Philippines' DA Seeks P125 Billion Annually for Farm-to-Market Roads

MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking up to P125 billion annually over the next six years to plug the gap in the country’s farm-to-market road (FMR) network. This would amount to a total of about P750 billion for the construction of roughly 55,000 kilometers of rural roads over a period of six years. “If we want to finish it in six years, that’s P125 billion a year. But of course, we are limited by the fiscal space,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. “Hopefully, the House and Senate provide additional funding for this during the bicameral deliberations,” Tiu Laurel said. The DA has been allocated a budget of P16 billion next year for the construction of farm roads. Next year’s budget is a 51-percent decrease from the P33 billion allocated for FMR projects under the 2026 national spending plan. The DA is looking to construct 2,300 kilometers of farm roads, split across 1,605 projects this year. Realistically, Tiu Laurel said the DA should be provided up to P66 billion annually to complete the FMR deficit in more than a decade. “The budget for next year is not enough. What would be good is to provide us P60 billion to P66 billion so that we can complete it in 12 years,” he said. He noted that the agency was given a Special Allotment Release Order by the Department of Budget and Management only last week. Tiu Laurel said the DA would begin bidding projects this month and would likely start construction beginning December of this year. He added that the projects that would be bid out this year would likely be completed by the end of 2027. Bidding for FMR projects has been stalled as the DA assumed construction and implementation of FMR projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways.