THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will take over farm-to-market road (FMR) projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) starting 2026.
In a statement, the DA said the takeover will make farm infrastructure more focused on the actual needs of farming communities.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. and Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon met on Tuesday to review audits of past farm road projects, the DA said.
The review sought to determine the extent to which the farm road program has been affected by the broader infrastructure corruption scandal, which surfaced in flood control projects shortly after the heavy July rains.
At the meeting, the DPWH discussed pending projects slated for 2025, which Mr. Dizon proposed to complete under a catch-up plan.
“There are roughly 1,000 kilometers of roads that still need construction in 2025. We must think outside the box to ensure these roads are completed as quickly as possible. Local government units will be engaged, similar to our approach with classrooms,” Mr. Dizon added.
At a recent Senate hearing, Mr. Laurel said that the backlog of FMRs totals 60,000 kilometers — a distance that would take six decades to complete at the current pace.
Regarding the corruption review, Mr. Laurel said of the nearly 1,000 kilometers of farm roads inspected by the DA out of over 4,000 kilometers built in recent years, “a few short stretches” may warrant referrals to the Ombudsman and the Independent Commission on Infrastructure for possible investigation and prosecution.