President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway, directing the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to use its savings from cost-cutting reforms to fund the long-overdue repairs.

House Minority Leader and 4Ps Partylist Rep. Marcelino Libanan shared the update, saying he learned of the President’s directive during a sideline chat with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon at the 9 December meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

“Secretary Dizon told me that the DPWH will use the savings from sweeping cost reforms to fund the highway’s long-overdue restoration,” Libanan said. He added that lawmakers from Samar have long expressed frustration over the slow repairs of the highway on their side of the region, and this move is a welcome development.

Libanan, who represents Eastern Samar, is one of three House members on LEDAC, the government’s top policy-coordination body chaired by the President. The council ensures that executive and legislative priorities align, helping speed up the passage and implementation of key development projects.

Earlier, Dizon said the DPWH expects to save up to P60 billion in 2026 by adjusting construction material costs — steel, gravel, and cement — to match prevailing market rates. The goal of these reforms is to curb inflation, eliminate corruption, and free up funds for more infrastructure projects across the country.

The Maharlika Highway — also known as the Pan-Philippine Highway — is the nation’s longest and most critical transport corridor, stretching over 3,300 kilometers from Laoag in the north to Zamboanga in the south. It connects Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao through roads, bridges, expressways, and RORO routes, serving as the backbone of north–south mobility and a vital artery for trade, travel and emergency response.

With Marcos’ push and DPWH’s cost reforms, the iconic highway may finally get the attention it has long deserved.