Brian Poe points out DPWH's institutional lapses, but cuts newbie Dizon some slack

Manila Bulletin

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe underscored the long-standing "institutional lapses" in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) even as he hailed newly-installed Secretary Vince Dizon's efforts to correct the situation. (Video courtesy of House of Representatives)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/18/brian-poe-points-out-dpwhs-institutional-lapses-but-cuts-newbie-dizon-some-slack  Join this channel to get access to perks:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5664f6TkaeHgwBly50DWZQ/join   Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin   Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin  Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin   #ManilaBulletinOnline  #ManilaBulletin  #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00Maraming salamat, Mr. Chair.

00:02Mr. Chair, I first want to applaud the DPWH Secretary

00:08kasi siya mismo ang bumababa, siya mismo ang nagtatanong

00:13sa mga local government officials, sa mga kababayan natin

00:16kung ano yung mga issue sa mga projects that are being implemented poorly

00:21at ramdam yan ang mga kababayan natin.

00:24So along those lines, I want to ask some questions regarding

00:27the ongoing investigation.

00:30Mr. Secretary, how many cases have been prepared so far?

00:37Before you reply, Mr. Secretary, let me just interject.

00:41I hope with your permission and indulgence, kung okay lang po,

00:45magkaroon na lang tayo ng working lunch kasi anyway,

00:48magbe-break naman tayo ng 2.30 or 2.45 for expediency's sake.

00:55Absolutely po, Mr. Chair.

00:56Thank you very much.

00:56No problem po.

00:57Kahit wala na pong lunch, okay lang po.

01:01Yes, so returning to the question, ilan po ba yung mga kaso na na-handa po natin?

01:08Opo.

01:09In the two weeks that we've been here po, we have filed one case.

01:14We filed it against 26 individuals last week, last Thursday.

01:19We are preparing, as of the moment, three more cases, as of the moment.

01:27But we are currently in the process of investigating more than 100 projects nationwide.

01:34No, um, ngayon po na natayo na ang ICI, kami po ngayon ay nakikipag-coordinate na sa ICI para sa future filing of new cases.

01:46No, and, uh, based on my discussions po with the ICI in the past few days, ang goal po is that tugui-tugui po ang pagpafile, and we are targeting po ng at least one case every week ang ipafile.

02:02At least.

02:04At least one case every week, and did I hear that right?

02:07Over 100 projects are being investigated at the moment.

02:11Opo, and I think dadami pa po yan.

02:14Sa dami ng mga nagsusumite, hindi lamang sa amin, kundi pati na rin sa isumbong sa Pangulo website.

02:20Dun sa mga complaints po natin, what year to what year are those complaints coming from?

02:27Iba-iba po, Mr. Chair, no?

02:29Minsan po, marami po dito, pati po yung previous administration sa years 2017, 2018, 2019, pero meron din pong mga nagpapadala ng mga reklamo nila at sumbong nila.

02:47Ito pong mga recent, katulad pong itong mga nakaraang binisita natin sa Bulacan, kahapon sa La Union, etc.

02:55At sa mga susunod na araw din po, pati po sa Quezon City, e meron po tayong bibisitahin dahil po dun sa press conference ni Mayor Joy Belmonte kahapon.

03:04So out of the 100...

03:05Spanning at least the past couple of years, and dun din po sa EO ng Pangulo, ang mandato po niya ay the past 10 years.

03:14So the past 10 years, we've been receiving, we have complaints from projects spanning 10 years, no?

03:20Dito sa 100 projects that we're currently investigating, what year seems to have the most projects in question?

03:28Hindi ko pa po masasabi kung ano ang ano, pero spread out po ito, e.

03:36No, meron pong mga 22, 23, 24, meron din pong mga iba na 2018, kagaya po nung binisita ng ating Pangulo sa Baguio, 2018 po yun.

03:49Meron din pong earlier than that, no?

03:52At meron din pong, even during the pandemic, meron din po tayong mga nakukuwang mga reklamo.

03:57So ano po ito, no?

03:59At talagang napakarami po, no?

04:00Kaya nga po, no?

