Farm bridge plan gets P27.7B

The Economic and Development Council, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., has approved the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P27.7-billion Farm-to-Market Bridges Development Program (FMBDP) to improve logistics and market access for farmers and fisherfolk.

The DA said Monday that the French-funded budget will support the construction of 300 modular steel panel bridges across 52 provinces and 15 regions from 2026 to 2029.

Of the P27.7 billion total, P22.15 billion will be sourced from loans, while P5.54 billion will come from the government budget.

“This initiative seeks to raise the income of farmers and fisherfolk by improving access to markets and ensuring the more efficient and cost-effective movement of goods and services,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

The Agriculture chief added that the department would ensure that the FMBDP would be utilized to provide long-term support to agricultural communities across 15 regions.

Of the 1,428 proposed bridge sites submitted by local government units, the top 300 were chosen using a prioritization framework developed by the DA’s Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering.

The bridges, mostly extra-wide single-lane types, will span over 11,400 meters and enhance connectivity along farm-to-market roads.