(Photo courtesy of DPWH)
Newly-installed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Giovanni ‘Banoy’ Lopez has vowed to carry on with what his predecessor had started in cleansing the agency from the ‘bad eggs’ and reforming the organization that has deteriorated due to deeply-entrenched corruption.
On his assumption as the new public works secretary, Lopez vowed to withhold funding releases for infrastructure projects that lack sufficient supporting documents, including those inserted into the proposed 2027 national budget.
The erstwhile transportation chief announced that under his leadership, the DPWH will require adequate documentation to justify projects before requesting the release of funds even as he cited that allocations for projects that cannot be implemented could end up as wasted public money.
“Ang mindset ko ngayon, mas maganda na hindi mai-release ang pondo rather than it becomes a wastage of funds kasi hindi mo ma-implement, mag-sasavings na lang siya, babalik sa pera ng bayan,” he enthused.
The proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 has faced thorough scrutiny over infrastructure allocations added during House deliberations, with budget watchdogs flagging thousands of projects that allegedly lack supporting documents.
In reaction, Lopez disclosed that President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. had specifically instructed him to institutionalize reforms introduced by his predecessor, ex-Secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ Dizon, who swapped positions with Lopez and is now head of the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
“We have each other’s strengths. At si Secretary Vince po kasi, (d)isruptor iyan. Babaguhin niya talaga iyong bulok na sistema. Ako po kasi I was trained, modesty aside medyo precise, medyo calculated,” he noted.
Right after welcoming Lopez during the turnover at the DPWH, Dizon told reporters that “everyone is in for a big surprise” as the former transportation chief will be prioritizing to make the reforms he started permanent—particularly in budget preparation, procurement, fund disbursement and project implementation.
“Alalahanin po natin ang naging problema dito. Problema sa pagpeprepare ng budget, nagsimula po d’yan. Nagkaproblema sa procurement. Problema rin sa disbursement, sa project implementation,” Lopez pointed out.
“Sa sobrang galing nga nila, nakapag-disburse sila nang malaki wala namang proyekto kaya nga nagka-ghost project. So iyan iyong mga binago at binabago ni Secretary Vince. At ngayon po ang trabaho ko ay gawin itong permanente,” he said further.
Dizon’s heir asserted that all budget allocations should be examined alongside its scope and supporting documents, rather than treated as the sole indicator of irregularity.
“It’s a legitimate question. Ang unang tinitignan is the amount na ilagay, the amount of the budget. Pero kapag nagba-budget ka kasi, ang maayos na preparation of budget, kailangan mayroong mga supporting documents,” he stressed.
These, he explained, include a program of work, feasibility study or master plan, as applicable, as well as a Certificate of Implementability introduced under Dizon’s leadership.
Lopez also cited the Certificate of No Objection, which helps ensure that local government units are consulted about proposed infrastructure projects.
“Ibig sabihin mayroong tamang pakikipag-ugnayan sa lokal na pamahalaan. Para maalam nila na may proyektong ganoon. Kasi minsan hindi alam ng LGU (local government unit) na may proyekto pala. So these are all supporting documents,” he said.