04:01Mabuti pong nagsimula na rin po ang trabaho ng ICI para po meron tayong katulong at katuwang dito.

04:07Mr. Chair, I want to highlight this for the record that the cases spanned from 2017 all the way up until 2024,

04:16and more recently, the projects that are being investigated in Bulacan and La Union.

04:22My point being, this has been an institutional problem that we're trying to correct.

04:26Mr. Chair, if I may ask the good secretary, do you have any particular reforms that you want to highlight in the DPWH

04:34that our kababayans listening online can proudly listen to?

04:39Actually, marami po tayong naiisip, no?

04:44At marami tayong gustong i-implement.

04:47Our only, I guess our only, right now what we are dealing with is number one,

04:57pagpasok ko po dito two weeks ago, exactly two weeks ago,

05:02is na-bombard na po tayo ng napakaraming mga reklamo

05:07na nagsimula na rin po sa mga sumbong na pinadala sa ating pangulubismo.

05:12Kaya po, medyo nauubos po ang oras natin ngayon sa pag-iimbestiga

05:16ng mga kasong at proyektong rini-report sa atin.

05:21So, tingin ko po, ang una pong order of business natin ngayon

05:25is kailangan i-address natin itong mga reklamong ito.

05:29Number one po yun.

05:31Because we have to make people accountable.

05:34At yun na po ang ginagawa natin,

05:36katulong na rin ngayon ng bagong tayong ICI.

05:40Kaya po, meron na tayong final na unang kaso.

05:43Sa aking pagkakaalam, meron pong panibagong kaso na ipafile this week,

05:47ang ICI, nabigay na po namin ang mga dokumento para sa kasong iyon.

05:53At sa mga susunod na linggo, tuloy-tuloy po ito.

05:56And this will involve multiple personalities,

05:59both from within the department and outside of the department.

06:04Parallel to that, nagsisimula na rin po tayong pag-aralan ng mabuti

06:08ang mga proseso sa DPWH.

06:11Dahil sa ating pag-i-inspect, sa ating pagkakausap sa mga tao mismo

06:18na nasa baba, pati na rin po ang ating mga local government officials,

06:22ang ating mga provincial officials,

06:24may nakikita na po tayong mga red flag na kailangan natin i-address.

06:30Halimbawa po, yung nasabi ko kanina,

06:32marami po sa mga proyektong iniimbestigahan natin ngayon,

06:36ay simulat sa pool pa lamang, e wala man lang ni plano.

06:39No, una pong red flag yun.

06:42Dapat po, wala pong nakakalusot na proyekto

06:45na ginalagyan ng pondo sa budget

06:48na iniimplement, pinapabid, na wala man lang plano.

06:53Ngayon lang po ako nakakita ng departamento

06:56na nagkakaroon ng budget

06:58at naawardan ng proyekto

07:01na wala man lang engineering plan.

07:04No, wala pa po ako nakikitang gano'n.

07:08At talaga po ako'y nasa-shock na nangyayari po ito

07:11sa loob ng BPWH.

07:13That needs to be addressed immediately.

07:16And it should not be difficult to address it, Mr. Chairman.

07:19No, kung i-require lang po natin

07:21na lahat ng proyektong bago ipasok sa budget,

07:25e dapat may klarong plano,

07:29e hindi po mangyayari ito.

07:30Pero mukhang hindi po yun ang nangyayari ngayon.

07:32At marami pa pong iba,

07:34na ito nga po nag-issue na po tayo

07:36ng interim guidelines for public procurement

07:40na ginabas natin nung isang araw.

07:42Lahat po ito ay hindi bago,

07:44lahat po ito ay requirement

07:45sa ating mga batas at regulasyon ngayon,

07:48including the recently passed

07:49Amended Government Procurement Act.

07:53Pero po, hindi po ito ginagawa.

07:55At hindi po ito strictly enforced.

07:58Sa lahat ng levels ng departamento,

08:00kailangan po ito ay strictly enforced.

08:03At kung hindi po ito sundin,

08:06meron po dapat klarong consequence

08:10ang hindi pagsunod dito.

