In a strategic Cabinet reshuffle aimed at accelerating government reforms, Secretaries Vince Dizon and Giovanni Lopez are trading leadership roles between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano announced the development during a press briefing at Malacañang on Monday, October 26, emphasizing that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is committed to placing officials where their expertise can yield the greatest impact.
Quoting the President, Cayetano shared: “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.’”
Focus on Commuter Relief and Transport Projects
Returning to the DOTr, Dizon has been tasked with streamlining public transportation. His primary directives include easing the daily commute for millions of Filipinos, reducing long lines, eliminating fixers at the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and fast-tracking the completion of critical mass transport initiatives.
Cayetano praised Dizon’s past performance at the DPWH, noting his success in dismantling deeply entrenched inefficiencies.
“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.
Institutionalizing Infrastructure Reforms
Meanwhile, Lopez takes over the DPWH helm with the mandate to accelerate the construction of vital community infrastructure, including roads and bridges nationwide.
Describing the rationale behind the leadership swap, Cayetano highlighted the distinct strengths of both officials.
“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 Secretary Vince Dizon—he’s a known disruptor, a known reformer,” the Press Secretary explained.
Cayetano added that the President’s decision stemmed strictly from matching the right leaders to the demands of each portfolio, noting, “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.”
Despite the high-profile swap coinciding with ongoing deliberations for the proposed 2027 national budget, Malacañang expressed full confidence in a smooth handover, reporting that both officials are already coordinating closely to ensure uninterrupted operations.