The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formally accepted the Senate’s challenge to take the lead on farm-to-market road (FMR) projects—a responsibility long held by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In remarks delivered during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing for the DA’s proposed 2026 budget on October 10, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. declared the agency’s readiness to take over the construction of critical infrastructure meant to spur rural development, raise farmers’ incomes, and ensure a steady supply of affordable food.
“At the last Senate hearing on the Department of Agriculture’s 2026 budget, we were issued a direct challenge: to take charge of farm-to-market road projects ourselves,” Tiu Laurel said. Alluding to the controversy now faced by the DPWH on various infrastructure projects, the DA chief added: “Instinct tells us to steer clear. To play it safe. But this is no time for hesitation… and so, we rise to meet the moment.”
The DA’s move comes in response to growing concerns over the alleged misuse of public funds in past FMR projects managed by the DPWH. Finance Committee Chair Senator Win Gatchalian has flagged possible overpricing amounting to as much as P10 billion in the construction of 70,000 kilometers of roads—enough, he said, to build a two-lane highway from Manila to Aparri.
“These are roads the nation paid for—yet many of our farmers have yet to walk on them,” he said.
Senator Gatchalian welcomed the DA’s decision to take on his challenge to implement the FMR program independently. “More importantly, this will make it easier to establish accountability…not just within the DA, but across all involved agencies,” he said.
Tiu Laurel made it clear the DA will not go at it alone. He vowed to work closely with local government units, farmers’ groups, and third-party auditors and surveyors to ensure transparency, accountability, and community alignment.
“This mandate is too large, too critical, and too prone to misuse to be entrusted to a single agency,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel.
The DA’s commitment signals a dramatic shift in how agricultural infrastructure will be managed—one that may finally bring roads where they are truly needed: to farmers, not to fraud.
PIA PHOTO