The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has assigned an agreement with Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and it’s advocacy arm Caritas Philippines (CBCP-CARITAS), Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG), and Taongbayan’s Action for Participatory, Accountable, and Transparent Governance (TAPAT) to strengthen the monitoring of infrastructure projects in the country and protect public funds against anomalies and corruption.
This is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to all government agencies to promote a whole-of-society approach to ensure the implementation of the correct infrastructure projects and the use of public funds.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon stressed the importance that each sector of society play their role in watching over each project of the DPWH.
The President did not tell me to defend DPWH and what’s been going on there.”
“Noong kinausap ako ng Pangulo, the President did not tell me to defend DPWH and what’s been going on there. The President told me to reform DPWH. At ito ang ginagawa natin ngayon kasama ang iba’t ibang mga grupo, tulad ng ating mga mayors, ang ating CBCP, at iba pang mga civil society organizations,” Dizon explained.
“It all starts with transparency.”
“Ang pinaka-importanteng reporma na iiwang legasiya ng ating Pangulo is ‘yung transparency. It all starts with transparency,” the public works chief added.
signing the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) are Dizon, Most Rev. Jose Colin M. Bagaforo, D.D. of CBCP-CARITAS, Mayor Benjamin Magalong of M4GG, and Victorio Joseph Lorenzo of TAPAT.
Under the agreement, the different groups will be a partner of DPWH in reporting and validating each project of the agency.
Dizon said this cooperation will be expanded to other government agencies and private sector groups in line with the directive of the President to clean and implement reforms in the DPWH.
