President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named Giovanni "Banoy" Lopez, until now the transportation secretary, to lead the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Rappler reports. Lopez takes over from Vince Dizon. Acting Presidential Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano said Lopez's assignment is to embed reforms in the DPWH, an agency that has been troubled by corruption.
The appointment was reported by Rappler on October 27, 2026.
Why it matters
The DPWH handles the country's roads, bridges and other public infrastructure, and its spending has repeatedly drawn scrutiny over graft. Placing a career finance and procurement official at its head signals that the administration wants tighter control over how projects are awarded and paid for. Lopez's background is unusual for the post: he is a certified public accountant as well as a lawyer, and much of his government service has centered on procurement, legal services and finance rather than engineering.
The reshuffle also moves Dizon out of public works. Dizon had returned to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as its chief, according to GMA Network, and Lopez's transfer leaves the transport portfolio to be filled. The changes drew a skeptical response from the Makabayan bloc, which said in a Manila Bulletin report that swapping officials would not address corruption.
Nearly ten years at transport
Rappler reports that Lopez has spent close to a decade at the DOTr. Public records cited by the outlet show that in 2017 he held two roles there: assistant secretary for procurement and project implementation, and director for legal services.
In 2021 he was appointed DOTr undersecretary for finance and chief of staff. That same year he also became executive director, in an officer-in-charge capacity, of the Toll Regulatory Board.
Between February and August 2025, he served as senior undersecretary for administration, finance and procurement at the transport department. Marcos then made him DOTr secretary in September 2025, filling the vacancy left when Dizon departed that post.
Roots in Cagayan
Lopez comes from Tuguegarao, Cagayan. He completed high school at the University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao in 1996, according to Rappler. He took his accountancy degree at St. Paul University Philippines, graduating cum laude, and studied law at San Beda University.
His move to the DPWH comes as the agency faces pressure to show that public works money is spent cleanly. The turnover of pending cases involving DPWH officials to Lopez was reported by the Daily Tribune, underscoring that the corruption issue will be waiting for him on arrival.
What to watch: who Marcos names to replace Lopez at the transport department, and whether the DPWH announces concrete changes to how it awards and audits projects.
