Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is seeking an investigation into the rehabilitation and repair of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) after fresh potholes emerged on newly repaired portions of the highway following recent monsoon rains.
Lacson’s Senate Resolution 594 directs the Senate Committee on Public Works to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation with the end in view of reviewing design and engineering standards and ensuring accountability in public infrastructure.
“For nearly a week, persistent southwest monsoon (habagat) rains have drenched parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila; damaging several main thoroughfares, including recently rehabilitated sections of EDSA. The presence of fresh potholes means the newly repaired avenue will already require another round of maintenance,” he said in his resolution.
“Rapid deterioration of recently rehabilitated roads, most notably EDSA, just months after completion exposes deep-seated flaws in the planning, design, construction, and management of high-cost public infrastructure projects,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson Resolution, Sisiyasatin ang EDSA Rehab Projects Matapos Muling Lumitaw ang mga Lubak
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Lacson noted that the national government has been appropriating funds for the Asset Preservation Program under the DPWH’s budget to improve the quality of national roads to international standards and ensure resiliency to natural disasters.
He added that while the DPWH conducts regular preventive maintenance, repairs, and rehabilitation in certain portions of EDSA, there has been no recent full rehabilitation works conducted to restore the road to its optimal condition.
The President suspended the planned full rehabilitation of EDSA in 2025 to identify faster construction methods, mitigate traffic disruption, ease commuter inconvenience, and adopt updated technologies in the original plan.
In June 2025, then Transportation Secretary and now DPWH Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon and DPWH NCR Director Loreta Malaluan announced that the EDSA rehabilitation would use new technologies and procedures. In December 2025, Dizon announced the launch of the EDSA rehabilitation project using advanced Japanese road technology, which would accelerate repair timelines, ensure durable surfaces, and slash project costs from P17 billion to P6 billion.
On Dec. 24, 2025, the DPWH awarded the contract for Phase 1 of the EDSA Rehabilitation Project stretching from Roxas Boulevard to Orense Street to Readycon Trading & Construction Corporation under Contract ID No. 250000129, valued at P1,183,374,622.61, with a 180-calendar-day duration. The Notice to Proceed was issued on January 6, 2026.
In April 2026, DPWH announced that the first phase of the EDSA rehabilitation was completed two months ahead of schedule. Last May 25, the DPWH awarded the second phase of the EDSA rehabilitation, from Orense Street to Monumento (Northbound and Southbound), to Readycon in a joint venture with Dumduma Construction & Trading Corp., under Contract ID No. 250000132. The contract worth P4,009,473,018.88 was signed June 4, and the Notice to Proceed was issued on June 8, 2026.
Lacson likewise noted that when Dizon inspected the newly rehabilitated portions of EDSA where potholes had formed, he blurted “Dapat na-anticipate natin ito ah. Barado eh, oh?” – which Lacson said “reflects the widespread anger of citizens especially after the government had promised a complete rehabilitation of EDSA using modern, durable technologies to prevent a repeat of 2012, when torrential rains severely damaged major thoroughfares.”
Even during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III, Lacson said then DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson already pointed out that the enemy of asphalt is water, and that if there is no efficient drainage, it may worsen the quality of roads.
On the other hand, Lacson said Section 8 of Republic Act No. 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act, provides that no bidding and award of a contract for Infrastructure Projects shall be made unless the detailed engineering investigations, surveys, and designs for the project that shall consider factors including the impact on the environment, have been sufficiently carried out and duly approved.
He added Section 90(b) of RA 12009 provides for the defects liability period for infrastructure projects, one year from project completion up to final acceptance, wherein the contractor shall undertake the repair works, at its own expense, of any damage to the infrastructure on account of the use of materials of inferior quality, defects in the construction, or due to any violation of the terms of the contract, within 90 days from the time the HoPE has issued an order to undertake repair.
In case of failure or refusal to comply with this mandate, the Procuring Entity shall undertake such repair works and shall be entitled to full reimbursement of expense incurred thereupon upon demand, the resolution noted.
“It is imperative for Congress to review the mandate of the DPWH in setting the necessary standards and the specifications, including those that have been foreseen and are foreseeable, in the designs and construction of our public works, to exercise its oversight function over the implementation of the Asset Preservation Program funded under the annual appropriations, and determine the compliance of the contractors with the design and engineering standards,” Lacson said.
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Lacson Resolution, Sisiyasatin ang EDSA Rehab Projects Matapos Muling Lumitaw ang mga Lubak
Nais ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson na maimbestigahan ang rehabilitation at repair ng Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) matapos muling lumitaw ang mga lubak sa mga bahaging bagong ayos ng highway kasunod ng mga pag-ulan dulot ng habagat.
Inaatasan ng Senate Resolution 594 ni Lacson ang Senate Committee on Public Works na magsagawa ng inquiry in aid of legislation upang rebyuhin ang mga pamantayan sa disenyo at engineering at matiyak ang pananagutan sa mga pampublikong imprastraktura.
“For nearly a week, persistent southwest monsoon (habagat) rains have drenched parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila; damaging several main thoroughfares, including recently rehabilitated sections of EDSA. The presence of fresh potholes means the newly repaired avenue will already require another round of maintenance,” aniya sa kanyang resolusyon.
