Rehabilitated rehab

For motorists and commuters alike, it was the stuff of nightmares: the busiest thoroughfare in Metro Manila would be shut down for up to two years, ostensibly to make way for repairs in time for Manila's hosting of the ASEAN summit in 2026.

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Amid the public uproar, President Marcos said the plan was "unacceptable" and sent the proposal back to the drawing board.

Yesterday, the DPWH announced that the rehabilitation plan had been reworked. But the case highlights the willy-nilly crafting and implementation of infrastructure projects in what has become the poster agency for corruption and incompetence in government, the DPWH.

The original rehab price tag of P17 billion has been pulled down to just P6 billion max, which DPWH officials say could still go lower. The rehabilitation period has also been cut from two years to just eight months, with the most disruptive part of Phase One reduced to less than two weeks.