DPWH: 20K jobs available for 'Build, Build, Build' program

ROAD CONSTRUCTION -- The Department of Public Works and Highways continues to implement road construction and improvement to further provide access and good roads to the public. Undated photo shows road construction at the Naguilian Road leading to La Union from Baguio City. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot) 

By Liza Agoot 

BAGUIO CITY – The Dept. of Public Works and Highways is set to employ about 17,000 to 20,000 more workers in the construction industry under the "Build, Build, Build" (BBB) program of the Duterte administration.
    DPWH Sec. Roger Mercado, in a message on Tuesday, said “there were around 40,000 generated jobs and we expect to generate 17,000 to 20,000 more. We need to generate more employment to allow those economically affected by the pandemic to recover fast.”
    “The BBB is felt by our people and they are very happy as shown in the trust rating of the DPWH at more than 70 percent and hope to further improve with the constant monitoring and management meetings as the people continue to feel the impact of the DPWH in their lives,” he added.
    Mercado said more technical persons, masons, laborers, and others will be needed in the program including the maintenance of roads.
    Government data show there were 6.5 million jobs generated by the BBB program from 2016 to 2020.
    For the year 2021, there were 1.6 million jobs generated by the program.
    Mercado said the BBB program allows the government to directly create jobs aside from the jobs generated from indirect effects of the projects like businesses created as a result of roads and use of the roads.
    “We will see to it that this program will redound to the benefit of our people at sana mapakinabangan ng ating mga kababayan (we hope that the people benefits from it), take advantage, make use of our highways, be innovative, plan any livelihood programs that can generate jobs not only the government giving jobs to our people but those who benefit from our infrastructure should also share in this social responsibility in providing jobs,” he said.
    With more road users, the official said the DPWH has also come up with the “ayuda” (aid) program where the department allots money from its savings for the hiring of people affected by the pandemic and help in the maintenance of roads, roadsides, and highways.
    “We have just released P1 million to our maintenance division so that we can hire more people for the ayuda program, as a food for work program which is a social responsibility project of the DPWH,” he said.
    Meanwhile, Mercado said the department is on target for the completion of the BBB projects under the Duterte administration
    He said they have completed at least 67 percent of the 70 percent target considering that there are projects that will be completed even after the term of President Rodrigo Duterte is finished.
    “I ordered the RDs (regional directors) and the DEs (district engineers) to see to it that the BBB program lalo na yung contracts na matatapos sa 2022 ma inaugurate at matapos (especially the contracts set for completion in 2022 to be finished and inaugurated)," he said.
    For projects that will not be completed should be ground break dahil itong BBB hindi matatapos this term alone (because the BBB will not all be completed during this term). This is a continuing long-term program of our government to provide better and convenient infrastructure,” he said. -- PNA