ACTING TRANSPORT CHIEF. Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez answers questions from the media during a press conference at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) office in San Juan City on Wednesday (Sept. 3, 2025). Lopez vowed to follow newly appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon's "gold standard" as a department head and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s order to ensure continuity within the DOTr. (Screengrab from DOTr video)
MANILA – Newly-appointed Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Wednesday vowed to continue the "gold standard" of his predecessor, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, in leading a government agency.
During the turnover ceremony at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) office in San Juan City, Lopez said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered him to ensure continuity within the DOTr when he took his oath of office on Monday.
"[Marcos] asked me and Secretary Vince to provide solutions to everyday problems that commuters face. And I assure you that the DOTr will continue to follow that mandate. I don't want to be known as a politician, I want to be known as someone who gets things done," he said.
Before he was appointed acting secretary, Lopez served as DOTr Undersecretary for Administration, Finance, and Procurement.
"Bilang isa sa kanyang mga undersecretaries, nakasama po niya ako sa kanyang mga inspections. Sa mga dayalogo sa mga stakeholders, at minsan paglulunsad ng mga proyektong makabuluhan tulad ng Love Bus (As one of his undersecretaries, I was with Dizon during inspections. During dialogues with stakeholders, and sometimes during the launch of important projects like the Love Bus)," he said.
He vowed to apply many of what he learned from Dizon, especially putting commuters' welfare at the forefront.
"Kung gusto talaga nating solusyonan at tugonan ang problema ng mga commuter, kailangan natin lumabas sa ating opisina (If we want to solve and respond to problems of commuters, we need to get out of the office). We have to go out in the field, see the problem, and fix it in real-time," he said.
On the other hand, Dizon taught him that accountability "saves lives."
"Kailangan natin kastiguhin at panagutin ang mga abusadong operators, ang mga barumbadong drivers, ang mga bastos na pasahero. Higit sa lahat, kailangan natin panagutin ang mga corrupt na mga opisyal, tiwaling kawani ng departamento. For us, ni Sec. Vince, these are non-negotiable (We need to confront and to hold accountable abusive operators, rogue drivers, and disrespectful passengers. Above all else, we need to hold accountable corrupt officials and employees of the department. For us, Secretary Vince and I, these are non-negotiable)," he said.
Lopez is a lawyer and a certified public accountant and has been in the DOTr since 2017 as Director for Legal Service.
He also served as Assistant Secretary for Procurement, Assistant Secretary for Project Implementation, and Chief of Staff of former Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.
"My previous position and designations in the DOTr have always been focused on action and implementation. Service roles that demanded concrete results," he said.
In November 2022, he also served as Executive Director of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
A native of Cagayan province, he graduated as Cum Laude at St. Paul University in Tuguegarao City with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy and Bachelor of Laws at San Beda University in Manila.
"I can assure you that I will apply what [Dizon] taught me every day as his apprentice. And I will follow his culture and ways of doing things. Because at the end of the day, we both believe that our mission is to save Filipinos' time so they can spend more of it with families and friends," he said. (PNA)
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