The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has opened records on more than 247,000 infrastructure projects through its Transparency Portal to expose substandard work and “ghost” projects that exist only on paper.
Launched by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in November 2025, the portal initially covered 2016–2025 projects. It anchors DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon’s drive to make DPWH more transparent than ever, expanding scrutiny beyond the flood-control projects on Sumbong sa Pangulo.
Citizens can check implementing offices, contractors, costs, locations, reported progress and available procurement documents and images. They can compare a drainage project marked “complete” with actual conditions and flag missing or unfinished work. Structural quality and legal liability require technical and official validation.
The aggressive transparency push follows a massive scandal involving nearly 10,000 flood-control projects worth roughly ₱545 billion from July 2022 to May 2025, during Martin Romualdez’s speakership and Manuel Bonoan’s tenure as DPWH secretary. Investigations uncovered substandard work, gross overpricing and outright “ghost” projects; a government review found that 15 of more than 2,000 contractors cornered about 20% of the funding. Romualdez was arrested on September 7 and remains detained at the New Quezon City Jail on a ₱7.44-billion plunder charge. Bonoan was charged with plunder and graft and has agreed to become a state witness.
Around 300 Bisto Proyekto volunteers inspected 82 projects worth ₱4.7 billion across 12 regions. Convenor Dondon Parafina said their findings prompted repairs in Davao Oriental and Bataan.
To supplement community-driven evidence, a strategic partnership between the DPWH and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) integrates satellite imagery and geospatial analysis into the audit process.
“Kailangan po ninyo kami bantayan,”
Dizon told civil-society representatives, stressing that government cannot sustain reforms alone.
To protect monitors, the portal accepts anonymous reports and community observations, which the Office of the Secretary reviews and refers for appropriate action.
