President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Vivencio “Vince” Dizon the new secretary of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) following the resignation of Jaime Bautista due to health reasons. Malacañang confirmed the appointment on Thursday, with Dizon set to assume office on 21 February.

“He is already authorized by the Office of the President to start the transition at the DoTr in coordination with the team of Secretary Jaime Bautista,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin stated.

Bautista, who served for over two years, described his tenure as “challenging yet enriching.” He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and said he looks forward to a much-needed break. The DoTr acknowledged his integrity and dedication in a statement.

Dizon brings with him 26 years of government service experience, spanning both the legislative and executive branches. He previously served as chief of staff to the late Senate President Edgardo Angara and as a consultant to another senator. In the Aquino administration, he was an undersecretary at the Office of the Political Adviser.

During the Duterte administration, Dizon was appointed president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), playing a key role in the Build Build Build program.

He also served as Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects, overseeing major infrastructure developments. Additionally, he was the Deputy Chief Implementer of the National Task Force against Covid-19 and led mass testing efforts as the government’s testing czar.

Dizon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Commerce, majoring in Management of Financial Institutions, from De La Salle University.

He was an assistant professor of Economics at the same university. He obtained his Master of Science in Applied Developmental Studies degree from the University of Reading in England.

For his contributions to infrastructure and the pandemic response, Dizon was awarded the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Bayani, one of the Philippines’ highest civilian honors.

Full backing

Before his appointment as DoTr secretary, he served as chief regulatory officer of Prime Infrastructure.

Several lawmakers expressed support for Dizon’s appointment, citing his experience and competence.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, emphasized the importance of infrastructure development.

“I look forward to working with incoming Secretary Dizon to fast-track the completion of major projects such as the airport modernization, the Metro Manila Subway Project, North-South Commuter Railway, and the Mindanao Railway,” he said.

Senator Grace Poe, former chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, stated, “The new DoTr chief can count on our support in bringing relief to our commuting public and lasting solutions to our transportation sector.”

Albay Representative Joey Salceda lauded Dizon’s ability to “get the job done,” highlighting their previous collaboration on policy matters.

“Vince is a long-time friend. We worked together on key issues during the Covid-19 pandemic and after. When you need a job done, you hire Vince and the job gets done,” Salceda said. He also expressed confidence in a swift confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

Meanwhile, Bautista was lauded for his dedicated service. “We appreciate his contributions and wish him well — get well soon, Secretary Jaime,” Ejercito said.