31/08/2025
🟥 Who Is Vince Dizon, the New DPWH Secretary
Vivencio "Vince" Bringas Dizon has been named the new Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) after the resignation of Manuel Bonoan. At 50, the economist and longtime government insider steps into the role at a time when the department faces one of its biggest credibility tests: cleaning up the multibillion-peso flood control mess.
🟥 From Pampanga to London
Born in Quezon City but raised in Porac, Pampanga, Dizon built an academic career anchored on economics and finance. He studied at De La Salle University from 1991 to 1996, finishing with dual degrees in Economics and Commerce–Management of Financial Institutions. Consistently on the Dean’s Honor List, he also bagged an Outstanding Thesis award in Finance. Through the British Chevening Scholarship, he went on to earn a master’s degree in Applied Developmental Studies at the University of Reading in the UK in 1999, graduating with distinction.
🟥 Early Years in Government and Academia
Dizon’s first exposure to government was as an economic researcher at the Senate from 1996 to 1998. He later served as Chief of Staff to Senate President Edgardo Angara from 2002 to 2004. In between, he taught economics and finance at De La Salle University from 1996 to 2002, later becoming a senior lecturer in economics, finance, and statistics at the University of Northern Virginia’s Prague campus from 2005 to 2007. Outside of teaching, he also entered the private sector as Vice President for Corporate Communications at SAHI-TECH from 2007 to 2011.
🟥 Aquino and Cayetano Years
In the Aquino administration, Dizon became Undersecretary for Political Affairs in Malacañang from 2011 to 2013. Afterward, he worked as a consultant to Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano from 2013 to 2016, cementing his role as a trusted policy hand.
🟥 Rise Under Duterte
Dizon rose to national prominence during the Duterte years. He led the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) as president and CEO from 2016 to 2021, steering projects that turned former military bases into economic zones. Under his watch, BCDA contributed ₱15.16 billion to the Armed Forces in just three years — a third of its total contributions since 1993. In 2019, he was appointed Presidential Adviser on Flagship Programs, tasked with overseeing the monitoring and implementation of Build, Build, Build. During the pandemic, he took on critical roles as Deputy Chief Implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19 and as the country’s testing czar. He helped establish mega quarantine centers and scaled up the Philippines’ testing capacity to more than 42,000 per day by September 2020.
🟥 From DOTr to DPWH
On February 13, 2025, President Marcos appointed Dizon as Transportation Secretary, replacing Jaime Bautista who resigned for health reasons. His appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on June 3, 2025. In that brief tenure, he suspended the Toll Regulatory Board’s plan for compulsory cashless tolls, which he described as “anti-poor.” He also ordered the operationalization of Amandayehan Port in Samar to deal with logistics bottlenecks caused by weight restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge. On August 31, following Bonoan’s resignation, Marcos tapped Dizon to head DPWH and tasked him with a full departmental sweep to restore credibility in flood control spending.
🟥 Controversies and Scandals
Dizon’s career is not without controversy. The most prominent was the ₱11-billion New Clark City sports facilities deal for the 2019 SEA Games, where he and other officials faced graft and malversation charges. The Commission on Audit declared the project void due to procurement violations, inflated costs, and absence of proper appropriations. He was also criticized by transport and human rights groups for allegedly displacing Aeta communities in Tarlac to make way for New Clark City. The P55-million SEA Games cauldron became another flashpoint, condemned as wasteful spending. In 2021, he also made headlines after being reportedly roughed up by cyclists in Clark when, as BCDA chair, he banned them from certain roads.
🟥 Political Stance
Having worked under Aquino, Duterte, and now Marcos, Dizon is seen more as a technocrat than a partisan figure. He has stated in interviews that he has no plans to run in the 2028 elections, preferring to stay in administrative and technical roles rather than electoral politics.
🟥 Awards and Recognition
Despite the controversies, Dizon has received high-profile recognition. He was conferred the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Bayani in 2022. People Asia named him one of its People of the Year in 2019. The same year, he was included in the Asia CEO Awards Circle of Excellence. In 2018, Punto! recognized him as “Man of the Year” for his role in Clark’s transformation.
🟥 Personal Notes
Dizon is married to Essie Romero, with whom he has a daughter. Away from government, he is known as a cycling enthusiast.
🟥 The Road Ahead
Now, with DPWH under fire for billions lost to ghost and substandard flood projects, Dizon faces the most demanding role of his career. Supporters hail him as an “action man” who can deliver results. Critics argue that his SEA Games baggage and human rights controversies may follow him into this new office. Whichever side proves right, the challenge before him is clear: clean up one of the country’s most corruption-prone agencies and rebuild trust in its infrastructure programs.
🟥 SOURCES:
GMA News Online – https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/957544/bonoan-resigns-dpwh/story/
PNA – https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1257672
Clark International Airport Corp –https://ciac.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Resume-of-Director-Vivencio-B.-Dizon.pdf
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Dizon
Peoplaid – https://peoplaid.com/2025/02/15/vivencio-dizon/
Punto! – https://punto.com.ph/vince-dizon-a-sketch-1/
Inquirer Business – https://business.inquirer.net/284966/superheroes-leading-the-real-estate-industry
Philstar – https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/09/13/1951518/bcda-president-vince-dizon-named-presidential-adviser-flagship-projects
SunStar – https://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/marcos-accepts-bonoans-resignation-appoints-dizon-as-new-dpwh-chief
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrfSnNi4FW0
TV5 News – https://news.tv5.com.ph/national/read/group-slams-dizons-appointment-as-dotr-chief-due-to-notorious-record
Philstar – https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/10/27/2052514/bcda-chief-dizon-3-others-sued-over-sea-games
GMA News Online – https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/761550/bcda-execs-face-graft-malversation-raps-over-p9-5-b-sports-facilities-project-in-new-clark-city/story/
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Daily Tribune – https://tribune.net.ph/2025/08/29/dizon-calls-for-consistent-lifestyle-checks-among-officials
Senate of the Philippines – https://web.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2020/1110_hontiveros2.asp
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GMA News Online – https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/736952/palace-defends-bcda-dizon-s-appointment-to-head-covid-19-testing-efforts/story/
Asian Journal – https://asianjournal.com/people/fresh-start-with-an-action-man-for-dotr/
Top Gear Philippines – https://www.topgear.com.ph/news/motoring-news/vince-dizon-dotr-chief-a2619-20250213
Journal News – https://journalnews.com.ph/vince-dizon-takes-over-dotr-replaces-bautista/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/essieromerodizon/?hl=en
Flickr – 12527270@N07/11286211576" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/12527270@N07/11286211576
Pinterest – https://ph.pinterest.com/essieromero/
Inquirer.net – https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2102256/bonoan-dpwh-has-more-decent-hard-working-people-than-scalawags
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up1MgmhCik4
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNNl88KJiJQ
Philstar – https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/08/30/2469222/bonoan-rejects-resignation-calls-vows-accountability-amid-flood-project-scandal
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/philippinestar/p/DOA21DYgdnH/
PNA – https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1257654
Manila Times – https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/08/30/news/dpwh-chief-rejects-calls-to-resign-as-he-vows-to-probe-corruption-in-flood-control-projects/2176319
Photo Credit: Rappler
