The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) regional office in Mimaropa and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) signed an agreement to undertake P430 million worth of farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in the region.
Under the accord, the DA’s regional office in Mimaropa and the DPWH will collaborate to implement 29 FMR projects across the region, designed to enhance connectivity between agricultural production areas, markets, and major road networks.
The DA will fund FMR projects from its budget under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
The DPWH will receive funds based on approved project milestones after they submit, validate, and accept the required technical, physical, and financial reports.
‘The MOA states that we will release funds in at least three tranches to ensure proper monitoring and utilization,’ the DA said in a statement on Wednesday.
DA-MIMAROPA Regional Executive Director Christopher Bañas said the accord will improve the transportation of agricultural produce from farms to markets.
‘Farm-to-market roads directly benefit our farmers by making it easier and faster for them to transport their produce to markets. Through our partnership with DPWH, we want to ensure that these projects are properly implemented and that our agricultural communities truly benefit from them,’ Bañas said.
Before these projects in Mimaropa, the DA recently inaugurated the P310.9 million FMR project in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya, which will improve logistics in the area driven by high-value crops, organic farming, andagroforestry.
The 10.86-kilometer project, covering a 4,191-hectare area featuring high-value vegetables and coffee plantations, and will reduce travel times and transport losses by at least 50 percent.
The World Bank supports the project with a P248.7 million loan through the Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up project. The national government contributes P31.1 million in funding, and the local government unit provides a P31.1 million equity share.
Starting this year, the DA will lead the development of FMR projects nationwide, a responsibility previously held by the DPWH.