DPWH suspends nationwide road reblocking pending new rules

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has suspended all road reblocking activities nationwide following complaints about the repeated digging of newly finished or undamaged roads, an issue raised by Senator Erwin Tulfo on 27 October 2025.

During the continuation of the Senate Committee on Finance (Subcommittee A) deliberations on the DPWH’s proposed FY 2026 budget, Tulfo questioned the practice of “reblocking” or reconstructing roads that appear to be in good condition.

He said the issue has long frustrated the public, particularly in the Bicol Region and other provinces.

“Katatapos lang ng project, bubungkalin na naman, sisirain na naman. The same road, the same municipality, pero paulit-ulit binubungkal. Wala namang problema,” Tulfo said.

("The project has just finished, but then it will be dug up again, it will be destroyed again. The same road, the same municipality, but it is dug up again and again. There is no problem [with the roads].")

“Very common po ito sa Region 5… lalo na sa highway from Quezon to Camarines Sur. Laging sira, laging binabakbak,” he added.

("This is very common in Region 5... especially on the highway from Quezon to Camarines Sur. Always broken, always being torn down.")

Tulfo suggested that such repetitive works could be linked to duplication in project listings or collusion between DPWH field offices and local Commission on Audit (COA) units.

“It seems like… there’s collusion between DPWH district engineers or regional offices and COA auditors, kasi pinapayagan na pondohan ulit kahit kakagawa lang. Imbis na yung pondo ilaan sa ibang lugar, sinisira lang ulit yung parehong kalsada,” he said.

("It seems like… there’s collusion between DPWH district engineers or regional offices and COA auditors, because they are allowing funding even though it has just been built. Instead of allocating the funds elsewhere, the same road is being destroyed again.")

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed the issue, noting he already ordered the suspension of all reblocking activities nationwide through a memorandum issued on 7 October 2025 to allow the agency to craft clear and transparent criteria for when reblocking should be permitted.

“For the information of the good Senator… we issued a memorandum suspending all reblocking activities nationwide. We will have to go deeper into that investigation,” Dizon said.

“Until we come up with very clear guidelines and criteria, all reblocking, except those related to water line or drainage repair, will be temporarily suspended,” he added.

Dizon acknowledged that unclear technical standards and a lack of transparency have allowed local offices to carry out unnecessary reblocking projects, often without public understanding.

“Ang problema po kasi, hindi klaro kung kailan dapat mag-reblock. Hindi rin transparent. Kaya nakikita ng mga kababayan natin na maganda pa ang kalsada, pero binabakbak na naman,” he said.

("The problem is, it's not clear when to reblock. It's also not transparent. That's why our countrymen see that the road is still good, but it's being torn down again.")

Pre-audit, new rules underway

To curb abuses and potential fund misuse, Dizon said the DPWH, in coordination with the Commission on Audit, plans to implement pre-audit measures for infrastructure projects instead of the current post-audit system.

“Napag-usapan na po natin sa nakaraang hearing… imbes na post-audit lang, magkaroon na po ng pre-audit. Doon po mahuhuli kung kailangan bang bakbakin o hindi,” he explained.

("We discussed it in the previous hearing... instead of just a post-audit, there should be a pre-audit. That will determine whether or not a reblocking is necessary.")

The agency is also finalizing new engineering and technical guidelines defining when and how reblocking can be justified, and making project boundaries and station limits more transparent in budget documents to ensure public accountability.

“Sa mga susunod na linggo, matatapos na ang clear guidelines. Kapag naipatupad na ang pre-audit, transparent station limits, at clear criteria for reblocking, halos impossible na po itong madaya,” Dizon said.

("In the coming weeks, the clear guidelines will be finalized. Once the pre-audit, transparent station limits, and clear criteria for reblocking are implemented, it will be almost impossible to cheat.")

Tulfo welcomed the reforms, saying the public has long been frustrated by unnecessary roadworks that cause traffic and waste government resources.

“Kahit nung bata pa ako, sinasabi na ng mga tao, ‘kakaayos lang, sinira na naman.’ Sana po, with Secretary Vince Dizon at the helm, matuldukan na ito,” he said, renewing his call for stricter audits of infrastructure projects.

("Even when I was young, people would say, 'It was just fixed, now it's broken again.' Hopefully, with Secretary Vince Dizon at the helm, this will be put to an end.")

Senator Win Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, expressed support for DPWH’s efforts to strengthen transparency and project monitoring. He also underscored that adding technical descriptions in infrastructure projects will help prevent duplication of line items in the budget.