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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DA finds 'ghost' farm-to-market roads in Mindanao

DA finds 'ghost' farm-to-market roads in Mindanao

Published Sep 29, 2025 06:45 pm
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel (file photo)
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel (file photo)
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has identified substandard and non-existent farm-to-market roads (FMRs) across two provinces in Mindanao, based on the initial findings of its ongoing audit to investigate alleged corruption.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said on Monday, Sept. 29, that the agency discovered anomalous FMR projects in the provinces of Davao Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte.
Tiu Laurel stated that these projects were allegedly constructed under the supervision of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in 2021 and 2022.
In Davao Occidental, the DA found the existence—or lack thereof—of “ghost” FMR projects. These were roads reported as finished but nowhere to be found.
The province is facing scrutiny after the recent discovery of a non-existent ₱96-million flood control project in the town of Jose Abad Santos.
Jose Abad Santos, Mayor Jason John Joyce said he welcomes the investigations, noting that the town is riddled with substandard and “ghost” public infrastructure projects, particularly those of roads.
Meanwhile, in Zamboanga del Norte, the DA flagged a substandard FMR project. A road was reportedly found constructed, but lacked cement, making it unusable.
While he did not divulge other details, Tiu Laurel said these findings were all reported before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
He added that the agency has yet to find any problematic FMR project that was built recently, hinting that such issues could be limited to the previous administration.
“Let's just wait for the validation. But more or less, that's what I will report to the president,” the official said on the sidelines of his agency’s budget hearing at the House of Representatives.
Tiu Laurel admitted that while findings are “not that big” in the “whole scheme of things,” he said these are enough reasons to continue the audit.
He ordered a comprehensive audit on FRM projects on Sept. 18 to ensure that taxpayers’ money is accounted for amid corruption allegations involving public works.
The secretary earlier noted that these projects are properly identified and validated by the DA. However, he said these are then handed over to the DPWH, which will oversee the bidding and construction.
The DPWH is facing public outrage after its district and regional engineers were alleged to be part of a corruption scandal involving government officials that saw funding for flood control projects unashamedly pocketed.
“With what is happening now in flood control projects, I ordered an audit of all FMR projects from 2021 to 2025. If there are any issues in these agricultural road projects, I will have to report that to President Marcos,” Tiu Laurel was previously quoted as saying.
The audit is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa recently told Manila Bulletin that the 2021 start of the audit coincide with the launch of the FMR database through the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System (ABEMIS).
The ABEMIS is under the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), which was established in 2020.
De Mesa said FMR projects were formally transferred to BAFE also in 2020, but most of the projects were classified for later release (FLR), meaning funds were appropriated but were not yet disbursed.
The DA is aiming to construct 131,000 kilometers (km) of FMRs to provide seamless access for farmers to markets.
As of July, the department stated that it has completed approximately 70,000 km of roads, with around 61,000 km considered as backlog or pending validation.
Under the DA’s proposed budget for next year, its FMR program has been earmarked ₱16 billion to build 1,067 km of roads, 71 percent lower than its request of ₱56 billion.
Tiu Laurel said the DA will receive an additional ₱40 billion on top of its proposed ₱176.7 billion budget for next year, following the realignment of the DPWH’s ₱255.5 billion flood control project.
It is not yet confirmed if these additional funds will be directed to FMRs, but he stated that part of the funds would be for cash assistance to farmers who incurred losses this year.
Tiu Laurel earlier recommended an overhaul of road dimensions to work around the limited budget, including narrowing the roadways of FMRs.

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