The Department of Agriculture (DA) will be the government agency in charge of developing the country’s farm-to-market road (FMR) projects beginning in 2026—a move welcomed by the agriculture sector as a strong response against corruption.

The DA said on Wednesday, Oct. 29, that it will assume control of FMR projects from the controversy-riddled Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) starting next year.

This development was confirmed following a meeting between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to promote transparency in the implementation of infrastructure projects.

Tiu Laurel earlier accepted the Senate’s challenge to take charge of FMR projects following the discovery of non-existent and substandard projects under the DPWH’s watch.

Under the current policy, the DA only identifies and validates the sites where the roads will be built. After that, the DPWH oversees the entire process, from bidding to construction.

Tiu Laurel earlier ordered a comprehensive audit of FMRs in light of corruption allegations involving other DPWH-implemented projects, particularly flood control initiatives.

So far, the audit has uncovered seven non-existent or “ghost” projects in the province of Davao Occidental. The DA estimates that losses from these projects amount to ₱105 million.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said on Monday, Oct. 27, that the turnover of FMRs to the DA could be implemented through an amendment to the special provisions of next year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA) or national budget.

De Mesa said these projects will be completed by the agency’s engineering arm, the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE).

In preparation for the takeover next year, the DA said it will utilize the so-called catch-up plan for FMRs this year as the blueprint for how it will undertake the projects.

While FMRs remain under its jurisdiction, the DPWH is planning to mount a massive construction effort to build 1,000 kilometers (km) of FMRs in the last two months of the year.

Dizon said his agency will “think outside the box” to help ensure that these roads are completed as quickly as possible.

While it has not been confirmed what this unconventional method could be, Tiu Laurel recently proposed overhauling road dimensions, such as building narrower roadways measuring three meters instead of five meters.

With the DA now at the helm, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Fisheries Inc. (PCAFI) president Danilo Fausto said the industry is more confident that public funding for FMRs will be protected from corruption.

“It is a welcome event for us that the DA now will implement it,” Fausto said in a chance interview, highlighting the agency’s expertise in the sector.

“So [FMRs] really now will focus on where agricultural productive lands could be opened up for more agricultural production,” he added.

Fausto, however, noted that the agency must bring in a competent and highly skilled workforce to realize the vision of building FMRs without a hint of corruption.

To ensure integrity, he added that the private sector would be a willing partner of the DA in monitoring the entire development of FMRs, starting from the bidding process until they are ready for use.

“There should be monitoring, it’s important… so that there’s no ghost or substandard,” he said.

According to the DA, the country still needs to build 60,000 km of FMRs to efficiently link areas of agricultural production to key markets.