MANILA – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday, October 23, 2025, said the Bukidnon-Davao City Road in Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao, Quezon town in Bukidnon province that was damaged by a landslide over the weekend will remain closed

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the affected road will be closed despite calls to reopen it, as they do not want to put the lives of the people at risk.

“We cannot risk the lives of the motorists. I’m sorry but I decided that the road will remain closed,” he said during a press briefing held at the DPWH main office in Port Area, Manila.

“Until we find a solution to this, I will not open that road. I’m sorry, even if someone gets angry with me, the lives of our kababayans (fellow citizens) are more important. So we will have to find a way. We will work as quickly as we can with the experts, but this is not something I’m willing to risk for our kababayans in Bukidnon.”

Dizon also reported that a detour road would be constructed near the collapsed road so that the movement of people and goods could resume.

“There is a detour being constructed now; it would take some time, but we are looking for ways on how to speed this up, and we would make the announcement as we move forward,” Dizon said.

The DPWH and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government are conducting an assessment on the damaged road.

“They know their job; let’s trust them to do their job, the technical people. We are not going to do anything until we are sure the road is safe,” Dizon said. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)