‘DPWH will be a shining beacon in gov’t’

If he had his way, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar wants the corruption-plagued department to be the “shining beacon” in the government.

“I believe this organization will eventually become a shining beacon in the government. Ultimately that should be the goal for all of us,” said Villar, who formally assumed post on Wednesday.

Villar, who received a warm welcome from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials and employees during on Wednesday’s turnover ceremony, urged them to shun corruption and to espouse integrity and excellence.

“In the past, the DPWH has been criticized for being a corrupt organization. Please let us not be corrupt, let us not encourage it and let us not tolerate it,” he told officials and employees in his speech.

Crusade

“The President was very clear about it. Let us not destroy the reputation of this department. I hope you join me in that crusade,” he added.

President Duterte earlier said that he wanted Villar to fix DPWH, which he said was still one of the most corrupt government agencies.

“You know, I’m very sorry to say this, one of the most corrupt … There is only one there, the lady, si Cabral, all others are corrupt to the core,” the President said, referring to Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

Villar recognized his predecessor, former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson for adopting certain measures against corruption.

“He (Singson) implemented a lot of programs and he has taken us in the right direction. But still, there is much work to be done, projects that need to be implemented, and reforms that need to be pursued,” he said.

Villar challenged the DPWH workforce to be aggressive in the implementation of the agency’s projects.

He cited the Maysilo flood control project in Mandaluyong City, which he claims to be his “baptism of fire.”

Villar said he had already committed to finish the project, which has caused great inconvenience to residents for years now, by Sept. 30.

For two years now, foul-smelling floodwater from the unfinished project has irritated residents of Maysilo Circle, especially on rainy days.

Instead of easing the flooding, the delayed P609-million project has aggravated the situation.

“We have to move quickly. When I say excellence that’s exactly what I mean,” he said.

Villar also vowed to protect the department from people with political interests or influences.

“I assure you that everyone is given fair assessment, dapat wala na pong pulitika dito sa DPWH,” he said. “Everything that we do must be performance-based. I’ve been part of both government and private sector. In the private sector, that’s also the analysis given to employees, it should be purely by performance.”

“Assessment will be based solely on how quickly you perform the project, quality of the project and how healthy the bidding was. So please perform well, and avoid corruption,” Villar said, as he challenged DPWH employees to protect the integrity of the agency.

“When we talk about integrity, I want people to say, when they talk about DPWH, that it is a model organization for government, that is how professionalism is conducted in the government and I hope you join me in this effort,” he added.

For the next generation

Villar also urged DPWH personnel to make the organization their legacy to the next generation.

“In my case, this will be the legacy I want to give to my daughter Emma Therese. I hope six years from now … she’ll grow up in a country where there’s no drugs, a country where she will not be caught in traffic for two hours to go 10 kilometers,” he said.

“I hope that this DPWH will be one that’s looked upon by our children as one of the best, one of the best performing, an organization with the most integrity and the organization that would lead in bringing our country to the golden age of infrastructure,” he added, saying he believed this was possible in six years.

“In six years I believe it can be done. In one event I even said that congestion can be resolved in three years. It can be done if we work together, if we work quickly,” Villar said.