Overview
The Department of Agriculture’s ongoing audit into farm-to-market roads (FMRs) has flagged nine Mindanao projects as non-existent, with an estimated value of about ₱125 million. After initially identifying three ghost projects on Monday, the agency announced six more that were reported as completed but were never built.
Locations and scope
Seven of the non-existent roads are in Davao Occidental, while two are in Lanao del Sur. The nine FMRs were listed as spanning a total length of about one kilometer in DA records, though DPWH reports sometimes list up to nine kilometers in aggregate.
How it happened and who is responsible
The DA identifies and validates FMR sites before handing them to the Department of Public Works and Highways for bidding and construction. The nine projects were recorded as completed in DPWH reports for 2021 to 2023, but the DA’s audit shows no evidence that construction began. Preliminary findings suggest local contractors were behind the bogus projects, a concern that ties into broader scrutiny of flood control contracts linked to a separate corruption scandal.
Audit scope and progress
Among 70,000 kilometers of FMRs slated for audit, the DA has reviewed about 4,700 km. Of these, around 3,000 km are verified as legitimate, while roughly 1,000 km remain to be validated. The initial findings were submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on October 1, and the full audit is expected to conclude by year’s end, covering the entire FMR network.
Budget context and implications
While the nine ghost FMRs represent a relatively small share of total public works spending, DA officials emphasize that any loss in public funds undermines the goal of linking farmers to markets. Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa noted that even a small percentage of problematic projects can erode confidence in program delivery and reduce the intended benefits for farmers.
What comes next
Malacañang says DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon is monitoring the issue, with the DA ready to personally inspect the sites. The DA aims to complete the audit and implement stronger controls to ensure that future FMRs fulfill their purpose: providing reliable access from farms to markets.
Long term vision and funding context
Beyond the ghost findings, the DA continues to pursue a bold goal of 131,000 km of FMRs to improve rural market access. Currently, about 70,000 km are completed, leaving roughly 61,000 km to be built. For 2026, the DA’s proposed budget includes ₱16 billion to construct 1,067 km of roads, a figure 71 percent lower than the bureau’s ₱56 billion request. The department has also benefited from a ₱39.4 billion reallocation from the DPWH’s ₱255.5 billion flood control program, increasing the DA’s total budget to ₱216.1 billion. A portion of the increase, ₱22.5 billion, will support flagship projects such as cold storage facilities, solar powered irrigation, and FMRs, while the remainder funds coconut replanting, enhanced crop insurance, fish port upgrades, farm to mill roads for sugar areas, and modern post harvest facilities.
