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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tough task for Vince Dizon, but he has the tools--solons

Tough task for Vince Dizon, but he has the tools--solons

Published Sep 1, 2025 11:57 am

At A Glance

  • House of Representatives members recognized on Monday, Sept. 1, the difficult but important task confronting Vince Dizon as the newly-installed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon (Facebook)
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon (Facebook)


House of Representatives members recognized on Monday, Sept. 1, the difficult but important task confronting Vince Dizon as the newly-installed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary.
Bacolod City lone district Rep. Albee Benitez and Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino "Nonoy" Libanan are both hopeful that Dizon is the man for the job.
"Today's appointment of Sec. Vince Dizon to head the Department of Public Works and Highways is a welcome and necessary development that allows the President to clean house at the DPWH," Benitez said in statement.
"Secretary Dizon, coming from outside the entrenched structures of the DPWH, is in a position to look at its problems with a fresh eye," the solon said of the erstwhile Department of Transportation (DOTr) head honcho.
"His track record in quickly addressing the problems in the DOTr gives us confidence that he can restore integrity, transparency, and efficiency to one of the government’s most critical departments," Benitez said.
Libanan, for his part, says the Marcos administration has a rare chance to launch a bold and lasting solution to the country’s worsening flood crisis with Dizon as DPWH chief.
“The change in DPWH leadership opens the door not only to reorganize the agency, but also to reboot and reinvent the government’s entire flood control program,” he said.
The minority leader urged Dizon to immediately conduct a sweeping audit of ongoing and proposed flood control projects to ensure that public funds are invested in works that genuinely protect communities.
“Every peso must go to infrastructure that saves lives and livelihoods, not to questionable projects that merely look good on paper,” the 4Ps Party-list lawmaker stressed.
Long overdue
For Benitez, Manuel Bonoan's resignation as DPWH secretary over the weekend was "long overdue".
"I called for Sec. Bonoan to take a leave of absence early on, and when anomalous and ghost flood control projects came out, I was one of those who demanded his resignation. His stepping down now is long overdue. It is something that should have happened a long time ago," he said.
"When we repeatedly raised the need for Sec. Bonoan to step down, it was precisely to pave the way for new leadership with the competence and credibility to immediately confront the deep-seated systemic issues hounding the agency—especially corruption," he added.
Libanan also renewed his call for President Marcos to convene a National Public-Private Flood Control Summit that would unite government agencies, local governments, business leaders, and experts in addressing flooding nationwide.
“The private sector, as shown by businessman Ramon Ang’s offer to help fix Metro Manila’s flooding problem, is ready to contribute. But the State must boldly lead the effort, because flood control demands both resources and the enforcement of zoning and waterway laws,” he said.
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