Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday urged the public to continuously scrutinize government projects, stressing that reforms cannot be sustained by the government alone.

“Kailangan po ninyo kami bantayan,” Dizon said during the Bisto Proyekto Assessment event at the DPWH main office in Manila.

Dizon warned that relying solely on the government to sustain reforms could lead to disappointment.

“Kung aasa lang kayo sa gobyerno itong mga pagbabagong ito ay mangyayari at tuloy-tuloy na mangyayari at hindi na mababago, I think we are setting ourselves up for a massive disappointment,” he said.

“The change cannot just come from within. It needs to be supported by forces outside government,” he added.

Bisto Proyekto is a digital platform launched in February to help inspect and monitor government infrastructure and flood-control projects.

The platform was spearheaded by anti-corruption group Taongbayan Action for Participatory, Accountable and Transparent Governance (TAPAT) and civic technology group BetterGov.ph under a memorandum of cooperation involving the DPWH, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Mayors for Good Governance and TAPAT.

“Kung aasa lang po kayo sa gobyerno, maniwala po kayo, hindi po magtatagal ito,” Dizon said, referring to efforts such as Bisto Proyekto.

The DPWH chief also criticized government agencies that remain reluctant to provide public access to information.

“There are government agencies that still do not want to open up, still do not want to allow access to documents, to records, to procurement activities, to budgets,” Dizon said.

“If DPWH will be the agency that will start it, then I think it will be very, very difficult for other agencies not to follow suit,” he added.

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, who attended the event, described initiatives such as Bisto Proyekto as a new form of “people power.”

“Kung alam ninyo ang ginagawa ng mga grupo tulad ng Bisto Proyekto, you will realize nagkakaroon ng mga bagong anyo people power,” David said.

David urged other government agencies to adopt similar transparency initiatives.

“It’s not like we’re asking them. We will pressure you. It’s about time. Ang hawak ninyong pondo ‘yan ay pondo ng gobyerno, taxpayers money,” he said.

The cardinal also called for an online platform to track the progress of criminal cases and pointed to the Office of the Ombudsman as an agency that should be engaged in accountability efforts.

“Ang kakatukin natin dito ay ombudsman, isa sa mga importanteng ahensya, to make sure mapapanagot natin ang dapat managot,” David said.