Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan discloses 15 ‘missing’ projects

LEADERSHIP CHANGE. Newly appointed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon (right) speaks at a press conference after the turnover ceremony with former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan (2nd from right) at the DPWH head office in Manila on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 2, 2025). Dizon said he is looking to finish reorganizing the department in two months. (PNA photo by FGPatinio)

By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Manuel Bonoan on Tuesday disclosed that 15 “missing” projects were discovered during their investigation on the completed projects under the Marcos administration from July 2022 to May 2025.

In a press conference after the turnover ceremony for the agency’s top post, held at the DPWH head office in Manila, the outgoing secretary reported that the “non-existent” undertakings were part of the list they submitted to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. upon his order.

“There are 15 non-existent projects. They are not ghost projects,” he said. “Most of them are in 1st District of Bulacan, scattered in some regions, one or two. All these documents will be turned over to Secretary Vince Dizon.”

Earlier, the DPWH under Bonoan submitted a list of projects totaling 9,855 covering the first three years under the present administration, in response to the Chief Executive’s directive during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28.

Bonoan explained that ghost projects are those that have supposedly been funded and completed, while non-existent projects are the ones that are being validated.

“A ghost project is actually one that is already been validated and really found out not to be there, and has been declared, has been submitted as completed, and funds have been collected, as well. These are the ghost projects we are talking about,” he said.

“(The) non-existent, for the time being, is actually, it’s just a matter of validating the locations of these projects that we are talking about.”

Reorganization

Meanwhile, new DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon is looking to finish reorganizing the department in two months.

He said the process would be difficult, but should be undertaken.

“Sixty days maximum to be able to see how best we can reorganize and hopefully, after 30 to 60 days, we will have an organization that we feel will be ready to take on these challenges and move forward, but it would be (a) difficult 60 days,” he said after he officially took over his new post.

He said the President’s marching order is to “cleanse, to fix” the DPWH.

Bonoan was appointed by Marcos to lead the agency in July 2022, while Dizon led the Department of Transportation for six months before he was named as head of the DPWH.