Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Wednesday that significant farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in key agricultural sectors are scheduled to commence in August.
According to Philippines News Agency, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Special Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for the major FMR initiatives funded under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). "For big infrastructure, kami na 'yung magbi-bid noon (we will be the ones to conduct bidding for that). So, I was designated as the chair of the Special BAC," De Mesa stated during a press conference.
These major FMR projects aim to bolster coffee farms in Sultan Kudarat, establish mega food hubs in Clark, Pampanga, and create mega cold storage facilities nationwide. De Mesa mentioned that the bidding process typically lasts one to two months, with construction slated to begin in August. A pre-procurement conference for FMR is scheduled for Thursday to further discuss the plans.
De Mesa also revealed that other regions have already initiated their bidding processes for FMR projects. Specifically, Sultan Kudarat will receive PHP2 billion from the total PHP33 billion budget allocated for FMRs in 2026 to support its coffee farming sector. "Mayroon kasing FMR para doon sa Sultan Kudarat, for coffee area doon (There's an FMR in Sultan Kudarat, for the coffee area). That's about PHP2 billion," he noted.
For the mega food hub near Clark, Pampanga, funding between PHP2 billion and PHP4 billion has been earmarked. Other FMR initiatives, such as those for mega cold storage facilities across select regions, will receive between PHP100 million and PHP500 million.
The budget for FMR projects is expected to range from PHP10 million to over PHP20 million per kilometer, offering more flexibility compared to the previous standard allocation of PHP15 million per kilometer. De Mesa assured that regions needing assistance with their procurement processes could also seek support from the Special BAC.
