Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon and Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary for e-Government David Almirol Jr. have been named “People of the Year” by a magazine, the only two government officials included in the roster of awardees.
Dizon was cited for advancing transparency and institutional reforms within the Department of Public Works and Highways, including the rollout of a Transparency Portal.
He was also recognized for ordering asset freezes against implicated personnel, dismissing erring officials and initiating structural reforms to strengthen oversight of infrastructure projects.
“The President asked me to do three things. Hold those responsible to account wherever the evidence leads. Get the people’s money back. Reform the DPWH so that this never happens again,” Dizon said.
Dizon described corruption within the agency as systemic and long embedded, alleging that certain officials, politicians and contractors had worked together to divert public funds.
“It is a systemic problem that has been embedded in the agency for decades, and the immensity of this issue is unthinkable,” he said.
Almirol, meanwhile, was recognized for driving digital transformation initiatives at the DICT.
He has focused on integrating public services into unified digital platforms to simplify transactions and make government services more accessible.
Under his leadership, the DICT advanced the eGovPH Super App and the digital National ID, initiatives he said were developed internally by government teams to ensure cost efficiency.
“We didn’t get the services of a contractor for the eGovPH Super App. Same with the digital National ID—my staff made it. The government saved a lot,” Almirol said. “Now we can transact with the government in a single app. It’s a major shift.”
Before entering public service, Almirol served as chief executive of Multisys Technologies Corp.
He previously worked in Iraq in 2003 as an illegally recruited janitor, where he learned hard-coding skills from American soldiers. After returning to the Philippines, he ventured into business but later lost his savings due to the rapid expansion of his computer shop operations.
“My biggest mistake was that I over-expanded. I had seven branches of computer shops at that time in Isabela and other nearby provinces. I spent all my savings from Iraq and lost money. It was the most painful experience,” Almirol said.