Manila: The real-time farm-to-market road (FMR) Watch portal is now accessible to the public as the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday launched the platform to ensure transparency in the government's FMR construction programs. The platform, an in-house design under the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), has various transparency, monitoring, and e-report features containing budget data, construction milestones, geotagged photos, and citizen feedback.
According to Philippines News Agency, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized the dual goals of enhancing transparency and restoring public confidence during a press conference. He stated, "Today, we are not just launching a web portal; we are restoring trust when public funds are spent to build roads." The DA is committed to responding to official complaints within a 48-hour timeframe, with Tiu Laurel explaining that the public will have access to technical responses to stay informed.
The FMR transparency portal update from BAFE indicates that 3,135 out of 4,810 total projects, valued at PHP76.52 billion, have been completed since 2021. For the year 2026, the DA has secured PHP33 billion for approximately 1,600 FMR projects, spanning more than 2,300 kilometers of roads. The FMR Watch is accessible online via its official website at fmrwatch.bafe.gov.ph.
BAFE Director Cristy Cecilia Polido highlighted the classification of complaints based on urgency under the E-report feature. High priority is given to FMR projects launched within the year, while lower priority is assigned to previously completed projects. Although e-reports can be publicly posted anonymously, on-the-ground reports require personal information for validation.
Tiu Laurel assured the privacy of complainants' details and the availability of an anonymity feature for platform postings, while also stressing the importance of verifying the legitimacy of complaints. The platform is set to undergo continuous improvements to enhance efficiency and prevent potential incursions.
The agency plans to collaborate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for the platform's integration into the eGov app, eventually becoming part of DICT's blockchain initiatives. In addition to FMR Watch, the DA aims to launch other project transparency platforms covering progress reports on infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, laboratory, and rice processing systems.
