MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III filed Senate Invoice (SB) 1835 reorganizing the Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to strengthen accountability in public infrastructure tasks.
The senator stated SB 1835 goals to rationalize the powers and capabilities of the DPWH regional and district places of work to attain transparency and effectivity in public infrastructure governance.
The invoice creates an infrastructure inspectorate crew which is able to “livestream” on official social media channels its inspection of public works tasks for transparency.
Sotto stated public infrastructure performs an important function in nation-building by producing employment and addressing important wants corresponding to protected roads, bridges, flood management programs, and different essential public works.
“As one of many departments receiving the most important finances allocations, Filipinos rightfully count on that each peso entrusted to the DPWH interprets into protected, resilient, and responsive infrastructure,” he stated.
“It’s crucial to revisit the group of DPWH to determine the place the gaps are and the place alternatives for corruption might lie,” Sotto stated in submitting the measure.
He stated SB 1835 was one of many legislative measures advisable arising from the outcomes of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on “ghost” flood management tasks whereby some lawmakers, in collusion with DPWH personnel, allegedly pocketed some funds for flood mitigation.