President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed a law creating a new district engineering office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Zamboanga City.

Under Republic Act No. 11994 signed by the President on April 4, the new engineering district of the DPWH will be known as the Zamboanga City First District Engineering Office.

“The existing District Engineering Office in Zamboanga City, located in Barangay Divisoria, shall now be known as the Zamboanga City Second District Engineering Office,” the law stated.

The Zamboanga City First District Engineering Office will be located in the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone – Zamboanga Freeport Authority in Barangay Talisayan.

According to the newly signed law, the Secretary of Public Works and Highways shall include in the department’s program the operationalization of Zamboanga City First and Second District Engineering Offices, in which the funding will come from the annual General Appropriations Act.

The legislation, passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on March 21, 2023, and November 2, 2023, respectively, takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. PND