Vince Dizon back as DOTr chief, Lopez goes to DPWH - GMA Network

Secretaries Vince Dizon and Giovanni Lopez would switch roles as heads of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Malacañang said.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Lino Cayetano announced this in a press briefing on Monday, saying President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to “put the right people where they can deliver the most.”

“In the President’s own words, ‘We are shifting gears to accelerate reform. Secretary Dizon goes to DOTr to fix the daily commute. Secretary Lopez goes to DPWH to make sure the reforms there last,’” Cayetano said.

With the return of Dizon at the DOTr, Cayetano said he is expected to make the daily commute of Filipinos a little easier, as well as shorten the lines and get rid of the fixers at the Land Transportation Office.

Marcos also ordered Dizon to push the completion of critical mass transport projects.

“At the Department of Public Works and Highways, Secretary Dizon disrupted a system that had protected waste and corruption for years. Thousands of projects are now open to the public, long-unfinished projects are being completed, and a new culture of transparency and accountability has begun to take root,” Cayetano said.

Lopez, on the other hand, has been tasked with speeding up the roads, bridges, and other government infrastructure projects Filipino communities need.

Asked the reason for the reshuffle, Cayetano explained that the President simply wants reforms in the government to last for the sake of the people.

“The President believes that Secretary Banoy Lopez, a CPA, a lawyer, a systems builder, is the right person for that job. Sa kabilang banda naman, kilala natin si (on the other hand, we know) Secretary Vince Dizon---he's a known disruptor, a known reformer,” the PCO chief said.

He also said he has no idea if other individuals were considered for the jobs, but expressed belief that both Dizon and Lopez “fit the kind of job the President wants to be done in the two departments.”

“Naniniwala ako na simple lang ‘yung batayan ng ating Pangulo. Ano ‘yung trabaho na kailangang gawin? Sino 'yung mga taong pinaniwalaan niyang kaya ‘yung trabahong ito? At ‘yun 'yung naging sa pananaw ko, naging rason doon sa pagpili niya sa dalawang high-performing Cabinet members po natin,” Cayetano explained.

(I believe that our President’s criteria are simple. What is the job that needs to be done? Who are the people he believes can do this job? And that is, in my view, the reason for his selection of our two high-performing Cabinet members.)

The PCO secretary also expressed confidence that the transition between Dizon and Lopez would be seamless, considering the ongoing deliberations into the proposed 2027 national budget.

“I'm sure the transition will be seamless. And I know for a fact na the two are hitting the ground running, and they're working closely together. So wala akong nakikitang problema po (I don’t see any problems),” Cayetano said. —AOL, GMA News