitted that the flood control corruption scandal has weighed on business and consumer confidence.

It is therefore heartening to hear that government infrastructure spending, specifically by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), will finally improve this quarter to reach between P200 billion and P250 billion. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon cited “concrete reforms” that are already in place, including a shift in the DPWH’s focus toward long-delayed road upkeep and maintenance, as well as the completion of stalled projects nationwide. “For infrastructure spending, which is critical, our goal is not just to spend more, but to spend more wisely—to spend on the right things,” he pointed out.

‘Green lane’ program

Several key reforms have indeed been initiated by Dizon to assure the public that there will no longer be “ghost” and substandard projects moving forward. One of these is a program to fast-track approvals for “legitimate” contractors bidding on government projects. Dizon announced last week that the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s biggest business group, had proposed a scheme to streamline procurement and contract processing for vetted contractors with clean track records, which will operate like the Department of Trade and Industry’s “green lane” program.

Recognizing firms with clean records will help distinguish them from erring companies, including those involved in the multibillion-peso graft scandal that has shaken the public works sector since July 2025. As PCCI president Ferdinand Ferrer noted, “the bad image only applies to a very few bad apples. It would be a waste to sideline the legitimate contractors.” Ferrer said the DPWH will define the criteria for “legitimate” contractors and the framework is expected to be finalized within three months.

Massive recruitment program

This is just 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, a publicly accessible blockchain-powered ledger of the agency’s projects and contracts, to promote transparency. This week, the DPWH will also 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.

Dizon is also professionalizing the agency, citing a new department order that will make the appointments and promotions of DPWH officials “performance-based” rather than reliant on political referrals. The performance of regional directors, district engineers, assistant district engineers, and other agency officials will be measured using three criteria: timely and quality completion of projects, timely and quality repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, including flood control structures, and quick response to damage from man-made and natural disasters.

In order to further address corruption within the agency, the DPWH announced in December 2025 that it will be conducting a massive recruitment program this year, hoping that the new recruits will reform the department from within.

A permanent seat

Dizon said the agency will be holding job fairs in several universities as well as schools outside Metro Manila to recruit new engineers and accountants who will fill about 2,000 vacant positions. “We need fresh blood. We need young, dynamic, idealistic people to join DPWH,” he said.

But aside from the DPWH, Dizon has noted that reforms must also be made at the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), which issues the license required of all contractors bidding for government infrastructure projects. PCAB’s officials were allegedly involved in the anomalous sale of licenses.

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The PCCI, for its part, is also planning to meet with 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, then the project would be more credible,” Ferrer said.

Succeeding in all these reforms, the DPWH, through Dizon, will prove to the people that there is still hope in cleansing the government of and set an example for other agencies equally perceived as corrupt. And there are many of them.

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