Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon announced on Tuesday, that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will engage the country’s biggest and most reputable contractors for the full rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway to ensure faster completion and higher construction quality.

In a press conference, Dizon said that the move follows the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to complete the rehabilitation of the country’s main north–south highway within two years, stressing that only contractors with proven capacity for large-scale projects will be considered.

“Typically, they do not join government projects kung sasali sila governments projects usually sasali sila sa foreign assisted projects like the subways ng DOTr. Bihira sila o they never joined DPWH projects,” Dizon said, referring to the country’s top construction firms.

According to the DPWH chief, the agency will move away from hiring small contractors and instead prioritize well-known companies capable of handling complex, nationwide infrastructure works. He noted that he has already spoken with some of these major contractors, who have expressed interest in supporting the administration’s priority projects.

“I spoke to them, I want to meet them maybe this week or next week and they have expressed interest to help out in the major projects, the priorities of the President, the highest priority of which is Daang Maharlika,” Dizon said.

He emphasized that tapping large contractors would help guarantee both speed and quality in the rehabilitation works.

“Kung sila ang gagawa nito, makasisiguro tayo na mabilis at more importantly makakasiguro tayo sa quality ng gagawin,” he said.

Dizon underscored that the government aims for a long-term solution rather than temporary repairs.

He said the highway must be properly designed to withstand heavy rains and the constant passage of large trucks, noting that “band-aid solutions” that deteriorate after a few months are no longer acceptable to the President.

While the comprehensive rehabilitation may take slightly longer due to more careful planning and design, Dizon said engineers believe the results will be more durable.

He expressed optimism that the most critical and consistently damaged sections of the Maharlika Highway—from Northern Luzon to Mindanao—could be rehabilitated before the end of President Marcos’ term, possibly as early as late 2027.

Earlier, Dizon said the full rehabilitation of Daang Maharlika is expected to be completed before the end of 2027.

He added that the project is among the top infrastructure priorities of the Marcos administration, given its vital role in connecting regions and sustaining economic activities across the country.