Gatchalian flags P10.3B in overpriced farm-to-market roads

Senator Win Gatchalian has uncovered a staggering P10.3 billion loss in government funds due to overpricing in the construction of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) between 2023 and 2024 — equivalent to nearly 700 kilometers of road projects lost.

During the recent Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Gatchalian flagged gross overpricing in at least 10 FMR projects in 2024, with costs reaching as high as P348,432 per meter.

By comparison, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said standard FMR construction costs can go as low as P10,000 per meter. Gatchalian’s office further analyzed that Regions V, VIII, and III recorded the highest number of FMR projects with unit costs of P30,000 or more per meter during fiscal years 2023 and 2024.

“Kung walang assurance na maayos ‘yung trabaho ng farm-to-market roads in 2026, tatanggalin na lang naming lahat itong pondo at ilalagay namin sa iba (If there is no assurance that farm-to-market road projects will be implemented properly in 2026, we will simply reallocate all the funding to other priorities),” warned Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

The senator also raised the possibility of transferring the responsibility for FMR construction from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the DA.

However, he emphasized the need for guarantees that cost anomalies would not persist.