Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday appointed Engr. Lara Marisse Esquibil as officer-in-charge for operations, overseeing Convergence Projects and Technical Services.
Before her appointment, the 36-year-old Esquibil served as officer-in-charge of the DPWH Bureau of Design starting July 2025.
Esquibil joined the DPWH in 2013 as part of the first batch of the Cadet Engineering Program.
Dizon said Esquibil has earned ‘a lot of great words’ from people in the agency, including former DPWH Secretary Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson.
‘She has my full trust and confidence,’ Dizon said when he presented Esquibil during the agency’s flag-raising ceremony.
Dizon told reporters that Esquibil was initially hesitant to accept the post due to the controversy surrounding the agency. However, he described her as someone who ‘loves the country very deeply.’
‘I had a very long conversation with Director Lara. She was afraid not only because of the responsibilities of the job but also because of the intrigue,’ Dizon said. ‘I told her, ‘As long as you do what is right, do what is proper, keep your integrity, you will be okay. We will always be behind you.”
The public works secretary is also confident that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will sign off on Esquibil’s appointment, saying the president ‘wants good people.’
The appointment came after DPWH undersecretary Arrey Perez resigned from his post on October 17, one month after he was given the job.
Perez stepped down after he was linked to contractors involved in the alleged flood control project anomalies. /mcm