By Brian Campued
The Department of Agriculture (D.A.) is preparing to launch a “Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) Watch” website to flag irregularities and eliminate corruption in infrastructure projects.
In a news release Tuesday, Agriculture Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that through the FMR Watch, the public and local government units can upload photos and report progress of the projects.
Laurel added that the D.A. will likewise build a portal where the people can locate the FMR projects, enabling easier inspection of flagged sites.
“We need everyone’s help to monitor all of these FMR projects to do them properly at the fastest possible time,” the D.A. chief said.
“These initiatives, we believe, will greatly help in keeping everyone honest and ensure precious public funds do not end up in some unscrupulous individual’s pockets.”
Based on D.A.’s National Farm-to-Market Road Network Plan 2023-2028, more than 131,000 kilometers of potential FMRs nationwide are needed to support food production and ensure farmers’ incomes.
However, over 60,000 km remain unbuilt—which could take decades to accomplish.
The agency is likewise conducting an audit of some 5,000 km of FMRs completed in recent years to verify whether these met technical specifications and were finished as planned.
Beginning in 2026, the D.A. will take over the construction of FMRs from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)—aiming to save at least 20% in construction costs.
-jpv
