MANILA, Philippines — After inspecting anew the progress of the ongoing infrastructure project at the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has committed to complete it in the first quarter of 2027.
Dizon on Thursday said the work completion has jumped from two percent to nearly 30 percent in the last three months after a delay of more than a year.
He noted that the project had been under contract for about one and a half years but had achieved only two percent completion before the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) intervened.
“We essentially took over this,” Dizon said as he stressed that the project was critical because UP-PGH has repeatedly experienced flooding, with water at times reaching the driveway and entering portions of the structures.
“It’s such an important project especially for PGH, because we all see, every year flooding is worse here,” Dizon said.
According to the department, the project covers several components, including drainage improvements, a septic tank, a sewage treatment plant, road network improvements, repairs and repainting of the perimeter fence, and facade improvements of several buildings.
Dizon said the agency had also modified the original drainage design to minimize disruption to hospital operations.
The original plan called for concrete box culverts, but the DPWH shifted to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes, which Dizon said would allow the drainage work to proceed faster and with less disruption.
“The priority is the drainage,” he said, adding that road improvements would also be prioritized.
Dizon said the drainage component was expected to be completed by the end of the year, while the entire project was targeted for completion in the first quarter of 2027.
He attributed the faster progress to the intervention by the DPWH and the use of a subcontractor to carry out the work.
“One and a half years, 2 percent only. But in three months, we were able to move to 30 percent,” Dizon said.
He said the DPWH would closely monitor the project in the coming months and would continue pressing its regional office to ensure that the remaining work was completed on schedule.
“I’ll visit this several times in the next couple of months. We’ll focus on this,” Dizon said.
