District Engineers in Bicol scramble for reassignment

By Manuel T. Ugalde

LEGAZPI CITY – District engineers in the Bicol Region have begun jockeying for reassignment following the May 12 midterm elections, with several key posts, particularly in Catanduanes and Albay, becoming focal points of political maneuverings.

A source disclosed that Catanduanes remains a “red flag” for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), having seen four different district engineers appointed over the last three years. DPWH Regional Director Virgilio Eduarte previously said that Catanduanes Rep. Eulogio Rodriguez allegedly prefers not to have a district engineer from his own province. Rodriguez was recently re-elected, according to a Commission on Elections report.

In an interview on Tuesday, May 20, Eduarte said that the appointment of district engineers is under the authority of the DPWH secretary. However, he admitted that lawmakers wield significant influence over the selection process.

“The fate of incumbent district engineers largely depends on their relationship with re-elected lawmakers, some of whom are reportedly using their positions for personal gain,” the source

said. The Bicol regional office of the DPWH was even cited by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission as one of the most corrupt, with substandard road projects that deteriorate faster compared to those in Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao.

In Albay, the three congressional districts now each have newly elected representatives: former Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman Luistro (1st District), businessman and contractor Carlos Loria (2nd District), and Polangui Mayor Raymond Adrian Salceda (3rd District). Luistro is the daughter of the late Rep. Edcel Lagman, while Salceda is a nephew of Rep. Joey Salceda, who lost his gubernatorial bid to former Gov. Noel Rosal.

Loria confirmed that several DPWH engineers began courting him for endorsement as early as the campaign period. His district is the most heavily funded in Bicol, with a proposed P18 billion budget in 2025—three-fourths of the regional office’s total P24 billion budget.

Loria said he is endorsing Nards Gonzales, current assistant district engineer of the 3rd District, as his choice for district engineer. Meanwhile, newly elected Rep. Adrian Salceda reportedly favors incumbent 2nd District Engineer Warren Azotea for his district. Lagman’s choice for the 1st District remains unclear, although current District Engineer Rainero Zerda is reportedly eyeing a transfer to his hometown in Surigao.

The situation in Catanduanes remains particularly volatile. After the 2022 elections, a local resident appointed as district engineer was removed after just three months. His replacement from Camarines Sur left the post after the provincial board declared him persona non grata. A successor from Samar region also filed for indefinite leave within seven months due to mounting political pressure.

The current district engineer, Simon Arias from Albay, was reassigned to Catanduanes from Masbate late last year but has reportedly been requesting reassignment elsewhere just months into his post. He was allegedly offered the assistant regional director position in exchange for accepting the Catanduanes post but failed to secure the promotion due to a lack of political backing.

The source added that engineers on floating status at the regional office have refused the Catanduanes assignment. Some engineers uncomfortable with their current placements have even requested demotion to division chief posts, citing excessive pressure from lawmakers. Division chiefs for construction and maintenance, being directly under the regional director, are better shielded from political interference compared to district engineers.

Eduarte confirmed that project biddings in Catanduanes are handled by the regional office, saying this was done at the behest of the district engineers. A contractor identified as Alex Magdaraog claimed that the bidding process in the province has become heavily politicized, including the appointment of section chiefs. “Catanduanes DPWH is a pathetic case,” Magdaraog said.