Philippines: Poor soil conditions lead to bad roads to Bicol?

Manila: Are bad roads to Bicol, south of Manila, caused by poor soil conditions, instead of bad civil engineering?

Blaming soil quality – or terrain – behind the notoriously cratered “Andaya Highway” is a copout, a senior official has said.

“Masakit sa likod” (backbreaking), said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon after an inspection ride with Manila media through the notoriously cratered “highway” on January 17, 2026.

The DPWH chief led the inspection livestreamed by local media, and highlighted the poor state of the 92.65-km Andaya Highway in Bicol (Camarines Sur).

Dizon did not mince words.

At one point, his bus got stalled, and he walked in the rain.

After a heavy truck passed by, Dizon was overheard cursing (P**** Ina), ordering a local engineer: "You gotta to assess this right away. I can feel it (shaking). Yeah, (this is dangerous."

Dizon, was appoined DPWH secretary on September 1, 2025, found that Andaya Highway is more of a crater ride. "I will pause all local road contracts here," Dizon told local media.

'Kawawa kayo'

The Maharlika Highway in southern Luzon has been in a perennial state of disrepair. Motorist have complained for decades about the poor state of the so-called "South Road".

A local engineer who walked alongside Dizon admitted they only do "patching", or patch work, to deal with the craters.

Highlighting the strong link between infrastructure and economy, Dizon asked motorists how long it took to cover just 50km part of the "highway".

"It should take only 1 hour. The motorists said: "Minsan, tatlong oras (someitmes, three hours)."

To which Dizon replied: "Kawawa kayo" ("Poor you all").

Rich land, poor people

Bicol (population: 6.39 million), with a land area of 17,632 km2 (4x bigger than Dubai) is known for its pristine beaches, gold/copper mines, coconut plantations and volcanoes.

It is home to several volcanoes, including the majestic Mayon. Long ruled by influential political families (so-called "dynasties), it's also one of the country's poorest.

580-km, 16-hour agony

The port town of Matnog, the farthest town in Bicol peninsula on the "Maharlika Highway", is about 580 km southeast from Manila.

Currently, it takes about 16 hours to cover this distance, due to cratered roads.

Bicol is also the home region of Zaldy Co, the now-fugitive founder of a major construction firm tied to ghost projects.

Seven of the 16 people charged alongside Co are now in government custody. Co is believed to be hiding in Europe.

Bicol region's poverty rate, at 22% (vs 3% in Metro Manila), is one of the country's highest, as per latest Metrobank research.

Under the scanner

After the multi-billion flood-control scams, contractors behind lemon road projects here would now be also under the scanner.

Dizon’s order: No rushed fixes – but full assessments.

Dizon pointed out DPWH’s policy: “Automatic, blacklisted for life ang contractor na yan" for proven flaws, which would now extend to Bicol works via corruption probes.

What Dizon said

He dismissed soil excuses.

Dizon, 51, emphasised the highway's unfinished sections and structural flaws, like the Mauca Bridge shaking violently from a heavy steel-laden truck, calling it unacceptable. 

Citing the Sorsogon segment of the Maharlika Highway as an exception, Dizon explicitly cited corruption as the main culprits – not soil conditions or bad geology, echoing the Bulacan flood-control probes – during the on-site inspection.​

Fixes and timeline

Dizon was appointed secretary of DPWH on August 31, 2025 following the resignation of Manuel Bonoan.

Bonoan, implicated in the flood control projects controversy, was earlier placed under a Bureau of Immigration (BI) "Lookout Bulletin".

Facing charges related to the flood scam. He recently returned to Manila from the US, via Taiwan, according to local media.

Renamed from Quirino to Andaya Highway

Andaya Highway was formerly “Quirino Highway, and is less than 300 south of Manila. The highway was initially built during the 1950s during the time of President Elpidio Quirino.

This segment  of the Quirino Highway (Camarines Sur portion) was officially renamed to “Rolando R. Andaya Highway” via RA No. 9234 passed on January 16, 2004, to honour the late congressman.

The Andaya political family, based in Bicol, previously consisted of Rolando Andaya Sr., his son Rolando “Nonoy” Andaya Jr., and his daughter Maribel Andaya-Eusebio (former mayor of the city of Pasig, of the 16 component cities of Metro Manila). 

To reach the start of the Bicol-bound side of Andaya Highway, it already takes 7 hours from the capital Manila, as per Google Maps.

This means: The Maharlika Highway segment in Quezon Province, from Lucena to Gumaca, is in a perennially bad shape no different from Andaya Highway.

The approach, from Lucena City, through the towns of Lopez, Pagbilao, Atimonan, Plaridel, Gumaca, and Tagkawayan (all in Quezon Province) is the driving equivalent of Calvary.

The rehab of this road is a key test for the Marcos administration.

No exact timeline was given for Andaya Highway rehab: Dizon said it will be given top-level priority, via blacklisting of erring contractors and fund recovery.

The Philippines has 221,000 registered civil engineers.

Fixing Andaya Highway today is an investment in a secure and prosperous future for generations to come.