Detailed breakdown of P8-B farm-to-market road projects sought

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said he will not agree to the proposed P8 billion allocation for farm-to-market road (FMR) projects under the 2026 national budget unless full details are made available for scrutiny and cross-checking.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved on December 14 a P33 billion budget for FMR projects, in line with Congress’ initial push for a P32 billion allocation, with the provision that implementation will be led by the Department of Agriculture (DA) instead of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Pangilinan, however, flagged P8 billion worth of projects that reportedly lack specific details.

“Isn't the Senate version P16 billion?” Pangilinan asked, referring to the Senate-approved FMR budget. He said that following the bicameral meeting, lawmakers requested a breakdown of the proposed P33 billion allocation but found a shortfall of P8 billion.

"Initially, there were no specifics because the bicam has not yet closed, so we will raise this in the bicam, and we want coordinates. We want geo-tagging. We want itemized, line-by-line items of each contract or each project. Because the lump sum is not possible. We will not accept the lump sum," he said.

Pangilinan said he would move for the reconsideration of the P33 billion approval unless itemized, geo-tagged coordinates are provided for all FMR projects covered by the amount.

He earlier raised concerns over the use of lump-sum allocations for farm-to-market roads, stressing the need to identify exact project locations to prevent misuse of funds.

To ensure funds are free from corruption and abuse, Pangilinan introduced transparency mechanisms and digital governance initiatives for the DA and the National Irrigation Administration.

Among these is a public online dashboard for irrigation projects that will display timelines, project status, finances, awarded contracts, contractors, and geo-tagged photos taken at key stages of implementation.

In October, the DA announced it would assume responsibility for FMR construction from the DPWH starting in 2026, following revelations during a Senate hearing that some projects implemented by the DPWH were allegedly overpriced.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian earlier disclosed that overpriced FMR projects in 2023 and 2024 reached a total of P10.3 billion.