Newly-appointed Public Works and Highways Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon started his tenure at the DPWH with a bang, ordering the courtesy resignations of all national and regional officials of the agency and seeking an immigration lookout order for several officials and contractors, including Sarah and Curlee Discaya. This follows his oath-taking on Monday, September 1, after former DPWH Sec. Manuel Bonoan resigned from his post amid public backlash over the agency’s flood control controversy.
In a press briefing at the Malacañang, Dizon explained that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s marching order for the former transportation secretary was to “clean up the DPWH.”
“Papaano po nabayaran ang isang proyekto na guni-guni lang, na wala naman talaga? Mayroon po sa DPWH na nagpabayad doon,” Dizon said. “Ang utos ng ating pangulo, hanapin ‘yong mga ‘yon, tanggalin sa puwesto, at kasuhan.”
He added that he will impose a “lifetime blacklisting” policy and order a “sweeping revamp” of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), which, while attached to the Department of Trade and Industry, is also involved in the flood control projects.
Dizon also plans to scrap the task force Bonoan set up to investigate agency officials and employees. “Hindi ako naniniwala na ang organisasyon ay dapat imbestigahin ang sarili niya. Hindi ata tama ‘yon,” he told reporters.
In leading the DPWH, Dizon leaves the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to its new secretary, Giovanni Lopez, who previously served as the agency’s undersecretary for administration, finance, and procurement.
Public Transportation and BCDA
It is unclear as of now whether Dizon was reappointed to the DPWH solely to clean up its mess or if he will pursue long-term projects in the agency. If he truly advocates for radical improvements in the country’s public transportation systems, the DPWH may bring him closer to his goals.
In an agency concerned with roads and highways — and therefore cars and other modes of private transportation — Dizon is in a position not only to improve the country’s public infrastructure, but also to orient the DPWH’s projects towards sustainability and making roads more beneficial for the 94 percent of Filipino households that don’t own cars.
In his six-month tenure as transportation secretary, Dizon has shown himself to be a proactive leader with a finger on the Filipino commuters’ pulse.
In April, he promised to push for the Active Transportation Strategic Master Plan, which aims to establish a framework to make transportation better for pedestrians and cyclists. While budgetary constraints limit the project in its scope, the DOTr has made notable improvements to Metro Manila’s rail system, from adding more trains on the MRT-3 line to serve more passengers to installing turnstiles that accept payments via GCash.
He also announced major rehabilitations to EDSA, including replacing 200 kilometers of pavement and enhancing pedestrian safety. However, in June, Marcos ordered the indefinite suspension of the rehabilitation as the plans would have caused heavy traffic and inconvenience to commuters.
Before his work with the DOTr, Dizon was already involved in national development projects. During the Duterte administration, he was appointed president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the government-owned corporation mandated to convert old U.S. military bases for civilian use.
He pursued former President Rodrigo Duterte’s plans to decongest Metro Manila by developing the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. There, he prioritized the expansion of Clark International Airport and the development of New Clark City, which included a sports hub for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
In 2019, Dizon was also appointed presidential adviser for Duterte’s flagship infrastructure program, Build, Build, Build.
