DPWH imposes merit-based appointments in district offices

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has ordered all its field offices to appoint district and regional executives based on merit and performance.

Under Department Order no. 18, Series of 2026 recently signed by Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, regional directors (RDs), assistant regional directors (ARDs), district engineers (DEs) and assistant district engineers (ADEs) across the DPWH offices nationwide will be reassigned based on performance.

“Wala ng palakasan. Maayos at mabilis na maintenance at kalye, tulay; pagtatapos na ng mga nakatenggang proyekto; at on-time na completion ng mga projects basis para sa promotion at appointments,” Dizon said in a statement on Monday.

(Proper and prompt maintenance of roads and bridges, completion of pending project and on-time completion of projects are the basis for promotion and appointments.)

According to the order, the criteria for appointment will be based on technical performance, or the timeliness and quality of projects, planning performance, safeguard and management compliance, financial, procurement and resolution ratings.

READ: DPWH eyes full reshuffle of district, regional directors by January 2026

The reassignments must also take into consideration  if the employee has pending criminal or administrative cases, the DPWH said.

The DPWH also put in place tenure limits to the aforementioned positions to “prevent involvement in partisan politics, and familiarity between department officials… as well as to avoid conflict of interest and undue influence.”

RDs and ARDs, may only serve for up to five years, while DEs and DEs may only serve for up to three years.

READ: DPWH district engineers given ‘too much power’

The DPWH has been under fire for several months after its own executives were implicated in the alleged anomalous flood control projects nationwide amounting to billions of pesos, including former DPWH Bulacan 1st DE Henry Alcantara, and ADE Brice Hernandez.

Alcantara has since been put under the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Witness Protection Program along with four others after they turned over P316.3 million and evidence to aid in the investigation.

Hernandez was denied the same privilege.

Several other former DPWH officials were tagged in the scandal – some of which are facing complaints – most notably former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who is facing plunder complaint, according to the DOJ. /gsg