Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has filed a resolution seeking an investigation into the rehabilitation and repair of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) after fresh potholes emerged on newly repaired portions of the highway following recent monsoon rains.

(Manila Bulletin file photo)

In filing Senate Resolution No. 594, Lacson urges the Senate Committee on Public Works to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation with the end in view of reviewing design and engineering standards and ensuring accountability in public infrastructure.

“For nearly a week, persistent southwest monsoon (habagat) rains have drenched parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila; damaging several main thoroughfares, including recently rehabilitated sections of EDSA,” Lacson said in his resolution.

“The presence of fresh potholes means the newly repaired avenue will already require another round of maintenance,” he pointed out.

“Rapid deterioration of recently rehabilitated roads, most notably EDSA, just months after completion exposes deep-seated flaws in the planning, design, construction, and management of high-cost public infrastructure projects,” he added.

The senator noted that the national government has been appropriating funds for the Asset Preservation Program under the DPWH's budget to improve the quality of national roads to international standards and ensure resiliency to natural disasters.

While the DPWH conducts regular preventive maintenance, repairs, and rehabilitation in certain portions of EDSA, he pointed out there has been no recent full rehabilitation works conducted to restore the road to its optimal condition.

In 2025, the President suspended the planned full rehabilitation of EDSA in order to identify faster construction methods, mitigate traffic disruption, ease commuter inconvenience, and adopt updated technologies in the original plan.

In June that year, then Transportation Secretary and now DPWH Secretary Vivencio "Vince" Dizon and DPWH NCR Director Loreta Malaluan announced that the EDSA rehabilitation would use new technologies and procedures.

In December 2025, Dizon announced the launch of the EDSA rehabilitation project using advanced Japanese road technology, which would accelerate repair timelines, ensure durable surfaces, and slash project costs from P17-billion to P6-billion.

By Dec. 24, 2025, the DPWH awarded the contract for Phase 1 of the EDSA Rehabilitation Project stretching from Roxas Boulevard to Orense Street to Readycon Trading & Construction Corporation under Contract ID No. 250000129, valued at P1,183,374,622.61, with a 180-calendar-day duration. The Notice to Proceed was issued on Jan. 6, 2026.

In April 2026, DPWH announced that the first phase of the EDSA rehabilitation was completed two months ahead of schedule. Last May 25, the DPWH awarded the second phase of the EDSA rehabilitation, from Orense Street to Monumento (Northbound and Southbound), to Readycon in a joint venture with Dumduma Construction & Trading Corp., under Contract ID No. 250000132. The contract worth P4,009,473,018.88 was signed June 4, and the Notice to Proceed was issued on June 8, 2026.

But when Dizon inspected the newly rehabilitated portions of EDSA where potholes had formed, he blurted “Dapat na-anticipate natin ito ah. Barado eh, oh? (We should have anticipated this. It’s clogged, oh)?”

Lacson said this “reflects the widespread anger of citizens especially after the government had promised a complete rehabilitation of EDSA using modern, durable technologies to prevent a repeat of 2012, when torrential rains severely damaged major thoroughfares.”

Lacson pointed out that even during the administration of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, then DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson already pointed out that the enemy of asphalt is water, and that if there is no efficient drainage, it may worsen the quality of roads.

Under Section 8 of Republic Act No. 12009, or the new Government Procurement Act, no bidding and award of a contract for Infrastructure Projects shall be made unless the detailed engineering investigations, surveys, and designs for the project that shall consider factors including the impact on the environment, have been sufficiently carried out and duly approved.

Moreover, Lacson cited Section 90(b) of RA 12009 which provides for the defects liability period for infrastructure projects, one year from project completion up to final acceptance, wherein the contractor shall undertake the repair works, at its own expense, of any damage to the infrastructure on account of the use of materials of inferior quality, defects in the construction, or due to any violation of the terms of the contract, within 90 days from the time the HoPE has issued an order to undertake repair.

In case of failure or refusal to comply with this mandate, the Procuring Entity shall undertake such repair works and shall be entitled to full reimbursement of expense incurred thereupon upon demand, the resolution noted.

“It is imperative for Congress to review the mandate of the DPWH in setting the necessary standards and the specifications, including those that have been foreseen and are foreseeable, in the designs and construction of our public works, to exercise its oversight function over the implementation of the Asset Preservation Program funded under the annual appropriations, and determine the compliance of the contractors with the design and engineering standards,” Lacson stated in the resolution.