08:12Yun po ay ginawa na natin klaro

08:13sa ating memorandum dated

08:16nung Monday, September 15,

08:19which I will provide po copies of

08:21to the Honorable Committee.

08:22Pero hindi pa po tayo pwedeng uminto dyan.

08:24Marami pa pong, ano, no?

08:25Pwede po tayong baguhin.

08:28At again po,

08:29we will be very, very open

08:32to hearing suggestions

08:33from the members of the Honorable Committee

08:35para po talagang once and for all

08:37maginis na po natin itong mga prosesong ito.

08:39Mr. Chair,

08:42to the credit of the Secretary,

08:44I do believe he's acting on the red flags

08:46that he discussed earlier

08:48because if I'm not mistaken,

08:50may mga locally funded projects

08:52na pinitigil muna

08:53to inspect.

08:56What is the current

08:57utilization rate

08:58of the Department?

09:00Kasi siyempre, baka maapektuhan

09:02ang utilization rate

09:03dahil sa suspensions na ito.

09:05Ito po, I will just read the facts, no?

09:12The current

09:12budget utilization rate

09:16is only 33%.

09:19And again,

09:20this was actually

09:22one of the considerations we made

09:23while we were visiting.

09:25Although, siyempre po,

09:26given the limited time

09:27that we were given,

09:28hindi po natin abusisiga at ito, no?

09:31Pero,

09:32I think this needs

09:33a lot of improvement.

09:35Ang obligation rate,

09:37ito po yung

09:37naiintindihan mo natin ito

09:39as contracts being awarded

09:41ay 66%.

09:44Ang disbursement rate,

09:46ito po ang pagbayad, no?

09:47Pag-release ng pondo

09:48ay nasa 22% lang po.

09:51So, hindi po ito mataas.

09:55Ito po ay as of June 30, 2025,

09:58kailangan pong pataasin ito.

10:00Dito na po tayo pumapasok din,

10:01hindi lamang sa

10:02kung magkano ang budget

10:04ng departamento,

10:04pero kung papano ka-efficient

10:08ang paggamit

10:09ng departamento ng budget,

10:10which I think

10:11also needs to be

10:13a major consideration

10:14kapag humihingi po tayo

10:17every year ng budget

10:18sa Kongreso.

10:20Mr. Chair,

10:21the reason why I ask this

10:22is to the credit

10:23of the Secretary

10:24and to the administration,

10:2622% ang disbursement rate,

10:29which means there's still funds,

10:30there's still projects

10:31that are being monitored

10:33closely in this budget.

10:35It's safe to say

10:35that the 2025 budget

10:37is probably the closest

10:39monitored implementation

10:40in DPWH's history

10:43because of the public outcry

10:45of our kababayans

10:46and the swift action

10:48of the administration

10:49and our secretary.

10:50Is this correct?

10:52This is what we will strive to do po.

10:54Ang sabi po ng Pangulaw

10:56nung bago po ako umupo,

11:00kailangan pong imonitor

11:01ng maigi

11:01ang pag-implement

11:03ng mga proyekto.

11:04Sad to say,

11:05what I have seen so far

11:06is very lacking.

11:08No, talaga pong

11:09itong mga proyektong

11:11ating in-inspect,

11:14hindi po talaga

11:15na-monitor

11:15ito ng maigi.

11:16Kaya isa po ito

11:17sa mga kayangang

11:17ayusin po natin,

11:19kailangan po natin

11:21humingi ng tulong

11:23sa ating local stakeholders

11:25dahil po,

11:26as of the latest count,

11:29I think 25,000 po

11:30ang ongoing projects

11:31ng DPWH ngayon.

11:34Physically impossible pong

11:35i-monitor yan

11:35kung DPWH.

11:36So we will need

11:38to put in systems,

11:39we need to use technology,

11:42we need the help

11:43of our local stakeholders,

11:44civil society groups,

11:46our local government units,

11:48our provincial governments

11:50to really help us monitor this.

11:52Kasi napakarami pong

11:53mga proyekto nito.

