DPWH eyes direct purchases to curb corruption
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and HIghways (DPWH) is hoping to curb corruption by avoiding contractors and purchasing dredging equipment directly, according to agency Bonoan Manuel Bonoan.
Speaking in a post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussion, Bonoan said the agency needed to purchase dredging equipment. Dredging is the process of removing sediments and other materials from the bottom of bodies of water to improve water flow.
“Kailangan po namin ng equipment na dapat kami na po ang dapat gumawa ng dredging para maiwasan po natin iyong haka-haka na noong mga araw daw, ito iyong sanhi ng mga korapsiyon,” Bonoan said.
(We need equipment to do dredging to avoid the anomalies back in the day, this was the source of corruption.)
Bonoan said that the DPWH will be responsible for dredging and desilting. He admitted that there has been some delay in this due to the lack of proper equipment.
An amount has already been allotted in the 2026 National Expenditure Project, he added.
During his SONA, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had strong words for officials who plundered public funding for flood control efforts, which included dredging.
Marcos has ordered an audit on flood management projects, vowing that cases will be filed against corrupt officials.
Bonoan said that there is already an auditing team analyzing these projects.
The audit will not be limited to projects done during Marcos’ term, but also those done in the previous administration.
Some of these flood projects may already be old and worn out, especially given the number of cyclones and floods that have occurred.
The DPWH chief also said that an undisclosed number of flood management projects need to be reassessed to better mitigate the worsening impacts of climate change.
“Babaguhin po namin siguro iyong mga disenyo rin po ng ating mga imprastraktura ngayon,” he said.
(We will renew the design of infrastructure today.)
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