DPWH launches job fairs to replace corrupt officials

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is conducting job fairs in the country's universities to recruit fresh graduates and graduating students in a bid to replace corrupt officials and personnel in its ranks.

At a media conference on Friday, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said that the DPWH started the job fairs in January, adding that it was about time to hire new engineers, architects, and accountants.

“Kailangan repormahin na ang ahensya kasi dekada na ’yan eh. Ilang taon na ’yang binibilang nating kalokohan,” Dizon said.

(We need to reform the agency because it has been decades. We've counted years of corruption.)

Dizon said that the DPWH conducted fairs in Mapua, De La Salle University, Batangas State University, and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

He said some 700 submitted job applications in Mapua on Thursday. There were at most 500 in the other universities.

“Nakakatuwa naman po na sa sa kawalan ng tiwala sa DPWH, yung sense of patriotism at sense of gusto mag-participate ng mga kabataan ngayon ay nandiyan pa rin kahit napakasama na ng reputasyon at halos walang tiwala sa DPWH. Gusto pa rin tumulong ng mga kabataan,” he added.

(We are happy to see that despite the loss of trust in the DPWH, the sense of patriotism and the desire to help among the youth remain, even after the DPWH earned a bad reputation and lost the trust of the public. The youth still wants to help.)

Meanwhile, Dizon said the DPWH's role in the investigation of the anomalous flood control projects was to help the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.

“Ang trabaho ng DPWH ay magayos ng kalye, gumawa ng bagong kalye, magayos ng tulay, gumawa ng bagong tulay. Yan ang trabaho ng DPWH. Di trabaho ng DPWH na mag-imbestiga at mag-file ng kaso,” Dizon said.

(The job of DPWH is to fix roads, create new roads, fix bridges, and make new bridges. That is the job of DPWH. The job of DPWH isn’t investigating and filing cases.)

“Ang trabaho ng DPWH ay tulungan ang ating mga ahensiya, specifically ang Ombudsman, ang DOJ, and NBI para sa pag-iimbestiga at pagbubuo ng mga kaso… To provide evidence, to provide documents, to provide everything the Ombudsman, the DOJ, the NBI, and the PNP need to build up their cases para pag-file sa korte, maayos na kaso yan,” he added.

(The job of DPWH is to help our agencies, specifically the Ombudsman, the DOJ, and NBI, to investigate and create their cases… To provide evidence, to provide documents, to provide everything the Ombudsman, the DOJ, the NBI, and the PNP need to build up their cases so that when they file it in the court, it’s already complete.) –NB, GMA Integrated News