MANILA – A planned reduction in the cost of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) is expected to significantly expand rural road coverage under the PHP33-billion FMR allocation in the proposed 2026 national budget, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said on Friday.
Pangilinan disclosed that Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has committed to cutting FMR construction costs by about 20 percent—bringing expenses down from roughly PHP18 million per kilometer to around PHP14.5 million per kilometer. The move, he said, would allow the government to build more roads with the same budget.
“There is a measurable commitment to lower the cost of building farm-to-market roads by 20 percent,” Pangilinan said, noting that the pledge has been publicly made by Tiu Laurel and has the backing of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr..
The senator stressed that the savings are crucial to ensuring that the PHP33-billion allocation translates into a wider and more impactful network of rural roads. “The 2026 FMR budget must result in more roads being built,” he said, adding that increased agricultural spending should be felt directly by communities.
Pangilinan emphasized that better farm-to-market connectivity would help raise farm incomes while lowering food prices for consumers. “Farmers and consumers must feel the benefits of a higher agriculture budget,” he said.
In the wake of last year’s flood-control controversy, Pangilinan also underscored the public’s demand for stricter implementation, transparency, and accountability in infrastructure projects—so that cost savings lead to tangible improvements for farming communities.
NPO News Team | PNA-PR
