DPWH to start Maharlika, C5 rehab this year

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it targets to start the P16‑billion rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway this year, part of its broader infrastructure upgrade program for 2026.

“For this year, we will start the construction and completion of the Maharlika Highway. There will be massive rehabilitation starting this year,” Public Works and Highways Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said during a media briefing on Monday.

He did not provide a specific timeline for the Maharlika Highway upgrade, saying the planned rehabilitation is still under assessment.

The Maharlika Highway, also known as the Pan-Philippine Highway, is a road and bridge network linking Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

DPWH is also targeting the rehabilitation of six additional key highways, including Circumferential Road 5 (C5) in Metro Manila, Andaya Highway, MacArthur Highway in Apalit, Pampanga, Buot-Taop Bridge in Cebu City, Oyungan Bridge in Iloilo, and Tubod-Nabuna Bridge in Aloran, Misamis Occidental.

The agency is also implementing the ongoing rehabilitation of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), which is expected to be fully completed by May.– Ashley Erika O. Jose