No LTO leadership shakeup yet – Dizon

MANILA, Philippines — There is no decision yet if Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Markus Lacalinao will be removed or reassigned to another post, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced yesterday.

Dizon said he still needs to speak with President Marcos regarding the matter, likening the situation to his switch with now Public Works Secretary Giovanni Lopez.

“No formal decision has been reached regarding executive changes in the LTO,” Dizon said. “Official appointments remain the President’s prerogative.”

Dizon said he needs to look into where transportation officials can best serve, adding that Lacanilao has served well in his post so far.

“He has done a lot in a short span of time,” Dizon told reporters.

Lacalinao was named LTO chief in October 2025, succeeding suspended Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Vigor Mendoza. 

Dizon’s remark came following calls from transport groups, such as Manibela, to retain Lacanilao in his post.

C5 Road repairs set

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will begin the P2.5-billion rehabilitation of C5 Road by end-November.

Lopez and Dizon announced this following inspection of completed retrofitting works on the C5 flyover in Barangay Bagong Ilog, Pasig yesterday.

Procurement for the 23-kilometer C5 rehabilitation project is currently in the post-qualification evaluation phase, Lopez said.

According to the DPWH timeline, the Notice of Award is targeted for issuance by Nov. 18, with the Notice to Proceed expected a week later if no procurement delays occur.

The P2.5-billion allocation was sourced from excess funds generated when the government restructured the EDSA rehabilitation, reducing the project’s estimated cost from P15 billion to P6.6 billion for Phase 1 and P4 billion for the ongoing Phase 2.

“The savings from the EDSA rehabilitation were realigned for the C5 Road repairs,” Lopez said.