Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Sunday backed public-private partnerships as a better option for large government buildings while the Department of Public Works and Highways reforms its systems and culture.

“I fully agree with what Ombudsman Boying Remulla said — that until the internal systems and culture within the DPWH are thoroughly reformed, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) remain the far better option for large-scale, complex infrastructure like government buildings,” Dizon said.

Remulla had criticized the DPWH’s delivery of government facilities, including the more than P8-billion Bureau of Immigration building, and urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to consider buying an existing private building instead of constructing a new headquarters.

Dizon said he was angered by delays in the immigration project, whose design he called poorly executed.

He also backed discontinuing the NBI building project so the agency could explore more practical options.

Dizon said PPPs could provide timeliness, quality and cost efficiency when viable, as the DPWH faces heightened scrutiny over infrastructure projects.