Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The newly appointed Head of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has formally assume the agency leadership. Former Secretary Mark A. Villar handed over the stewardship of DPWH to Acting Secretary Roger G. Mercado during the turnover ceremony on October 14, 2021 at the DPWH Central Office, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila. Appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on October 12, 2021 replacing Secretary Villar who stepped down to run in the 2022 elections, Secretary Mercado prior to his new post was the 18th Congress’ Public Works and Highways Committee Vice Chairperson. The 44th Secretary of the DPWH is a lawyer by profession who hails from Maasin City, Southern Leyte and is known for his Tourism, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture (TEA) Programs in his province as then Southern Leyte lone district Representative. “It is an honor to work with the professional men and women of DPWH and to be able to continue oversee the completion of Department’s flagship infrastructure programs and projects”, said Secretary Mercado. “I vow to sustain the current momentum in the Department so we can deliver more high-impact projects that will benefit the Filipino people including those living in remote communities”, Secretary Mercado added.   Article courtesy of Philippine News Agency

Photo credit: Department of Public Works and Highways The newly installed Acting Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) immediately made his presence felt on the ground, inspecting the on-going Binondo Intramuros Bridge Project. Secretary Roger G. Mercado said that although reports can be read inside airconditioned office or while seated on vehicle, best decisions are made if you really get to know and feel the situation in the field. DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, in-charge of Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations assisted Secretary Mercado in his first project visit as the newly installed DPWH Chief was also the first Cabinet official to step onto the completed deck slab of the two-way four-lane basket-handle tied steel arch main bridge. Secretary Mercado says with pride that the team of Undersecretary Sadain has done an excellent job in coming with solutions to project implementation challenges as well as mitigated the impact of Covid-19 pandemic to construction activities. DPWH-UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1 together with the contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation has already accomplished about 82.75 percent of work for the Binondo Intramuros Bridge Project. We are almost there and the project is scheduled to be finished early next year, Secretary Mercado added. Others who were present in the inspection are Undersecretary Eugenio R. Pipo Jr.; Assistant Secretary Ador G. Canlas; and the Project Directors of five (5) specialized UPMO clusters namely Benjamin A. Bautista of Roads Management Cluster 1, Sharif Madsmo Hasim of Roads Management Cluster 2, Rodrigo Delos Reyes of Bridges Management Cluster, Ramon A. Ariola III of Flood Management Cluster, and Johnson Domingo of Buildings Management Cluster. According to Undersecretary Sadain, the ₱3.39-Billion bridge project across Pasig River is part of the two (2) bridges financed by a government aid grant from the People’s Republic of China. Another China-granted Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge linking Makati and Mandaluyong was earlier completed and inaugurated by President Duterte. The new Binondo-Intramuros Bridge is a 680-meter, basket-handle tied steel arch bridge that will soon connect districts of Intramuros (at Solana Street and Riverside Drive) and Binondo (at San Fernando Bridge) in Manila with a viaduct structure over Estero de Binondo. This new bridge under the Build, Build, Build program funded by Official Development Assistance is expected to not only cut travel time between Intramuros and Binondo but also benefit approximately 30,000 vehicles daily.   Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways

Photo credit: The Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has re-affirmed its support to the government of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with the signing of two (2) agreements at DPWH Central Office in Manila. DPWH Secretary Mark Villar and Ministry of Public Works (MPW)-BARMM Minister Eduard U. Guerra signed on Monday, September 20, 2021 the memorandum of agreement (MOA) to turn-over the DPWH Cotabato City District Engineering Office to the auspices of the BARMM and the interim implementation arrangements/protocols of various infrastructure projects of the national government in Bangsamoro. Other signatories as witnesses of these agreements are DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain who is also the Focal Person for BARMM Infra Projects and alternate representative in the Inter-Agency Task Force Bangon Marawi, and MPW-BARMM Director General Danilo A. Ong. The event was also attended by MPW-BARMM Deputy Minister Abdul Maomit M. Tomawis and DPWH Region 12 Legal Division Chief Atty. Jahara Ali-Macadato while others participated virtually via zoom including Bangsamoro Government Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim and Senior Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua; DPWH Undersecretaries Ardeliza R. Medenilla and Eugenio R. Pipo Jr.; DPWH Assistant Secretary Ador Canlas; Assistant Secretary Wilben M. Mayor of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process; DPWH UPMO Project Directors; DPWH Regional Directors in Regions 9, 10 and 12; MPW District Engineers; and other Bangsamoro parliament members. With the inclusion of Cotabato City under BARMM, DPWH officially transfer the DPWH Cotabato City District Engineering Office land, building, equipment, and assets located in Barrio Kakar, Cotabato City to the jurisdiction of MPW-BARMM pursuant to Republic Act 11054 or An Act Providing for the Organic Law for the BARMM. However, a Project Management Office (PMO) for Maguindanao is created to handle implementation of various DPWH national projects within the Province of Maguindanao inclusive of Cotabato City. The other agreement covers the two (2)-year implementation arrangements/protocols of infrastructure projects of the national government in the BARMM. Under the interim implementation arrangement, the DPWH is tasked to lead in the identification of various national infrastructure projects in BARMM, in coordination with MPW. The MPW may recommend and initiate request of proposed flagship projects directly to the BARMM government parliament for funding and consideration. DPWH is however required to furnish MPW copies of all approved report/studies, plans, annual procurement plan, procurement monitoring report, and list of contracts awarded with name of contractor of all DPWH projects in BARMM. MPW shall also be notified and invited as observers in pre-bid conferences, pre-construction conference of DPWH projects in BARMM and be assisted in capability development in matters related to procurement. Quarterly coordination meeting shall also be conducted between two (2) parties for the evaluation of the projects under the national government. During the construction, the DPWH Regional Office or PMO that will handle the direct implementation of all national infra for BARMM funded by the General Appropriations Act (GAA) shall furnish project progress to MPW, and invite the latter on final inspection of projects. The MPW may conduct an independent project monitoring of completed projects. The maintenance of national roads and bridges shall also be under the national government in close coordination with the BARMM. Minor maintenance works and emergency/disaster response in BARMM can be delegated by the DPWH to the MPW through a separate MOA. On foreign-assisted projects, DPWH-UPMO headed by Undersecretary Sadain shall remain the lead in coordination with MPW. This interim agreement is effective for a period of two (2) years upon approval or until such time that the Regional Project Management Office and PMOs for Bangsamoro are created and fully-operationalized.   Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways