A Call to Transformation: Build Better with Certainty of Success in Every Project

A Call to Transformation: Build Better with Certainty of Success in Every Project

The Construction Industry Is Failing

As industry stakeholders, we must collectively ask ourselves: Do we truly desire for the entire construction industry to succeed—or only our own projects and interests? Until this question is faced honestly, our industry will continue to fragment, falter, and fail.

The Crisis: Only the Tip of the Iceberg

What we see today—collapsed projects, bankrupt firms, ghost contracts, and disillusioned professionals—are not the full story. They are merely the visible tip of the iceberg.

The real danger lies beneath the surface: systemic corruption, fractured governance, an erosion of trust, and a lack of discipline and commitment to nation-building. These have been building for years.

Why We Are Here: The Root of All Evil

At the root is not a shortage of talent or resources, but a crisis of integrity, discipline, and intent.

Short-term gain over long-term success: chasing awards and contracts instead of delivering quality.
Fragmented interests: stakeholders protecting survival at the expense of collective progress.
Erosion of trust: accountability evaded, transparency avoided, governance corrupted.
Failure to build character and competence: neglecting the discipline, commitment, and competencies required to build better—not just for firms, but for the nation.

Current Events That Expose the Depth of the Problem

Explosive Corruption Testimony – Senate hearings revealed testimony from construction leaders alleging that at least 17 lawmakers and multiple DPWH officials demanded 25% kickbacks in exchange for flood-control contracts. These testimonies, while lacking documentary proof, triggered public outrage and forced the resignation of the Public Works Secretary.
Government and Public Response – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the situation as “horrible” and vowed to create an independent commission to investigate. Catholic bishops and civil society leaders demanded prosecutions and recovery of stolen funds.
Civic and Business Pressure – A coalition of nearly 30 civic and business organizations formally called for a fully independent investigation into “excessive corruption” across infrastructure projects.

These events are not isolated—they are systemic. They show how billions meant for lifesaving infrastructure are siphoned away, leaving communities vulnerable and public trust in ruins.

The Goal: Total Project Success

Every peso invested in infrastructure must translate into real, measurable value.
Every project must be delivered with certainty of success.
Every project must fulfill its promise: the improvement of the quality of life of the Filipino people, and of all who live and struggle with us collectively and geographically, here in our midst—as equitably as possible, not just for a privileged few politicians and contractors.

This is not just an aspiration. This must become the industry standard.

A Practical Roadmap to Transform the Construction Industry

If we truly want the construction industry to succeed—and make every peso spent produce value far greater than what was invested—then we must make project success doable, repeatable, and scalable. And it starts with each one of us.

Projects as the Engine of Change

Projects are the smallest unit of endeavor that drives change in any industry or nation. Projects are the basic vehicles of change.

Successful projects lead to successful programs.
Successful programs lead to successful portfolios.
The construction industry, at its core, has but one portfolio: the nation’s infrastructure and built environment.

Defining Success

We must define, clearly and collectively, what success means. The Success Criteria for Projects must drive growth and positive transformation in construction and in every sector it serves. And this definition of success must begin where every project truly begins—with people.

People Drive Projects

Projects are vehicles of positive change. But vehicles cannot drive themselves. People drive projects. And people can only deliver what their integrity, character, and competence allow. We cannot expect projects to succeed without first developing the people who lead them.

The Competency–Integrity Model of People Development

As a nation, we take pride in the sheer number of our workforce. But quantity is one thing; quality is another. Both must grow hand in hand if we are to steer the industry toward Nation-Building. That means building not only competencies but also character.

True Transformation
As a Christian who happens to be a construction industry expert, I hold with conviction that only the Gospel of Salvation—the Person and work of Jesus Christ—can truly transform the depraved nature of the human heart. We are totally corrupted by sin and cannot change our state unless we are born again, repent of our sins against the Holy Triune God, and turn in faith to Jesus Christ—not only as Savior but also as Lord.

While I know not all will accept this truth, and I cannot impose it, I also recognize that being entrusted with expertise in this field obligates me to bear witness to the Gospel.
Read more here: The Gospel of Salvation

Character That Drives Competence
Character becomes visible in the integrity of our hearts and minds—the inner compass that drives our hands to build. Our character produces integrity and commitment, and those in turn fuel the pursuit of competencies that matter—competencies that drive real, positive change.

Recognition must not be based on opinions, popularity, or followers, but on objective, measurable performance and contribution.

