The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reaffirmed its dedication to transparency, accountability, and infrastructure development during the Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Discussions held on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
This came two days after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered his fourth SONA, emphasizing stronger infrastructure governance and calling for a comprehensive audit of flood control projects implemented over the past three years.
“We welcome the President’s directive to audit flood control projects to ensure full accountability and proper fund utilization,” said DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan.
He further emphasized that under the present administration, institutional reforms will ensure that all flood control and water management efforts are integrated with updated river basin master plans, providing long-term, science-based solutions.
The DPWH has updated the Master Plans and Feasibility Studies for seven (7) of the 18 Major River Basins. These updates are tailored to address challenges brought about by rapid urbanization and climate change.
DPWH Secretary Bonoan also announced the agency’s other “Build Better More” program accomplishments from July 2022 to May 2025 which include the completion of 19,629 kilometers of road construction, widening, upgrading, maintenance, and rehabilitation. Notable accomplishments include the completion of the Bangui and Pasuquin Bypass Roads in Ilocos Norte. Under Inter-Island Linkage Bridge Program, a noteworthy accomplishment is the Panguil Bay Bridge, which is now the longest sea-crossing bridge in Mindanao spanning 3.17 kilometers.
Another road infrastructure accomplishment is the substantial completion of R.T. Lim–Siocon Road which has significantly reduced travel time between Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte from five hours to just one and a half hours with public utility bus service already operating between Siocon and R.T. Lim.
Under Luzon Spine Expressway Network (LSEN) Program, the DPWH has completed the Arterial Road Bypass (Plaridel) Phase III in Bulacan and the C3–España Section and España–Magsaysay Section of the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, while ongoing projects include the NLEX-SLEX Connector link to Skyway Stage III, now 13% complete; Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase I and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, both for completion this year.
Also set for implementation are the 59.4-kilometer TPLEX Extension, which will cut Rosario–San Juan, La Union travel time from 1.5 hours to 40 minutes, and the 33.93-kilometer Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Phase I, expected to reduce Southern NCR–Calamba travel from 2 hours to 30 minutes. The 66.9-kilometer SLEX Toll Road 4, which will reduce travel time between Sto. Tomas, Batangas and Lucena, Quezon from 4 hours to 1 hour, is underway and will be completed in 2029. While, the section from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Tiaong, Quezon is targeted to be completed in 2026.
The Mindanao Transport Connectivity Improvement Program aims to upgrade 428.2 kilometers of roads from Cagayan de Oro to General Santos, including three local road sections (128.46 km). Detailed engineering design is set to begin in January 2026.
Modern tunneling technologies are also being introduced in the Davao City Bypass Project, where excavation of the northbound tunnel was completed in March 2025. The southbound tunnel is expected to break through by Q3 2025.
Another key project, the Dalton Pass East Alignment Road, will connect Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya. Design consultants are currently being selected, with detailed engineering work set to start in early 2026.
In addition, the DPWH is also working to rebuild Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA) using modern construction methods and technologies to speed up the project and reduce traffic disruptions, in coordination with the MMDA and the Department of Transportation.
A total of 2,433 bridge construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, widening, and upgrading projects were also completed during first half of President Marcos Jr.’s administration, which include the Salnec-Madalipay-Dugong Bridge in Bucay, Abra; the Sta. Cruz Parallel Bridge on Manila North Road in Ilocos Sur; the Balagtas Flyover in Batangas City; and the Governor Camins/MCLL Highway and Veterans Avenue Flyover in Zamboanga City.
Secretary Bonoan said that more big-ticket bridge projects are being fast tracked under Inter-Island Linkage Bridge Program, including the partially-opened Nalil-Sikkiat Bridge in Tawi-Tawi. Once operational, it will reduce travel time between the Tawi-Tawi mainland and Bongao from one hour to less than 10 minutes.
The procurement process for the civil works contract of 32.15-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is on-going, with construction expected to begin before the end of 2025. Meanwhile, the DPWH is accelerating the Detailed Engineering Design for the 33.09-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, as well as the Feasibility Study for the 2.61-kilometer Second San Juanico Bridge to improve connectivity and address the growing transportation and logistics demand of Samar and Leyte.
DPWH also continues to prioritize the retrofitting and strengthening of vital bridges nationwide. The DPWH is currently implementing measures to rehabilitate the critical segments of the approach structures of the San Juanico Bridge. As of 07 July 2025, funding is being sourced to raise the bridge’s load capacity from three (3) tons to twelve (12) tons, with further upgrades being considered to allow up to fifteen (15) tons by December 2025. Meanwhile, as we gear up for the rehabilitation and retrofitting of the Guadalupe Bridge, advance preparatory works for the construction of detour bridges are now underway. Through the construction of the two (2) 2-lane detour bridges, the existing 10 lanes (5 lanes per direction) of EDSA will be maintained to ensure continuous flow of traffic throughout the construction period.
As part of the Metro Manila Logistics Improvement Program to ease traffic by building more bridges over the Pasig River, Marikina River, and Manggahan Floodway, construction started earlier this year on the Eastbank-Westbank Bridge 2 and the Palanca-Villegas Bridge. More bridge projects, including the Marcos Highway–St. Mary Avenue Bridge and the Kabayani Street–Matandang Balara Bridge, will begin soon.
“We’re not just building roads and bridges—we’re building trust in government. These projects represent our commitment to integrity, efficiency, and inclusive growth. The Filipino people deserve infrastructure that is safe, resilient, and built to last”, added Secretary Bonoan.