“Rapid deterioration of recently rehabilitated roads, most notably EDSA, just months after completion exposes deep-seated flaws in the planning, design, construction, and management of high-cost public infrastructure projects,” dagdag niya.
Ayon kay Lacson, patuloy na naglalaan ng pondo ang national government para sa Asset Preservation Program sa ilalim ng budget ng DPWH upang mapahusay ang kalidad ng mga national road alinsunod sa international standards at matiyak ang tibay ng mga ito laban sa mga natural na kalamidad.
Dagdag niya, bagama’t regular na nagsasagawa ang DPWH ng preventive maintenance, repair, at rehabilitation sa ilang bahagi ng EDSA, wala pang isinagawang recent full rehabilitation works upang maibalik ang kalsada sa pinakamainam nitong kondisyon.
Sinuspinde ng Pangulo noong 2025 ang planong full rehabilitation ng EDSA upang matukoy ang mas mabilis na paraan ng konstruksyon, mabawasan ang pagkaabala sa trapiko, maibsan ang abala sa mga commuter, at maisama sa orihinal na plano ang mga updated na teknolohiya.
Noong Hunyo 2025, inanunsyo nina noo’y Transportation Secretary at ngayo’y DPWH Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon at DPWH NCR Director Loreta Malaluan na gagamit ang EDSA rehabilitation ng mga bagong teknolohiya at pamamaraan. Noong Disyembre 2025, inanunsyo ni Dizon ang pagsisimula ng EDSA rehabilitation project gamit ang advanced Japanese road technology, na inaasahang magpapabilis sa repair timelines, titiyak sa mas matibay na road surface, at magpapababa sa gastos ng proyekto mula P17 bilyon tungo sa P6 bilyon.
Noong Disyembre 24, 2025, iginawad ng DPWH ang kontrata para sa Phase 1 ng EDSA Rehabilitation Project, mula Roxas Boulevard hanggang Orense Street, sa Readycon Trading & Construction Corporation sa ilalim ng Contract ID No. 250000129. Nagkakahalaga ito ng P1,183,374,622.61 at may 180-calendar-day duration. Inilabas ang Notice to Proceed noong Enero 6, 2026.
Noong Abril 2026, inanunsyo ng DPWH na natapos ang unang phase ng EDSA rehabilitation nang dalawang buwan bago ang itinakdang iskedyul. Noong Mayo 25, iginawad ng DPWH ang second phase ng EDSA rehabilitation, mula Orense Street hanggang Monumento (Northbound at Southbound), sa Readycon, kasama ang Dumduma Construction & Trading Corp. bilang joint venture, sa ilalim ng Contract ID No. 250000132. Ang kontratang nagkakahalaga ng P4,009,473,018.88 ay nilagdaan noong Hunyo 4, at inilabas ang Notice to Proceed noong Hunyo 8, 2026.
Binanggit din ni Lacson na nang inspeksyunin ni Dizon ang mga bagong rehabilitated na bahagi ng EDSA kung saan lumitaw ang mga lubak, nasabi nito: “Dapat na-anticipate natin ito ah. Barado eh, oh?” — na ayon kay Lacson ay sumasalamin sa galit ng mga mamamayan, lalo na’t nangako ang pamahalaan ng “complete rehabilitation” ng EDSA gamit ang “modern, durable technologies to prevent a repeat of 2012, when torrential rains severely damaged major thoroughfares.”
Maging noong administrasyon ng yumaong Pangulong Benigno Aquino III, sinabi ni Lacson na itinuro na noon ni DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson na ang tubig ang kalaban ng aspalto, at kung walang mahusay na drainage, maaari nitong palalain ang kalidad ng mga kalsada.
Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na itinatadhana ng Section 8 ng Republic Act No. 12009 o New Government Procurement Act na walang bidding at award ng kontrata para sa Infrastructure Projects kung hindi sapat na naisagawa at naaprubahan ang detalyadong engineering investigations, surveys, at designs para sa proyekto, kabilang ang pagsasaalang-alang sa mga salik gaya ng epekto nito sa environment.
Dagdag niya, itinatadhana ng Section 90(b) ng RA 12009 ang defects liability period para sa infrastructure projects na isang taon mula sa pagkumpleto ng proyekto hanggang sa final acceptance. Sa panahong ito, kailangang isagawa ng contractor, sa sarili nitong gastos, ang pagkukumpuni sa anumang pinsala sa imprastraktura na dulot ng paggamit ng inferior-quality materials, mga depekto sa konstruksyon, o anumang paglabag sa terms ng kontrata, sa loob ng 90 araw mula nang maglabas ang HoPE ng utos na magsagawa ng repair.
Kung mabigo o tumanggi ang contractor na sumunod sa utos na ito, isasagawa ng Procuring Entity ang naturang repair at may karapatan itong masingil nang buo ang mga gastusing natamo nito, kapag hiningi na ang reimbursement, ayon sa resolusyon.
“It is imperative for Congress to review the mandate of the DPWH in setting the necessary standards and the specifications, including those that have been foreseen and are foreseeable, in the designs and construction of our public works, to exercise its oversight function over the implementation of the Asset Preservation Program funded under the annual appropriations, and determine the compliance of the contractors with the design and engineering standards,” ani Lacson.
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