DPWH Requires LGU Clearance for Infrastructure Projects Amid Flood-Control Probe

 

DPWH Tightens Project Approval Rules, Requires LGU Coordination

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has strengthened its infrastructure approval process to ensure local government units are involved in project planning, outgoing Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon announced on October 27.

The revised policy requires projects to secure local government clearance or align with an established local or regional master plan. The changes are intended to prevent district engineers from initiating infrastructure projects without informing the mayors and other local officials responsible for their implementation areas.

Speaking at a joint press conference with incoming DPWH chief Giovanni Lopez, Dizon said the department established a formal coordination mechanism earlier this year. The process is designed to bring local governments into infrastructure planning as early as the budget preparation stage, rather than involving them only after projects have been approved or completed.

Dizon said the required documentation may include a Certificate of No Objection or an applicable local or regional master plan. These requirements were not previously part of the approval process, he added.

Bulacan Flood-Control Controversy Prompts Greater Oversight

The policy changes follow growing scrutiny of DPWH infrastructure spending, particularly after Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando alleged that approximately ₱41 billion worth of flood-control projects in the province had been undertaken without proper coordination with local governments.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously ordered changes to the project approval and acceptance process in September 2025. The directive addressed the removal under the previous administration of a requirement for local governments to formally accept completed DPWH projects.

Under the revised approach, infrastructure work cannot simply be declared complete without acceptance by the government unit concerned. The requirement is intended to strengthen accountability by ensuring that local authorities can verify projects attributed to their jurisdictions.

The distinction is significant because a project recorded as finished on paper may not necessarily reflect a fully completed or properly delivered structure on the ground. Questions surrounding supposedly completed but unfinished flood-control works have contributed to allegations of ghost projects and prompted parallel investigations by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Investigations Trace Alleged Irregularities in Infrastructure Projects

Several projects in Bulacan have figured prominently in the investigations. Henry Alcantara, a state witness and former Bulacan first district engineer, reportedly certified structures as completed, including a flood-control project in Baliwag valued at ₱55 million.

Further allegations emerged on October 23, when Wirt Walter Rosales, Alcantara's former aide, testified that he delivered billions of pesos in alleged kickbacks from flood-control projects to fugitive former party-list congressman Zaldy Co between 2022 and 2024.

According to Rosales, acknowledgment receipts signed by Co's aides included separate sheets identifying the projects involved and the corresponding percentages of the alleged kickbacks.

On October 27, engineer Carlo Rivera, who has been accused of running errands for Alcantara, also testified during a bail hearing involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The proceedings concern a plunder case linked to an alleged ₱7.4-billion government infrastructure kickback scheme.

The allegations remain subject to the relevant investigations and legal proceedings.

Implementation and Verification Remain Key Challenges

The DPWH's revised approval rules place greater emphasis on coordination between national agencies and local governments. However, the effectiveness of the changes will depend on consistent enforcement, reliable project documentation, and meaningful verification of work completed.

Requiring local clearance during planning can help prevent projects from being developed without the knowledge of the communities and officials affected. Formal acceptance requirements can also provide an additional checkpoint before projects are recorded as finished.

As Lopez prepares to lead the department, the revised procedures will form part of a broader effort to address concerns over infrastructure planning, project delivery, and the use of public funds. The central test will be whether these safeguards translate into greater transparency and more reliable oversight of government-funded projects.