Core Performance Domains & the 12 Spheres of Competence

To build better with certainty of success, we must anchor every project on the Core Performance Domains and their 12 Spheres of Competence:

Domain 1: Context

Endeavors
Industry Context
Scope

Domain 2: Field Operations

Quality
Safety
Sustainability

Domain 3: Contracts & Controls

Cost
Time
Procurement

Domain 4: Catalysts

Risk
Governance
Leadership

Together, these twelve spheres define the full landscape of competence required to ensure project success.

Project Success Enablers (PSEs)

PSE01 – Structured Competency Development (Learn): Progressive, intentional growth of knowledge and skills tied to project demands.
PSE02 – Competency-Based Credentialing (Certify): Verified recognition of competence, replacing guesswork with clarity and trust.
PSE03 – Organizational Success-Capability Benchmarking (Benchmark): Transparent maturity assessments to identify which firms can truly deliver.
PSE04 – Code of Practice (Govern): Ethical and professional anchor ensuring accountability and integrity.
PSE05 – Industry Alignment Initiatives (Align): National and global coherence so the whole industry moves in one direction.

In short:

Learn builds competence.
Certify recognizes competence.
Benchmark measures organizational capacity.
Govern enforces integrity.
Align unifies the system.

Institutionalizing the Transformation: Top-Down and Bottom-Up

Top-Down (PSE05 → PSE01):
Through a National Construction Project Management Office (NCPMO) or Commission, the transformation must be anchored in industry-wide alignment. This ensures that standards, codes, and governance mechanisms are set at the national level and cascaded downward.

Bottom-Up (PSE01 → PSE05):
At the same time, transformation must begin with people—through Structured Competency Development (PSE01) and progressive credentialing. Rolled out right away in partnership with enabling agencies such as CMDF and CIAP, this ensures the workforce is not only trained but also credentialed and benchmarked step by step.

The Outcome:
This dual approach empowers individuals, firms, and organizations to rise in competence and integrity until they are fully aligned with the national framework. It is a transformation that is both immediate and sustainable.

The Time for Change Is Now

We have waited far too long. Every delay has cost us not just money, but trust, lives, and opportunities for national progress.

The cracks in our industry are no longer hidden—they are exposed in ghost projects, collapsed structures, wasted billions, and communities left vulnerable.

We cannot afford more of the same. We cannot wait for incremental fixes.

What is needed now is a drastic, systemic change—a transformation that is both top-down and bottom-up, immediate and sustained.

Anything less would only prolong failure. Anything less would betray the very people we are called to serve.

A Call to All Stakeholders

The time for waiting is over. The time for excuses is gone. We are at a breaking point. Ghost projects, wasted billions, fractured governance, and public distrust have shown us the true cost of delay. The Philippine construction industry cannot survive on hope, patchwork reforms, or paper compliance.

We call on every stakeholder:

Government and Regulators — establish a National Construction Project Management Office/Commission to cascade national standards and enforce accountability.
Agencies like CMDF and CIAP — roll out structured competency and credentialing systems immediately so our workforce is trained, verified, and benchmarked.
Professional Bodies and Academia — align curricula, standards, and credentials with the 12 Spheres of Competence.
Contractors and Consultants — embrace benchmarking and the Code of Practice, choosing integrity over shortcuts, long-term value over short-term gain.
Civil Society, Media, and Citizens — demand transparency, traceability, and accountability in every project.
Industry Leaders — lead not by popularity, but by competence, credibility, and results that improve lives.

Every peso invested in infrastructure must deliver value. Every project must fulfill its promise—not for a privileged few, but for all Filipinos, as equitably as possible.

This is not just an aspiration. This must become the industry standard.

The change will only happen if all of us own it.

Adopt the Spheres of Competence in Construction Project Management Practice

The Philippine construction industry stands at a crossroads. We face systemic corruption, fragmented standards, and a crisis of trust. Billions are being invested in infrastructure, yet too often, projects fail to deliver the value, equity, and improvement of lives they promise.

The way forward is clear: we must institutionalize competence and integrity.

The Spheres of Competence in Construction Project Management Practice (SOC-CPMP) provides this foundation:

It defines the Core Performance Domains and the 12 Spheres of Competence required to manage projects with certainty of success.
It integrates the Five Project Success Enablers—learning, credentialing, benchmarking, governance, and alignment—to make success doable, repeatable, and scalable.
It ensures that every individual, firm, and institution grows in both competence and integrity until project success is not by chance, but by design.

To government agencies, regulators, training institutions, contractors, consultants, and professional bodies:

Adopt the Spheres of Competence.
Make them the standard of practice.
Make them the language of competence.
Make them the baseline of accountability.

Only then can every peso invested in infrastructure translate into real, measurable value.
Only then can every project fulfill its promise—to improve the quality of life of all Filipinos, equitably and sustainably.