No foreign trips for DPWH staff, execs amid probe

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan — INQUIRER file photo

Officials and employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are prohibited until November from going on personal foreign trips, except for medical reasons, according to a memorandum issued by the agency on Friday.

The yet unnumbered memo came two days after President Marcos ordered a lifestyle check on all officials under the executive branch, beginning with the public works department, amid the increasing public scrutiny of its flood control projects.

The order, signed by Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, said it was issued in line with the agency’s commitment to transparency, accountability and integrity.

Bonoan said a week ago, amid calls for his resignation, that the DPWH is investigating reported anomalies in its flood control projects.

Approval

“Approval of all applications for Authority to Travel abroad for personal reasons [is] hereby temporarily suspended except for personal travel for urgent medical reasons, effective immediately until the end of November 2025 or unless circumstances warrant earlier lifting of the suspension or further extension,” it said.

Bonoan said the travel suspension is in accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Omnibus Rules on Leave, which state that personal travel for public employees is “discretionary and not automatic,” and that the agency concerned “has the authority to regulate the foreign travel of its employees.”

Bribe suspect posts bail

Under Section 6 of the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Constitution, “the right to travel shall not be “impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.”

Meanwhile, the DPWH district engineer who allegedly tried to bribe a lawmaker last week has posted bail, police said.

“Yesterday, he was released at 3 p.m. after posting a total bail of P150,000 for the two charges against him,” Batangas Police Provincial Office Director Col. Geovanny Emerick Sibalo said of Abelardo Calalo when asked for an update on the latter’s case.

Calalo was arrested on Aug. 22 after allegedly offering P3.1 million in cash to Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste to persuade the lawmaker to stop a congressional inquiry into flood control projects in the province.

The engineer was subsequently suspended by the DPWH and charged with violation of Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code on corruption; and violation of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

According to Sibalo, Calalo posted bail of P60,000 for the first charge and P90,000 for the second.

Also on Friday, a leading business group urged the government to ensure accountability and transparency in its investigation.

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) further recommended stricter government monitoring, including “random checks” on construction materials, to “prevent substandard and uncertified products from entering projects.”

Integrity in infrastructure

“When flood control is compromised by corruption, it’s not just concrete that cracks—it’s public trust, industry stability, and the safety of our communities,” FPI chair Elizabeth Lee said in a statement on Friday.

“Every failed or fraudulent project leaves Filipino communities and industries exposed to devastating floods that destroy homes, crops, factories, and supply chains,” she added.

“Never underestimate the value of integrity in everything we do—especially in infrastructure,” Lee said. —WITH A REPORT FROM JORDEENE B. LAGARE