Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture (DA) expects to cut construction costs by up to 20 percent when it assumes responsibility for building farm-to-market roads (FMRs) from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) starting next year.
Laurel said the savings could be used to build more roads, helping farmers and fisherfolk lower production costs, access markets faster, and reduce food prices.
Currently, a kilometer of two-lane concrete FMR costs about ₱15 million under the DPWH. The DA plans to lower that to around ₱12 million by adopting new technologies and methods such as soil stabilizers suited for specific areas.
The national government initially proposed ₱16 billion for FMR projects under the 2026 budget—enough to build about 1,000 kilometers of roads. However, the House of Representatives has since doubled that to ₱32 billion, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to realign flood-control funds to agricultural infrastructure.
With a larger budget and cost-cutting measures, the DA aims to speed up rural connectivity, boost farm incomes, and stabilize food prices.
To ensure transparency and efficiency, the DA will coordinate with local governments, civil society groups, and the Philippine Army’s Corps of Engineers.
“We want every peso to go to real roads that benefit real farmers—not into the pockets of corrupt officials,” Laurel said.
The DA’s master plan identifies about 131,000 kilometers of potential FMRs nationwide, with around 70,000 kilometers already completed. At the current pace, finishing the entire network could take 60 years—but Laurel said improved coordination and smarter spending could cut that time in half.
