The newly appointed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon gave the agency 60 days to conduct an internal cleansing.
Dizon emphasized that his top priority is the total clean-up within the department, to which he has directed all officials, from top posts in the central office down to the district level, to submit their courtesy resignations.
This move aims to ensure the integrity of government projects and public funds, as the agency is currently under public scrutiny due to the ongoing investigation into anomalies in flood control projects.
“In any organization, there are problematic members. And the process of weeding out the bad and replacing them with the good is the process that any organization or all organizations have to go through at some point,” Dizon said, emphasizing the need for reform within the agency.
Dizon firmly believed that the DPWH needs to undergo a cleansing process to evolve and regain the trust of the people.
“It is a difficult process, but it is a necessary process,” he said, acknowledging that implementing internal reforms is not an easy task, but stressing their importance. He also explained that while the process of cleansing and restructuring may be difficult, it is necessary for building strong, trustworthy institutions over time.
“We are giving ourselves 60 days maximum to be able to see how best we can reorganize, and hopefully after 30 to 60 days we will have an organization we feel would be ready to take on these challenges and move forward,” the secretary added, expressing optimism about the agency’s ability to improve and rebuild trust.
According to Dizon, the upcoming 60-day period of internal cleansing would be challenging. He compared it to any process of reorganization or institutional evolution, noting that such transitions are always difficult. However, he reiterated that despite the difficulty, the process is necessary for the growth and improvement of the agency.
He also stated long-term institutional integrity is only achieved through sustained efforts to correct internal issues and uphold accountability.
Moreover, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has granted DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon the authority to impose a lifetime ban on contractors proven to have carried out nonexistent or substandard flood control projects.
