Do you have an idea which government agency is responsible for maintaining national roads in the Philippines?
You may answer that the City or Municipality is the one responsible for maintaining national roads located in its area of jurisdiction.
DPWH is the government agency in charge of maintaining national roads.
The reason I asked this question is that a long time ago I remember a candidate for Barangay Chairman promising to fix a road full of potholes in the area he wishes to be elected.
Do not be misled. A Barangay has no jurisdiction over National roads.
A candidate promising to fix and maintain a national road is sure to be lying for the sake of being elected, Beware of this kind of candidate.
To reiterate, DPWH or Department of Public Works and Highways, As the engineering and construction arm of the government, it is the one which takes care of planning and implementing infrastructure projects such as the construction of national roads and bridges. It is also involved in the maintenance of national roads.
Provincial, City, Municipal and Barangay roads are under the jurisdiction of the concerned Local Government Units (LGUs).
If a candidate for barangay chairman promises during the campaign period to fix a barangay road in his area of jurisdiction, then, it is a legitimate promise because he has the power to do so.
In the Philippines, Roads are generally classified into the following:
National Primary
- Directly connects major cities ( at least around 100,000 people)
Cities within metropolitan areas are not covered by the criteria
National Secondary
- Directly connects cities to National Primary Roads, except in
metropolitan areas - Directly connects major ports and ferry terminals to National Primary
Roads - Directly connects major airports to National Primary Roads
- Directly connects tourist service centers to National Primary Roads or
other National Secondary Roads - Directly connects cities (not included in the category of major cities)
- Directly connects provincial capitals within the same region
- Directly connects major National Government Infrastructure to National
Primary Roads or other National Secondary Roads
National Tertiary
- Other existing roads under DPWH which perform a local function
Provincial Roads
- Connect cities and municipalities without traversing National Roads
- Connect to National Roads to barangays through rural areas
- Connect to major provincial government infrastructure
Municipal and City Roads
- Roads within Poblacion
- Roads that connect to Provincial and National Roads
- Roads that provide inter-barangay connections to major Municipal and
City Infrastructure without traversing Provincial Road
Barangay Roads
- Other Public Roads (officially turned over) within the barangay and not
covered in the above definitions
Expressways
- Highways with limited access, normally with interchanges; may include
facilities for levying tolls for passage in an open or closed system.
But who has the power to classify roads in the Philippines?
Under the law, the DPWH, through the Secretary, was given the power to classify roads and highways and also to provide and authorize the conversion of roads and highways from one category to another.
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