Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is calling on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to clarify the coordinates of farm-to-market road (FMR) projects detected in dubious locations.
The senator and chair of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform raised concerns about the accuracy of project records and the government’s monitoring mechanisms after People’s Budget Coalition co-convenor Ken Abante reported during a Senate hearing that some farm-to-market grid coordinates were found in seas, including the Benham Rise and the Celebes Sea.
“We need to get to the bottom of this para hindi na lumala pa o paulit-ulit mangyari. Paano ito nakalusot? Paano na-verify at nai-record sa government databases itong mga coordinates na nasa dagat pala? Mali ba ang coordinates, may problema ba sa validation, o may iba pang iregularidad?,” he asked.
“This is how the transparency portal must work and we commend the People’s Budget Coalition for flagging these projects down. But we must also act fast and make sure that there won’t be lapses and loopholes that corrupt people in government can exploit for their gain,” he added, referring to the DA’s FMR Watch.
During the DA’s proposed budget hearing on Wednesday, October 21, he reported about the P23 million worth of FMRs whose coordinates were supposed to be in Nueva Ecija, but were found near Benham Rise instead.
Another project worth P30 million has its coordinates in the Celebes Sea near Indonesia when it was supposed to be in Cebu, while a similar P55-million FMR project was found near Brunei.
Pangilinan emphasized that FMR projects are vital to connecting farmers and fisherfolk to markets, reducing transportation costs, minimizing post-harvest losses, and ensuring that agricultural products reach consumers at reasonable prices.
Every peso allocated for FMR construction must translate into usable infrastructure that benefits its intended beneficiaries, he added.
“Tulad ng flood control, nakatutok and taumbayan sa mga farm-to-market projects dahil sa lumalalang kalagayan ng food security sa bansa. Kailangan ito hindi lang ng mga magsasaka pero ng lahat ng Pilipinong umaasa sa kanilang mga ani,” the senator said.
He called for a thorough review of the affected project records, including their geographical coordinates, approved plans, contracts, implementation status, inspection reports, and actual locations on the ground.
He likewise urged the DA to strengthen the implementation of its FMR transparency dashboard by addressing technical gaps that undermine data reliability and ensuring that it serves as a reliable, accessible, and regularly updated platform for public monitoring.
This includes standardizing mapping and geotagging procedures and adopting more precise land-surveying equipment, such as Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology, instead of standard mobile devices to ensure accurate and reliable coordinates.
The lawmaker stressed that publishing project information is not enough if the data are inaccurate, outdated, or difficult to verify.
“Aanhin natin ang dashboard kung mali-mali naman pala ang datos dito? Kung seryoso tayo na maging transparent at accountable, dapat malinaw at tama ang mga impormasyon sa portal,” Pangilinan said.
He also underscored the need for stronger public monitoring of FMR projects, stressing that transparency and accountability in the use of public funds ultimately benefit the people the projects are meant to serve.