DA readies public reporting platform amid concerns over farm road abuses

MANILA, Philippines — The government is preparing to launch a crowdsourced monitoring system for farm-to-market roads (FMRs) as concerns persist over incomplete, substandard or irregularly implemented rural infrastructure.

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is developing an “FMR Watch” platform that would allow citizens, farmers and local officials to upload site photos, track project progress and flag potential issues directly to the agency.

“We will do a number of things like the FMR Watch website wherein our netizens or ordinary citizens or local government officials could help monitoring projects and upload photos into that website so we at the DA could track their progress or lack thereof,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

The DA said the portal will also map exact project locations to make on-site verification easier for the public.

It said that broader participation is needed to prevent abuses and ensure public funds are spent properly.

Starting 2026, responsibility for FMR development will shift back to the DA from the Department of Public Works and Highways, which is now facing allegations involving billions of pesos in “ghost” or anomalous flood-control projects.

The government agency estimates that the country needs roughly 131,000 kilometers of FMRs, of which 60,000 km remain unbuilt.