CALBAYOG CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is aiming to complete the long-awaited rehabilitation of the Daang Maharlika, the country’s primary north–south highway, before the end of 2027, with heavily damaged sections in Samar and other parts of Eastern Visayas.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon announced the target timeline during a two-day inspection visit to Samar on Sunday and Monday, saying the Marcos administration has already lined up funding for the project under the proposed 2026 national budget, with additional allocations set for the succeeding fiscal year.
Dizon said savings from the 2025 national budget would also be used to fast-track the rehabilitation of the highway, which has long been criticized for its deteriorating condition in several regions.
“Before the end of 2027, we hope to rehabilitate a large portion of the Daang Maharlika—from Luzon to Mindanao—especially the sections that are repeatedly damaged,” Dizon said in a media interview in Calbayog City on Monday, Feb.2.
He emphasized that the massive road rehabilitation will be financed entirely through government funds, assuring the public that no foreign loans will be tapped for the project.
“These are local funds. We are not borrowing from foreign banks,” he said.
The Daang Maharlika, also known as the Pan-Philippine Highway, stretches more than 3,279 kilometers across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao and serves as a crucial backbone for inter-island trade, tourism, and daily mobility. In Eastern Visayas, the highway spans 395.52 kilometers, including 205.75 kilometers in Samar province, where some of the most severely damaged portions are located.
Despite the scope of the undertaking, Dizon did not disclose the total cost of rehabilitating the entire highway network.
The DPWH chief said the rehabilitation of the Daang Maharlika is among the flagship infrastructure priorities of the Marcos administration, citing its strategic role in linking regions and supporting economic activity.
To ensure faster and more efficient completion, Dizon said the DPWH plans to award the project to major contractors instead of smaller ones, noting that piecemeal rehabilitation by multiple small contractors often results in delays and uneven road quality.
“Our commitment to local leaders and even to the bishops is to engage large contractors, not small ones, so the work will not be done in fragmented sections,” he said.
During his inspection in Samar, Dizon observed that some road repair works were being handled by small contractors, which he said posed safety risks due to the absence of proper warning signs and barriers.
“There were no warning signs, no barriers, and construction materials were just left on the roads, which can cause accidents,” he said.
Dizon added that based on his inspection from the Bicol Region to Eastern Visayas, only about 30 percent of the Daang Maharlika could be classified as severely damaged, underscoring the need for focused yet comprehensive rehabilitation.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan welcomed Dizon’s visit, saying the province has long awaited sustained national attention to the condition of the highway.
“This is the first time that a DPWH Secretary actually inspected and visited the Daang Maharlika,” Tan said, adding that the road network is vital to Samar’s economy, connectivity, and tourism growth.
As part of his visit, Dizon conducted an on-site road inspection aboard a bus traversing the Maharlika Highway, starting from the Bicol Region and continuing through Eastern Visayas, to personally assess the condition of the national road network.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
