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Newly-appointed acting secretary of the Department of Transportation Giovanni Lopez said he will continue to push for projects set by his predecessor, now Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon
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Lopez said he will also follow standards set by Dizon while he was at the helm of DOTr—putting the interest and welfare of commuters first
Newly-appointed acting secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Giovanni Lopez said he will continue to push for projects set by his predecessor, now Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.
In a speech during a turnover ceremony on September 3, Lopez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed him “to ensure continuity, to push through with the projects and the deadlines set forth by Secretary Vince, if not earlier.”
“He asked me and Secretary Vince to provide solutions to everyday problems that the commuters face and I assure you that the Department of Transportation will continue to follow that mandate,” he added.
Lopez replaced Dizon, who was recently appointed as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways following the resignation of Manuel Bonoan, who quit after massive calls for him to step down amid probes on questionable flood projects.
READ: Dizon starts DPWH ‘clean-up’ by ordering courtesy resignations
Lopez said he will also continue to follow the standards set by Dizon while he was at the helm of DOTr—putting the interest and welfare of commuters first.
“We have to go out in the field, see the problem, and fix it in real time,” Lopez said.
Accountability will also be a “non-negotiable” for Lopez as he vowed to hold responsible and liable abusive operators, drivers, and rude passengers as well as agency officials and personnel.
Dizon, meanwhile, said: “When the president asked me for a name, I only gave one. I only gave the name of now acting secretary Giovanni Lopez.”
Prior to his appointment as acting secretary, Lopez was senior undersecretary for administration, finance and procurement matters of the DOTr.
A lawyer by profession and a certified public accountant, Lopez has been with DOTr since 2017 and rose from the ranks handling various positions, such as director for Legal Service, assistant secretary for Procurement, assistant secretary for Project Implementation, and chief of staff of former Transportation secretary Arturo Tugade.
In November 2022, Lopez was named executive director of the Land Transportation Office.
Lopez completed his accounting degree at St. Paul University in Tuguegarao City and Bachelor of Laws at the San Beda University, Manila.– Roumina Pablo
