Green lane for infrastructure to weed out subpar contractors

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Senior Reporter

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it is considering a proposal to establish a green-lane scheme for public works projects that will encourage legitimate contractors to take on more government projects.

“You have green lanes for investors and companies who qualify based on certain criteria; there is no reason why we can’t do that in the DPWH,” according to Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon, speaking at the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) 1^st General Membership Meeting on Monday.

“We can have a green lane to speed up the requirements, (to speed up the payment process for contractors),” he added, noting that the department will be working with the PCCI in designing such a system.

He said one of the objectives for a green lane scheme is to encourage well-run contractors to participate in public works.

“Once the big contractors and the legitimate contractors join the DPWH, I think (it will help rebuild)  trust in the department,” he added.

PCCI President Ferdinand A. Ferrer said the green lane system will help the infrastructure program regain momentum.

“We saw what happened when they stopped it; our gross domestic product went down,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the event, referring to the flood control corruption scandal of 2025, which triggered sweeping reviews of all government works.

Mr. Ferrer said the DPWH and the PCCI want to come up with criteria that will serve to screen for legitimate contractors.

“Let’s give them a medal that says, ‘You’re now part of the green lane, and we will make your (participation in government projects) easier, including the payments,’” he said.

“Currently, many contractors are waiting to be paid, but now that the DPWH is funded, they will get paid. What we want for these green lane contractors is that they get paid on time,” he added.

The target, Mr. Ferrer, is to establish the green lane scheme within three months.

“We will work with the Board of Investments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority so we can help DPWH to establish a green lane faster,” he said.

“It took us a year to establish a green lane in BoI. We cannot wait a year, so we want to set it up maybe in three months, hopefully,” Mr. Ferrer added.

He said that the PCCI is scheduled to discuss the scheme with the DPWH next week. Talks with agencies that set up the green lane and one-stop shop for strategic investments are ongoing.

Mr. Ferrer also said that the PCCI is seeking greater participation in the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development’s regional development councils.

Mr. Dizon reiterated the need for reforms at the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB).

“Marami sa nakikita nating problema ay nanggagaling po doon (It’s the source of many problems) … So, we also have to reform that institution as well with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),” he said.

Mr. Ferrer said that the PCCI is also scheduled to talk with the Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) to improve the PCAB.

“We will work with the new administration of PCA … to help us crack on how to improve PCAB licensing. So that when they issue a license, not only do they give the other contractors a peace of mind but also the other stakeholders,” he added.