The newly appointed acting chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has formally assumed the agency’s leadership.
Former Secretary Mark A. Villar handed over the stewardship of DPWH to Acting Secretary Roger G. Mercado during a turnover ceremony on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at the DPWH Central Office, Bonifacio Drive in Port Area Manila.
Appointed by President Duterte on October 12, 2021, replacing Villar who stepped down to run in the 2022 elections, Mercado, prior to his new post, was the 18th House Public Works and Highways Committee vice chairman.
The 44th secretary of the DPWH is a lawyer by profession who hails from Maasin City, Southern Leyte and is known for his Tourism, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture (TEA) Programs in his province as then Southern Leyte lone district representative.
“It is an honor to work with the professional men and women of DPWH and to be able to continue oversee the completion of department’s flagship infrastructure programs and projects,” said Mercado.
“I vow to sustain the current momentum in the department so we can deliver more high-impact projects that will benefit the Filipino people, including those living in remote communities,” Mercado said.