CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Thirty officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Northern Mindanao (DPWH-10), including its Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, District Engineers, and Assistant District Engineers, have filed their courtesy resignations in line with a nationwide directive to strengthen accountability and transparency within the agency.
DPWH-10 spokesperson Roshelle Novie Cabrido confirmed that the resignations, submitted to Secretary Vince Dizon, are part of the call for all district engineers across the country to tender courtesy resignations to allow a stricter assessment of project implementation and fund utilization.
Of the 14 district engineers in Region 10, four come from Bukidnon, Cabrido said. She stressed that despite stepping down, the officials will continue to perform their duties until the central office acts on their resignations, ensuring that services and ongoing projects remain unaffected.
Cabrido also addressed circulating allegations of ghost projects and substandard flood-control works in the region. She clarified that there are no ghost projects under DPWH-10 and that reports circulating on social media were “misleading and incorrect.”
She cited, among others, the flood-control project in Sitio Lagaan, Barangay Apo Macote, Malaybalay City, which is undergoing corrective works, and two completed projects in Purok 4 and Purok 8, Barangay Linabo, finished on March 5, 2024, with a total cost of ₱96.4 million. DPWH-10 personnel, Cabrido added, were dispatched to validate reported damages in some flood-control structures to ensure accountability and transparency.
The courtesy resignations come amid mounting pressure for DPWH to rebuild public trust, particularly in light of widespread concerns over infrastructure quality and alleged anomalies in project implementation nationwide.
“This is part of the agency’s commitment to accountability and good governance,” Cabrido said, emphasizing that DPWH-10 remains steadfast in carrying out its mandate while awaiting final decisions from the central office.