The design conveys the idea of Filipino engineering excellence with sub-themes such as the fine craftsmanship of Filipino design engineers, architects and the whole field of engineering profession, competence and integrity . The most noticeable is the gear frame which is completely circular. The gear represents motion, transmission and direction towards the common man’s economic and social upliftment. The perpetual motion of the circular gear seeks unity of effort, unity of direction and unity of the diverse components of the public works and highways functions and responsibilities. Its sixteen (16) gears represent the administrative regions in the country. Within the gear frame, the highway stretches northward and merges to an infinity, cutting through and against the backdrop of a doric column. The doric column is the symbol of the building and construction industry. The term “against the backdrop” and while the highway cuts through the doric column, it does not convey divisiveness but instead conveys that the road stretches to infinity complemented hand-in-hand by the prosecution of the public works projects represented by the doric column. This denotes unity of objectives and unity of efforts. The white doric column and the two orange lanes represent the engineering outputs of the Department - - roads and bridges, flood control and drainage structures, ports, water supply, national buildings, urban community infrastructure and other public works. Thus, the doric column and the highway should be taken in a total context.
