DPWH eyes ‘green lane’ for major firms bidding for infra projects

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing to establish a “green lane” to entice major construction firms to participate in the agency’s bidding for its infrastructure projects.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the establishment of a “green lane” for its bidding processes would be similar to the Board of Investments’ (BOI) green lane certification initiative.

“In attracting legitimate contractors… Under the BOI agreements, you have green lanes for investors and companies who qualify based on a certain criteria. There’s no reason why we can’t do that in DPWH,” Dizon said in a statement.

In February 2023, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order 18, which mandated the creation of green lanes as part of efforts for ease of doing business and promoting strategic investments.

Obtaining green lane status will expedite permit and license issuance, including resolving strategic investment issues.

Strategic investments are those which are aligned with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) or any similar national development plan and can be characterized by:

• Significant capital or investment to the country;
• Consequential economic impact;
• Positive impact on the environment;
• Significant contribution to the country’s balance of payments;
• With complex technical processes and engineering designs; and
• Will improve the country’s infrastructure capabilities.

Dizon said the establishment of a green lane for the DPWH’s bidding processes will encourage legitimate and major construction firms to join its programs to speed up construction of infrastructure projects.

He added that the DPWH is institutionalizing transparency and reform initiatives, while expanding partnerships with the private sector such as the recently launched Integrity Chain monitoring system. — JMA, GMA Integrated News