Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said he is looking favorably at the request of Zamboanga del Sur Governor Divina Grace Yu for the province to partner with the Department of Agriculture (DA) in implementing farm-to-market road (FMR) projects throughout the Mindanao province.
“Local government units coming forward to help the DA fast-track farm-to-market road projects is a welcome development,” Tiu Laurel said. “We need all the support we can get to build infrastructure that opens access, lowers production costs, raises farmers’ incomes, and delivers real development in the countryside.”
The renewed push comes as responsibility for FMR development has returned to the DA after several years under the Department of Public Works and Highways, following concerns raised amid the ongoing flood-control controversy. Congress has since doubled the FMR budget to P33 billion for 2026—an allocation that could fund the construction of at least 2,200 kilometers of farm roads nationwide.
Zamboanga del Sur in a letter submitted to DA has identified 26 priority road projects across 21 municipalities, including Pagadian City, with a combined budget of P370 million, for joint implementation with the DA.
Governor Divina Grace C. Yu said that the proposed partnership aims to strengthen oversight while accelerating project delivery. “We firmly believe this collaboration will reinforce transparency and accountability, while ensuring the efficient and timely completion of FMR projects that improve accessibility and advance the welfare of our farmers,” she said in a letter to Tiu Laurel.
She added that the provincial government is prepared to create a dedicated unit solely responsible for monitoring and supervising the identified projects. The province also committed to submitting regular and timely reports on disbursements and progress, and to strictly comply with government accounting, auditing, and procurement rules.
The DA said partnerships with capable local governments are expected to play a critical role in fast-tracking rural infrastructure, as the agency ramps up spending to connect farms to markets and translate higher public investment into tangible gains for farmers and rural communities.
The DA is setting up an online portal and enlisting citizen groups to help monitor the road projects to ensure these infrastructures are built on time and within specifications.
