MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is looking to expand the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to finance and deliver major infrastructure projects, a move that could reshape how some of the country’s biggest roads, bridges and other public works are built.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency is backing greater private-sector participation for big-ticket infrastructure projects, according to a report by Panay News.
The push comes as the government faces the challenge of delivering large infrastructure projects while also tightening scrutiny over public spending, project costs and implementation.
Why PPP is gaining ground
Under a PPP arrangement, the government and private companies share responsibility for financing, developing, operating or maintaining public infrastructure, depending on the structure of the project.
The approach is not new to DPWH.
Government records show that the department already has several PPP projects in its infrastructure pipeline, including the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase II, North Luzon East Expressway, Mindoro-Batangas Super Bridge, Metro Cebu Expressway, Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway extension, among others.
The DPWH has also implemented PPP toll-road projects such as the Daang Hari-SLEX Link Road, CALAX, NAIA Expressway Phase II and TPLEX.
One of the more recent examples is the Boracay Bridge Project, which is being pursued under a PPP structure pursuant to the Philippines’ PPP Code, Republic Act No. 11966. The project is designed as a two-lane bridge with provisions for bicycle lanes and sidewalks and is subject to a competitive comparative-proposal process.
A possible answer to funding and implementation pressures
The renewed PPP push also comes after intense scrutiny of DPWH’s project implementation and proposed infrastructure spending.
In 2025, Dizon acknowledged serious problems with the department’s classroom-construction performance. At the time, only 22 of 1,700 targeted classrooms had reportedly been completed, prompting calls for a stronger role for local governments and private organizations in addressing the classroom backlog. Dizon himself said an aggressive PPP approach was needed to accelerate construction.
The department has likewise faced questions over project costs, duplicated projects and incomplete project information. Senate scrutiny in 2025 resulted in calls for tighter validation and stronger safeguards before infrastructure projects are included in the national budget.
These developments make the PPP strategy particularly significant: instead of relying exclusively on appropriations for every major project, the government can potentially tap private capital and expertise for projects capable of generating sufficient long-term returns.
PPP does not mean government is stepping away
The emerging strategy should not be interpreted as DPWH turning over all infrastructure development to private companies.
PPP projects remain subject to government approval, regulation and contractual safeguards. The Philippines’ PPP framework was strengthened through Republic Act No. 11966, or the PPP Code, and its implementing rules and regulations. The PPP Center continues to oversee and support the national PPP framework and project-development process.
The government’s existing infrastructure program also continues to use a combination of national government funding, official development assistance and private-sector investment, depending on the project’s characteristics.
That distinction matters because not every public infrastructure project is commercially attractive enough for private investors.
The projects to watch
The scale of the potential PPP pipeline is substantial.
DPWH’s published project information lists major proposed PPP ventures ranging from expressways in Luzon and the Visayas to major bridge and road projects. The list includes the Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway, Pangasinan-Nueva Ecija Expressway, Metro Cebu Expressway and Naawan-Opol-Cagayan de Oro City-Villanueva Expressway.
Meanwhile, the PPP model is already producing operating infrastructure. In May 2026, the government inaugurated the 8.64-kilometer CALAX Subsection 3, connecting the Silang Interchange and Governor’s Drive Interchange. The PPP Center identified the broader CALAX project as a 44.58-kilometer four-lane toll road linking CAVITEX and SLEX.
What this means for Filipinos
If implemented properly, a stronger PPP pipeline could allow the government to move large projects forward without depending entirely on annual appropriations.
It could also bring private-sector expertise into project development, construction, operations and maintenance.
But the arrangement comes with an important caveat: speed cannot come at the expense of transparency, affordability and public interest.
PPP contracts must be carefully evaluated to ensure that risks are appropriately allocated between government and private investors, that users are not burdened with unreasonable costs, and that the state does not end up shouldering excessive financial obligations.
For Dizon and the DPWH, the challenge now is bigger than simply attracting private money.
The real test will be whether PPPs can deliver major infrastructure faster, at reasonable cost and with stronger accountability.
With billions of pesos potentially involved, the coming project approvals and negotiations could determine whether the Philippines’ next infrastructure wave becomes a genuine acceleration—or simply another long list of projects waiting to be built.
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