The new board members of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) are barred from becoming contractors, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque confirmed.

On Wednesday, October 22, Roque arrived at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) office in Taguig City, where she will serve as a resource person for the independent commission’s continued investigation into the anomalous flood control projects.

Upon arrival, Roque told DZRH News that the latest development is part of the reforms that the agency has implemented within PCAB.

“May mga reforms sa PCAB. Actually, we’ve done that already when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] told us to do the reforms on PCAB,” Roque said.

The efforts followed the discovery that some PCAB members are also contractors.

“Yes…yung mga bagong PCAB board members cannot be contractors anymore. In the past, allowed na contractors sila. But that was in the past law. But now, hindi na pwede kasi it’s [a] conflict of interest,” she explained.

According to the ICI Executive Director, Atty. Brian Hosaka, the ICI, will consult Roque on the systems and processes for contractor accreditation.

The PCAB, which issues licenses to construction companies seeking to participate in infrastructure project bidding, is under the DTI.