11:54Better for our kababayans

11:56listening online,

11:58Mr. Secretary,

11:59it's safe to say

11:59with 78% still to be dispersed,

12:02we can still save

12:04and implement the projects

12:05properly for 2020.

12:062025.

12:07Yun po ang gagawin natin,

12:08Mr. Chairman.

12:10Okay, moving on

12:11to my next question.

12:13In the 2026 budget naman po,

12:16you mentioned earlier

12:17that there are still

12:18some foreign-assisted

12:19flood control projects.

12:21I have here a copy of the NEP.

12:24Nakalagay dito may 1.2 billion pesos pa rin

12:27sa Metro Manila

12:28for flood control projects.

12:31Regarding these projects,

12:32I had my office compile

12:34the five-year historical rainfall data

12:37and flood data from NOAA

12:39because I know you just came into office

12:41so baka you're still catching up

12:43with all the data.

12:44We wanted to put it together.

12:46We will furnish a copy to DPWH

12:48because

12:48ang dami dito sa Metro Manila

12:50nagko-complain

12:52sa kanilang mga lugar,

12:53taon-taon may baha.

12:55Kaya we wanted to have

12:57this data ready for you

12:58para you can take action agad

13:00on these issues.

13:01Regarding the rest of the country,

13:03because we only had so much time

13:05to prepare this for you,

13:06Mr. Secretary,

13:07how is our coordination

13:09with Project NOAA

13:10to make sure that

13:11our data is accurate

13:13for the 15 billion pesos

13:16that will be spent?

13:18For the foreign-assisted projects po,

13:20na 15.7 billion,

13:22very close po ang coordination natin.

13:25With the OST,

13:28with Project NOAA,

13:29and also with the funding agencies

13:30to make sure

13:32that the projects,

13:35the foreign-assisted flood control projects

13:37are really very responsive

13:39to the needs of the communities

13:41where these projects

13:42are going to be built.

13:43I think we have to really

13:45learn from the experience

13:47of these foreign-assisted projects

13:50in also implementing later on.

13:53Since wala po tayo munang

13:54bagong flood control project

13:56for 2026,

13:58I think important po

13:59matuto tayo sa mga lessons

14:01at sa mga best practices

14:02natin sa foreign-assisted projects

14:05na talagang may tamang pag-aaral,

14:08may tamang plano,

14:10at lahat po ng project

14:11ay base sa data

14:13kung paano talaga

14:15imitigate

14:16ang pagbabaha sa mga era

14:18kung saan itatayo ang mga projects nito.

14:21So,

14:21maraming salamat,

14:23Mr. Chair,

14:24kasi po,

14:25any data that you can provide us

14:27in addition to what we already have

14:29for the foreign-assisted projects

14:30will be very welcome po.

14:32Maraming salamat po.

14:33And for our kababayans

14:35that are worried,

14:36kasi this,

14:36I believe,

14:37is the lowest flood control budget

14:39that DPWH

14:41has ever submitted to Congress.

14:44I believe so,

14:44Mr. Chairman.

14:45And also,

14:46one of the lowest,

14:47I think,

14:47in the past six years

14:49or five years.

14:51It's the lowest DPWH budget

14:53since 2020.

14:55But this is important

14:56for our kababayans here

14:58because they're worried

14:59about the efficiency

15:00and wastage

15:01of government funds.

15:03So,

15:03dapat malaman nila yun.

15:05But aside from that also,

15:07yung mga kababayan natin

15:08in areas that regularly flood,

15:10they may be worried

15:11na baka wala nang pondo

15:13para sa kanilang mga lugar.

15:15I know that the Secretary

15:16will be using funds

15:18from 2024, 2025

15:19that is still

15:21yet to be dispersed.

15:23Can you tell us

15:24how much funding

15:26they still have

15:27to be implemented

15:28properly by DPWH?

15:34Mr. Chair,

15:35if I may just request

15:37for a few seconds

15:38to get some amounts.

