PUBLIC Works Secretary Vince Dizon gave assurances on Monday that appointments and promotions in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be based on performance, not on political patronage.
“No more political referrals. Proper and prompt maintenance of roads, bridges, completion of pending projects, and on-time completion of projects will be the basis for promotions and appointments,” said Dizon.
He made the assurance after issuing a new department order making appointments and promotions performance-based.
Among the criteria Dizon cited for promotion were the timely and quality completion of projects, timely and quality repair and maintenance of roads and bridges and quick repair work on roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged by manmade or natural calamities.
“Response time should be fast in both man-made and natural calamities. If roads and bridges are damaged by typhoons, the response must be quick to ease the economic effects and burden on the people. It should not just be quick but also quality work,” he said.
Timely and quality completion of projects will also be considered.
The performance of all DPWH officials and personnel would be regularly reviewed, and nonperforming officials would be administratively sanctioned or demoted.
Dizon earlier announced the first batch of newly promoted DPWH officials who, he said, consistently excelled in their performance.
Promoted were Arnold Ocampo, OIC regional director, Region 3; Abdul Motalib Kansi Jr., assistant district engineer, Sarangani province; Adeltrudes Catanes, district engineer, Romblon; Elvie Benig, assistant district engineer, Masbate; Kenneth Edward Fernando, OIC district engineer, Bulacan First District Engineering Office; and Priscilla Jebulan, district engineer, Sorsogon.
Last December, Dizon also designated engineers Kenneth Edward Fernando and Paul Genar S.J. Lumabas as OIC, Office of the District Engineer and assistant district rngineer, respectively, of the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, the district where the ghost and anomalous projects were exposed.
Fernando and Lumabas replaced dismissed district engineer and assistant district engineer Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, who were implicated in the implementation of anomalous and ghost flood control projects in Bulacan.
Dizon also signed 22 special orders, all dated Jan. 22, appointing new regional directors in 12 of 17 DPWH regional offices across the country, and 10 assistant regional directors.
He said district and regional offices play a vital role in ensuring that flood control projects and other infrastructures conform with the procurement process, correct specification and approved structural plan.
Regional directors and assistant regional directors are also required to “conduct an inventory, accomplish, complete, and sign all pending documents,” including monthly certificates of payment, statement of work accomplished, as-built plan, and corresponding back-up computation.
