Gatchalian warns DA: Fix overpriced farm-to-market roads or lose ?16-B budget

AGRI-NEWS | Farming Posted on 2025-10-10 01:43:36

MANILA — October 9, 2025. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday cautioned the Department of Agriculture (DA) to overhaul its farm-to-market road (FMR) program or risk losing its proposed ₱16-billion allocation in the 2026 national budget.

At the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said he is reluctant to approve the funding because of persistent cases of overpricing and inefficiency in the program’s implementation by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“₱16 billion ang hinihingi nila this coming 2026. Kung hindi nila maaayos ‘yung kanilang proseso o hindi maaayos ng DPWH, ako nagdadalawang-isip rin akong ilagay ‘yung ₱16 billion sa farm-to-market roads kasi mawawaldas lang ‘yung pera (They are asking for ₱16 billion for 2026. If they or the DPWH cannot fix their processes, I’m hesitant to approve that funding because it will just go to waste),” Gatchalian said.

During Wednesday’s budget hearing, the senator revealed that the government lost ₱10.3 billion and nearly 700 kilometers of FMR projects from 2023 to 2024 due to overpricing. His office found that the 10 most overpriced projects in 2024 reached as much as ₱348,432 per meter, far exceeding the ₱10,000 per meter estimate cited by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

Regions V (Bicol), VIII (Eastern Visayas), and III (Central Luzon) posted the highest number of overpriced projects, each exceeding ₱30,000 per meter, according to the review.

“If there’s no assurance that the FMR projects will be properly implemented in 2026, we will just remove this funding and reallocate it elsewhere,” Gatchalian warned.

He added that the Senate is considering transferring the responsibility of implementing FMRs from DPWH to the DA—provided the agency can prove it has the capacity to deliver projects without corruption or waste.

The Senate finance panel continues to scrutinize the DA’s infrastructure spending to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in agricultural support programs under the proposed 2026 budget.

NPO News Team | PNA-PR

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