Marcos Swaps Transportation and Public Works Secretaries to Accelerate Reform

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a Cabinet reshuffle on October 26, 2026, swapping the positions of Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon and Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez. Dizon returns to lead the Department of Transportation (DoTr) with a mandate to improve daily commutes, shorten Land Transportation Office queues, and eliminate fixers. Dizon identified funding constraints and right-of-way acquisition as primary obstacles to project delivery, specifically regarding the 2027 target for the partial operation of MRT-7.

Lopez moves to head the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), where he is tasked with institutionalizing anti-corruption reforms and expediting infrastructure projects. This move follows a multibillion-peso flood control controversy in July 2025 that led to the resignation of former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan. Lopez vowed to focus on systems and cultural changes to ensure transparency and accountability regardless of future leadership changes.

Presidential Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano described Dizon as a disruptor and Lopez as a systems builder, denying that the shuffle was a response to a Social Weather Stations poll showing a -11 net satisfaction rating for the president. The reshuffle drew mixed reactions from transport groups; Piston criticized Dizon's return as a move toward privatization and the Jeepney Phaseout program, while Pasang Masda and Manibela expressed support. The transition occurs as Congress deliberates a proposed 2027 budget that would increase the DoTr's allocation to P300.96 billion.