SEN. Panfilo Lacson has filed Senate Resolution 594 directing the Senate Committee on Public Works to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the rehabilitation of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), after fresh potholes emerged on newly repaired portions of the highway after torrential rains.
“For nearly a week, persistent southwest monsoon rains have drenched parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, damaging several main thoroughfares, including recently rehabilitated sections of EDSA. The presence of fresh potholes means the newly repaired avenue will already require another round of maintenance,” Lacson said in his resolution.
“Rapid deterioration of recently rehabilitated roads, most notably EDSA, just months after completion exposes deep-seated flaws in the planning, design, construction, and management of high-cost public infrastructure projects,” he added.
Lacson said the national government has been appropriating funds for the Asset Preservation Program under the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) budget to improve the quality of national roads to international standards and ensure resiliency to natural disasters.
He said that while the DPWH conducted regular preventive maintenance, repairs, and rehabilitation in certain portions of EDSA, there have been no recent full rehabilitation works conducted to restore the road to its optimal condition.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended the planned full rehabilitation of EDSA in 2025 to identify faster construction methods, mitigate traffic disruption, ease commuter inconvenience, and adopt updated technologies in the original plan.
In June 2025, then-Transportation secretary and now Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and DPWH National Capital Region Director Loreta Malaluan announced that the EDSA rehabilitation would use new technologies and procedures.
In December 2025, Dizon announced the launch of the EDSA rehabilitation project using advanced Japanese road technology, which would accelerate repair timelines, ensure durable surfaces, and slash project costs from P17 billion to P6 billion.
On Dec. 24, 2025, the DPWH awarded the contract for Phase 1 of the EDSA Rehabilitation Project stretching from Roxas Boulevard to Orense Street to Readycon Trading & Construction Corp. under Contract ID No. 250000129, valued at P1,183,374,622.61, with a 180-calendar-day duration. The Notice to Proceed was issued on Jan. 6, 2026.
In April 2026, DPWH announced that the first phase of the EDSA rehabilitation was completed two months ahead of schedule.
On May 25, the DPWH awarded the second phase of the EDSA rehabilitation, from Orense Street to Monumento (Northbound and Southbound), to Readycon in a joint venture with Dumduma Construction & Trading Corp., under Contract ID No. 250000132.
The contract worth P4,009,473,018.88 was signed June 4, and the Notice to Proceed was issued on June 8, 2026.
