Newly appointed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon vowed to “clean-sweep” the agency after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. designated him to the post.

During his speech at a press briefing in Malacañang Palace, Dizon said the first directive from Marcos was to “clean-sweep” DPWH personnel from top to bottom: undersecretaries, assistants, division heads, regional directors, and district engineers across the country.

This move, he explained, aims to restore public trust, ensure transparency, and guarantee that every peso spent on infrastructure truly benefits the Filipino people.

“The President ordered to keep the outstanding employees of the agency and assign them to sensitive and important matters that concern the agency,” he said in Filipino.

Dizon stressed that ghost flood control projects would never have existed if no one within the agency had approved them.

Along with the sweeping purge, Marcos also ordered Dizon to probe the ghost projects listed on the DPWH site and arrest the contractors involved immediately.

This directive includes a lifetime blacklisting ban on erring contractors if proven to have delivered substandard work, alongside possible lawsuits. “Walang prose-proseso,” Dizon quoted the President.

Marcos likewise ordered a revamp of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB). Dizon said he already discussed the matter with Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque.

He admitted the process will take time, noting, “These [problems] were caused by decades, decades of incorrect projects, and decades of corruption.”

The restructuring is expected to take 30 to 60 days.

In the coming days, Dizon said he will meet with other government agencies such as the MMDA, Metro Manila LGUs, and regional offices in flood-prone areas. He also plans to collaborate with private sector partners.

“This is a massive effort. This cannot be done in a day or two. It’s impossible,” he said.