DIZON, LOPEZ SWAP POSTS

CABINET Secretaries Vince Dizon and Giovanni Lopez will switch positions as heads of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Malacañang on Monday said.

According to Presidential Communications Office Secretary Lino Cayetano, from being the DPWH Secretary, President  Marcos has reassigned Dizon to head the DOTr.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez was appointed by the President to head the DPWH.

In a Palace press briefing, Cayetano said the leadership changes reflect the President’s push to accelerate government reforms and ensure that Filipinos experience tangible improvements in public services.

In the President’s own words: “We are shifting gears to accelerate reform. Secretary Dizon goes to DOTr to fix the daily commute. Secretary Lopez goes to DPWH to make sure the reforms there last. Lahat ng ito, para lalong bumilis at gumaan ang serbisyo ng gobyerno para sa ating mga kababayan,” the PCO chief said.

“The President’s direction is clear: Secretary Dizon will accelerate results at Transportation, and Secretary Lopez will strengthen and sustain reforms at Public Works. This is how the President leads. He puts the right people where they can deliver the most,” Cayetano added.

Cayetano said President Marcos has directed Dizon to make daily commuting easier for Filipinos by shortening queues at the Land Transportation Office (LTO), eliminating fixers, and accelerating the completion of critical mass transportation projects.

The PCO chief noted that these initiatives aim to reduce the time workers and students spend on the road, allowing them to spend more quality time with their families.

“The mission stays the same: a government that works faster, serves better and makes life easier for every Filipino. Arangkada ang reporma para sa bawat Pilipino,” Cayetano said.

During his stint at the DPWH, Dizon pursued reforms to promote transparency and accountability in infrastructure projects and thousands of projects were opened to public scrutiny, while efforts were undertaken to complete long-delayed projects and address waste and corruption.

Lopez, meanwhile, has been tasked with building on these gains by strengthening safeguards and institutionalizing reforms through policies, processes, and systems that will ensure their continuity beyond the current administration.

“Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez will secure these gains with a system built to last. A lawyer and certified public accountant, he has been tasked to strengthen safeguards and institutionalize the reforms, turning them into rules, processes and systems that will keep serving Filipinos even after this administration, for decades to come,” Cayetano said.

The PCO chief added that Lopez has also been tasked to speed up the roads, bridges and other government infrastructure projects Filipino communities need.