The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) to use satellite imagery in monitoring road, flood control and other infrastructure projects across the country.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, PhilSA officer in charge Gay Jane Perez, and deputy director Dennis Villorente signed the agreement, which allows the DPWH to access satellite data for tracking the progress of infrastructure projects before, during and after construction.

Dizon said the partnership will help detect irregularities, including so-called “ghost projects,” which often escape scrutiny due to limited monitoring capability.

“That’s why ghost projects are so successful, as this kind of fraud in the country has not been effectively and easily monitored,” Dizon said.

Perez said the use of satellite images will allow the agency to measure and verify project implementation more accurately.

“Within a year, or in the life cycle of a project, we can monitor it many times,” she said.

Perez added that satellite data can show whether projects follow approved plans and timelines.

“We don’t estimate how wide or long our projects are. We can quantify this using our satellite imagery and space-enabled products,” Perez said.