The Department of Agriculture (DA) will take full control of farm-to-market road (FMR) construction by 2026, stripping the scandal-ridden Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of a program long plagued by irregularities and poor targeting.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the transfer will ensure projects actually serve farmers and fisherfolk instead of contractors and politicians. The DA will handle planning, prioritization, and implementation to guarantee that new roads connect production areas to markets and lower transport costs for rural producers.
The handover follows months of coordination between the DA and DPWH. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon admitted there are still about 1,000 kilometers of unfinished FMRs for completion in 2025, while the nationwide backlog has ballooned to around 60,000 kilometers.
To prepare for the transition, the DPWH will roll out a “catch-up plan” next year, while the DA forms a dedicated infrastructure unit to manage projects directly with local governments. Officials say the shift is meant to tighten accountability, eliminate duplication, and end a cycle of waste and corruption that has dogged the FMR program for years.
By 2026, the DA aims to centralize all farm-to-market road projects under its supervision — a decisive move to restore credibility to one of the government’s most abused rural development funds.
