Palace taps Dizon to head Transportation Dept. after Bautista resigns

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has tapped former Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon to head the Department of Transportation (DoTr).

“He (Mr. Dizon) is already authorized by the Office of the President to start the transition at the Department of Transportation in coordination with the team of Secretary Jaime J.  Bautista, who has resigned due to health reasons,” Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin said in a statement on Thursday.

Mr. Bautista’s resignation will take effect on Feb. 21.

Mr. Dizon, 50, is the chief regulatory officer of the Razon-led Prime Infrastructure Holdings. He served as president and CEO of BCDA from 2016 to 2021.

Under the Duterte administration, Mr. Dizon was the presidential adviser on flagship programs and projects, as well as deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a DoTr statement, Mr. Bautista thanked the President for the opportunity to work in government, calling it “his most challenging stint.”

Mr. Bautista said he looks forward to a “smooth transition” and a “much-needed vacation” after having worked as DoTr chief since 2022.

Mr. Bautista previously served as the president and chief operating officer of flag carrier Philippines Airlines where he retired in 2019.

The newly appointed Transportation secretary is set to inherit big-ticket and long-delayed infrastructure projects such as the construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), North-South Commuter Railway, and Mindanao Railway Project.

“He has to assess all projects in the pipeline. He can’t shift course immediately, because of the budget approved by Congress,” Rene S. Santiago, a founding member of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines, told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

“The previous obsession with railways needs to be dialed down and he needs to focus on the crisis of the dwindling supply of buses and jeepneys.”

In August last year, Mr. Marcos rejected a proposal to suspend the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), defending it from criticisms that the plan had been rushed.

The modernization program started in 2017, aiming to replace traditional jeepneys with units that have at least a Euro 4-compliant engine to cut pollution.

Transport group Manibela Chairman Mar S. Valbuena said the group is hoping that the DoTr will revisit the implementation of PUVMP now that it will be under a new leadership.

“We are hoping that the new Secretary will listen to our suggestions and proposed transport solutions. We will remain vigilant, particularly, on the policies he will pursue,” Mr. Valbuena said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Santiago said Mr. Dizon had a good track record at the BCDA, citing his work in overseeing the construction of the Athlete’s Village in the New Clark City Sports Complex in Tarlac.

Nigel Paul C. Villarete, senior adviser on PPP (public-private partnership) at Libra Konsult, Inc., welcomed the appointment of Mr. Dizon, but said he should ensure all existing programs and projects continue unhampered and proceed smoothly.

“DoTr is tricky because it requires a good balance across planning, implementation and operations, and its numerous sub departments and attached agencies would need varied expertise and experience to get a good grasp of this very essential department,” Mr. Villarete said in a Viber message.

Mr. Villarete said the DoTr should also continue the public-private partnerships program, particularly for aviation projects.

“Of course, the other one on my list would be airports… We need to fast-track airport development in order to keep ahead. Transportation, especially air travel, is foremost in economic development,” he said.

Last year, the government privatized the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), with San Miguel-led New NAIA Infra Corp. taking over its operations.

Two more regional airports have been awarded to the private sector in 2024, the Laguindingan International Airport and New Bohol-Panglao International Airport. These two regional airports were both awarded to Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.

“Vince Dizon provides the agility and dynamism of youth to the Transportation department, which had been unfortunately absent in the previous leadership,” Terry L. Ridon, a public investment analyst and convenor of think tank InfraWatch PH, said in a Facebook Messenger chat,

He said his experience in handling infrastructure projects and his time as the presidential projects adviser will help him deal with issues in the transportation sector.

“We trust that the new secretary will continue to prioritize the movement of people, especially the most vulnerable, and pursue more people-centric transportation policies,” said AltMobility PH Spokesperson Patrick R. Jalasco.

Meanwhile, Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Jeremy S. Regino said in a text message that he submitted his irrevocable resignation on Jan. 22. – John Victor D. Ordoñez and Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporters