The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) will strengthen its partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to uphold fair bidding process in the agency’s infrastructure projects in lieu of corruption issues.

The PCC said it entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DPWH on Thursday, Oct. 23, to strengthen inter-agency coordination in promoting fair competition and integrity.

The country’s competition watchdog said the collaboration will primarily focus on the DPWH’s public procurement and infrastructure development.

PCC Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo said this agreement reflects both agencies’ commitment to make public infrastructure fair, transparent, and competitive.

“This MOA is about more than policy coordination. It is about nation-building through fair competition,” said Aguinaldo.

“It is about ensuring that our roads and bridges are built not just with concrete and steel, but with integrity and trust,” he added.

In particular, the MOA formalizes cooperation between the PCC and DPWH in detecting anti-competitive behavior in public works projects, especially bid-rigging and abuse of dominance.

The agreement aims to establish mechanisms for case referrals, joint investigations, policy coordination, and capacity-building programs.

In this regard, the two agencies have pledged to pursue timely notification of relevant concerns and to conduct proactive monitoring of market activities.

Through a collaborative review, the PCC will review the DPWH’s policies to ensure its alignment with the Philippine Competition Act (PCA), the National Competition Policy, and other applicable laws.

“The MOA also enables the formation of joint task forces and logistical support for investigations, including access to procurement data and field coordination,” the PCC said.

“The MOA also outlines protocols for information sharing, including access to bid documents, procurement reports, and market assessments, subject to confidentiality and data privacy safeguards,” it added.

Additionally, the PCC said the MOU will serve as an avenue for joint capacity-building activities in the form of training, roadshows, and the development of educational materials for procurement officers and contractors.

Following allegations of bid-rigging in public works, particularly flood control projects, the PCC emphasized the importance of embedding competition safeguards in the DPWH to ensure efficient public spending and market fairness.

Under the PCA, entities found to have engaged in anti-competitive agreements, such as bid-rigging, will face administrative fines ranging from ₱110 million to ₱275 million.