Manila:<Text>

The Philippines is poised to sign an Official Development Assistance (ODA) agreement worth 350 million euros (PHP23.8 billion) with France in April or May, aimed at constructing bridges that support farm-to-market roads (FMR), as announced by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, this ODA was secured following an official visit by the DA delegation to France from February 20 to 27. DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa stated in a press conference that the project is currently in the procurement stage and is targeting a signing and loan agreement within the next few months.

The agreement will focus on constructing bridges to ensure FMR projects are 100 percent efficient. De Mesa highlighted the longstanding issue of FMRs lacking bridge components, which has been overlooked for years. The planned bridges, ranging from 25-linear meters to 60-linear meters, will support these crucial road s.

To date, the country requires a total of 1,428 bridges for nationwide FMR support. The ODA with France is expected to cover 300 of these bridges, with over 50 percent located in Mindanao, 30 percent in Luzon, and 20 percent in Visayas. The project is anticipated to commence by June or July, with a completion timeline of three to four years.

Additionally, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has proposed 350 bridges outside the scope identified by the DA. France has also expressed interest in financing additional FMR bridges in the future beyond the initially approved 300.

The DA is also in discussions with Austria and the United Kingdom to finance the remaining bridges. The Philippines is currently in the initial conceptual stage with these countries, with potential developments with Austria projected for 2027.