Breaking tradition, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will take over farm-to-market road (FMR) construction from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to boost efficiency and address corruption in agricultural infrastructure.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA has accepted the Senate’s challenge to directly oversee FMR construction following concerns over alleged fund misuse in previous DPWH-led initiatives.

A direct challenge

“At the last Senate hearing on the Department of Agriculture’s 2026 budget, we were issued a direct challenge: to take charge of farm-to-market road projects ourselves,” Tiu Laurel said during a budget hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance on Friday.

“Instinct tells us to steer clear. To play it safe. But this is no time for hesitation… and so, we rise to meet the moment.”

Finance Committee Chair Senator Win Gatchalian earlier flagged possible overpricing of up to P10 billion in the construction of 70,000 kilometers of roads. “These are roads the nation paid for — yet many of our farmers have yet to walk on them,” he said.

Private sector background

Gatchalian welcomed the DA’s move, saying Tiu Laurel’s private sector background could help reduce costs and strengthen oversight. “More importantly, this will make it easier to establish accountability… not just within the DA, but across all involved agencies,” he said.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, cited the DA’s plan to integrate a citizen participatory audit into the process, calling it a step toward greater transparency.

Every peso allocated to the DA

“Hopefully, moving forward we can make the most out of every peso allocated to the DA and its attached agencies, and ensure that it is money well spent,” he said.

Tiu Laurel said the DA would work closely with local governments, farmers’ groups, and third-party auditors to ensure integrity and accountability. “This mandate is too large, too critical, and too prone to misuse to be entrusted to a single agency,” he said.