DA to be at forefront of rural roads rationalization

The Department of Agriculture (DA) wants the agency to be at the forefront of the proposed rationalization of all rural road programs implemented by the government.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is proposing the rationalization of farm-tomarket roads (FMR) to create a single network of roads for the country.

“The government should come up with the rational implementation of the rural road network program. There should be only one agency that should implement them and we are recommending that it should be DA,” Piñol told reporters.

Apart from DA, the Departments of Social Welfare and Development, Interior and Local Government, Environment and Natural Resources, Tourism, Agrarian Reform, and attached agencies Philippine Coconut Authority, National Irrigation Administration and Sugar Regulatory Administration are also implementing road development programs.

“The problem is that the budget is being scattered and there is a possibility of a not systematic road network because we tend to overlap with each other since we do not really have coordination,” Piñol said.

The proposal is now being considered by the Department of Budget and Management and some members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Furthermore, the agriculture chief is also urging for the return of the implementation, monitoring, repair and maintenance of the FMR to the DA from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“DPWH is busy with its Build, Build, Build and FMR implementation is being set aside. What happens is the budget comes from us then it will go directly to DPWH for implementation then after that, we are at a loss already, we don’t know what happens next since we are not part of the monitoring,” Piñol said.

“Plus, DPWH has a management and supervision fee of about three percent. That’s a big thing and we can already use that money for additional roads,” he added.

The DA is seeking a P20billion allocation for the implementation of its farm-tomarket roads project next year to help farmers link their produce to the consumers more effectively.

Piñol is talking to members of the Congress to hike the approved P6 billion budget for FMR to at least P20 billion for 2018.

After failing to get its proposed P213-billion budget for next year, Piñol is settling for an P80-billion allocation to boost the country’s farm sector.