A NATIONWIDE  catch-up plan to accelerate delayed classroom construction projects is now underway, according to Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, as part of broader reforms to improve efficiency and transparency in public infrastructure programs.

Dizon confirmed that funding for several school-building projects was released only in late August 2025, even though the memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education had been signed a month earlier in July.

The delay, he said, slowed down project mobilization and contributed to the backlog.

“We’re now implementing a nationwide catch-up plan with Secretary Sonny Angara and DepEd to ensure faster classroom construction, so students and teachers can benefit from better learning spaces as soon as possible,” he said.

He added that declining construction material prices in recent months are helping maximize the government’s infrastructure budget, enabling more classrooms, hospitals, and farm-to-market roads without compromising quality.

Dizon stressed that ongoing institutional reforms in the DPWH will continue “with no sacred cows,” particularly in addressing long-standing issues of inefficiency and corruption.

He cited the resignation of former Undersecretary Arrey Perez—who stepped down amid allegations later deemed baseless—as “a rare act of accountability and integrity in public service.”

Amid speculation about his own future in the agency, Dizon affirmed his commitment to stay on.

“I go where the President tells me to go,” he said. “There’s still a lot to fix at the DPWH, especially in cleaning up old practices that have persisted for decades.”

He added that corruption investigations are ongoing and will proceed “wherever the evidence leads,” noting that some officials may face jail time before Christmas.