DA flags P125-M suspected ‘ghost’ farm-to-market roads
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reported to President Marcos that it flagged P125 million worth of suspected “ghost” farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in Mindanao.
Although the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has marked the nine projects as completed, DA records showed that work on these has yet to begin, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said on Wednesday.
Citing the DA’s initial audit report submitted to the President, De Mesa said seven of the projects were in Davao Occidental while the other two were in Lanao del Sur.
According to government records, three of the projects were completed in 2021 and two in 2022 during the Duterte administration, and four in 2023 under the term of Mr. Marcos.
The government has been wracked by allegations that senators, congressmen and private contractors siphoned off funds for flood control projects in the past three years of the Marcos administration.
Relatively small
The allegations have led to the creation of an independent body to investigate the anomalies, triggered street protests and prompted government scrutiny of infrastructure projects undertaken by the DPWH.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the flagged projects were relatively small and represented a mere 0.03 percent of the overall farm-to-market road projects.
Even so, Tiu Laurel said the DA would coordinate with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on the possible inspection of the suspected ghost projects.
“So, in the whole scheme of things … It’s not that big. But it’s still alarming, right? Even if it’s small, why is there a ghost?” Tiu Laurel told reporters.
“Of course, I don’t want to step on the [toes] of Secretary Vince. But of course, they’re very busy. But if they ask us for assistance to look into it personally and visit those areas; although these are remote areas, we will do it,” he added.
‘Small-time contractors’
Tiu Laurel earlier vowed to immediately suspend any personnel found guilty of engaging in “ghost” FMR projects, although the DA’s initial findings showed that no official or employee was involved in any of these.
An audit conducted by the DA last month covered more than 4,700 FMR projects from 2020 to 2025 that De Mesa said were implemented by “very small” local contractors.
The DA identifies and validates the FMRs, while the DPWH handles the commissioning, bidding and construction of these projects.
This year, the government plans to build 131,000 kilometers of roads designed to link agricultural areas with markets. About 70,000 km of these projects were completed as of July, while 61,000 km have yet to be validated.
