Vince Dizon Vows Slow Restoration of Public Trust
MANILA, Philippines — Newly appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon openly acknowledged on Monday that regaining the public’s trust in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be a slow and challenging journey. Restoring public trust early in his tenure is a priority he approaches with patience and determination.
During a briefing at the Palace, Dizon highlighted that the DPWH faces a significant trust deficit. When asked about his plans to rebuild confidence, he said, “Dahan-dahan, dahan-dahan. Hindi mabilis ito; hindi ito matatapos ng ilang buwan, ilang taon, ano ito, dekada ito.” This translates to, “Slowly, very slowly. This won’t be quick, this won’t be done in a few months or a few years—this will take decades.”
Addressing Accountability and Organizational Cleansing
Dizon emphasized that while public skepticism is understandable, the department must begin somewhere. He stressed that the first step is accountability and cleansing the organization from within. “That will be my top priority: cleansing within and then starting to fix what is broken,” he said. Community leaders noted that this internal reform is crucial to reversing the agency’s tarnished image.
The Problematic “Puwede Na” Attitude
One of the root causes of the DPWH’s challenges, Dizon explained, is the pervasive “puwede na” (that will do) mentality. He illustrated this with the example of flood control projects. “You build a flood control system—oh, that will do; that’s fine. It should be 10 inches, 12 inches, or 8 inches thick, but 4 inches is already considered enough,” he said in Filipino.
He further explained, “Tapos kung puwede na iyong four later on, puwede na iyong three inches after noon, puwede na iyong two, iyon ang problema or puwedeng wala na lang. Ganoon na kalala eh, umabot na sa ganoon eh, hindi na puwede iyong puwede na ngayon.” This means that standards keep lowering until eventually nothing is considered acceptable. Officials reported that this attitude has severely damaged the quality of infrastructure.
Immediate Actions as DPWH Chief
At the same briefing, Dizon outlined his first directives aimed at reforming the DPWH. He ordered the courtesy resignation of all DPWH officials nationwide, from undersecretaries down to district engineers. Additionally, contractors found guilty of implementing “ghost projects” will face perpetual blacklisting. A comprehensive overhaul of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board is also planned to ensure stricter oversight.
Earlier that day, Dizon officially took his oath as the new DPWH secretary, moving from his previous post at the Department of Transportation, where he served for six months. Local leaders welcomed his appointment, hopeful that his leadership would usher in much-needed change.
DPWH’s Recent Controversies and Public Outcry
The DPWH has recently been embroiled in controversies involving alleged “ghost projects” in Bulacan and other provinces. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. personally inspected some project sites and expressed outrage upon discovering that several projects did not exist despite full payment to contractors.
Following these revelations, several actions were taken, including the suspension of all district engineers in the DPWH 1st District Engineering Office and the arrest, later release, of a DPWH Batangas 1st district engineer. Community members also voiced concerns on social media, criticizing individuals living lavish lifestyles allegedly funded by corrupt activities linked to contractor relatives.
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