15:43While I'm waiting

15:44for the exact amount,

15:45Mr. Chair,

15:46let me just say,

15:46tama po si

15:47Congressman po

15:49na marami po pong pondo

15:51na unutilized

15:52since 20,

15:54even as far back

15:55as 2024,

15:55na hindi pa nagagamit.

15:58Kaya po,

15:58I think,

15:59yung prinsipyo po

16:00ng efficient utilization

16:02ng budget

16:04ay kailangan po talaga

16:05maging napaka-importanting basihan

16:08kapag ang isang ahensya

16:09tulad ng DPWH

16:10ay bumabalik sa Kongreso

16:12taon-taon

16:13para humingi ng pondo.

16:14The departments need to be judged

16:16not just

16:17on the budget proposal

16:19that they have made

16:20but also,

16:21more importantly,

16:22I think,

16:22on how efficiently

16:23and how effectively

16:25they have utilized,

16:26we have utilized

16:27the funding

16:29that we got

16:30from Congress

16:31over the past

16:32couple of years.

16:33So,

16:33let me just guess

16:35a rough number.

16:38How much?

16:39I estimate.

16:40Mr. Chairman,

16:49pwede ko buuwa kayong barikan

16:50at I don't want

16:51to give a figure

16:52na inaccurate.

16:54Babalikan po kayo

16:55how much is still left

16:58from 24, 25

17:00based on the records

17:03of the DPWH.

17:04Mr. Chair,

17:05so moving on quickly

17:06kasi limited din po

17:07yung oras natin.

17:09Another complaint

17:10for Kababayans

17:11are the road infrastructure.

17:13Na taon-taon,

17:14we do the same roads

17:15over and over again.

17:16Are there any safeguards

17:18or measures

17:18we're putting in place?

17:19Are we upping the standard

17:21for the asphalt

17:22or concrete that's used

17:23so we don't always

17:24have to reblock?

17:25Kasama po yan

17:27sa mga reforma

17:28ang i-introduce natin.

17:30Sabi nga po ng Pangulo,

17:32ang kanyang programa

17:32ay Build Better More.

17:35Ibig sabihin,

17:36we don't just build

17:37but we have to build better

17:39and better means

17:40better quality.

17:42And unfortunately,

17:44sad to say,

17:46yung quality ho

17:46ng marami sa ating

17:47mga roads

17:48is one thing.

17:50And we really need to

17:51not just ensure

17:52that money is well spent

17:54and disbursed efficiently

17:56but we also have to make sure

17:58that the projects

17:58are of high quality standard.

18:03Unfortunately,

18:04hindi po yun

18:04ang nakikita natin

18:05dito sa mga

18:06inspections natin

18:08itong mga nakaraang linggo.

18:09Mr. Chair,

18:10just to recap

18:11for the committee.

18:13One,

18:14the Secretary says

18:15that there are over

18:16100 projects

18:17that are being investigated

18:18which span

18:19multiple Congresses,

18:21multiple administrations

18:22over the past 10 years.

18:24Two,

18:25there are

18:25suspended projects

18:27that have red flags

18:28which are being studied

18:29at the moment

18:30so that funds

18:31can be used properly

18:32because

18:33according to the Secretary,

18:3422% pa lang

18:36ang disbursement

18:37so there's still 78%

18:38to be dispersed

18:39for the rest of the year.

18:41Three,

18:42regarding the flooding

18:43in Metro Manila,

18:45this representation

18:46has submitted

18:46to the Secretary

18:47and his team

18:48five-year historical data

18:50from NOAA

18:51to help supplement

18:52their studies

18:54and then

18:54moving on

18:55to the lowest

18:57flood control

18:59and DPWH budget

19:01in recent Congresses.

19:04And lastly,

19:06there is a commitment

19:07from the Secretary

19:08that they will up

19:09the standards

19:10for our roads

19:11here in the Philippines.

19:13With that,

19:14Mr. Chair,

19:14I thank the Secretary

19:15for his efforts

19:16to correct

19:17the problems

19:19and issues

19:20that we face

19:20here today.

19:22Maraming salamat po.

19:23Thank you very much.

19:34Thank you very much.

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