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Inspired by ongoing investigations into anomalous flood control projects, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will audit all farm‑to‑market road (FMR) projects since 2021 to ensure that taxpayers’ money is accounted for.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel ordered a comprehensive audit of FMR projects on Thursday, Sept. 18, as part of ongoing efforts to promote transparency and investigate alleged corruption in public infrastructure projects.
“We must make sure they are done properly, that taxpayers’ money was spent to provide farmers with market access and not squandered for farm‑to‑pocket projects,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement.
The secretary assured the public that the agency’s FMR projects are properly identified and validated.
However, he noted that these are then commissioned, bid out, and constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The DPWH is currently facing government scrutiny and growing public outrage amid issues involving flood control projects, from allegations of substandard construction to non-existent or so-called “ghost” projects.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier formed the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate government flood control infrastructure and other related projects.
Following suit, Tiu Laurel stated that he is also demanding transparency, quality, and results for the department’s FMR projects—emphasizing that they should directly connect production areas to markets.
“With what is happening now in flood control projects, I ordered an audit of all FMR projects from 2021 to 2025. If there are any issues in these agricultural road projects, I will have to report that to President Marcos,” he said.
Tiu Laurel expects the audit to be completed by the end of this year.
In a statement, farmers group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said it welcomes Tiu Laurel’s order to audit FMR projects, stressing that corruption in the agriculture sector must be eradicated.
“We recognize and thank President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his political will in exposing these abuses, and for creating mechanisms to investigate and prosecute those responsible—regardless of rank or position,” the group said.
According to the DA, the target is to build up to 131,000 kilometers (km) of FMRs to link farms with markets.
As of July, the agency reported that 70,000 km have now been completed, with approximately 61,000 km considered as backlog or pending validation.
The DA’s estimated gap is lower than the 64,155 km identified under the government’s national FMR network plan (FMRNP) for 2023 to 2028.
Based on the FMRNP, the government must allocate ₱962.33 billion to cover the remaining backlog.
Under the DA’s proposed budget for next year, it received an allocation of ₱16 billion for its FMR program, enough to build 1,067 km of roads. The agency initially requested ₱56 billion for the program.
With the lower budget, Tiu Laurel is proposing a complete overhaul of road dimensions.
For instance, FMRs will have narrower roadways of three meters instead of five meters, with shoulders every 300 meters to facilitate traffic movement.
