TACURONG CITY (MindaNews / 15 December) – Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel is pushing for the construction of more farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in Mindanao next year to unlock the potentials of isolated agricultural corridors in the island.

Tiu Laurel revealed that among the top priorities of the Department of Agriculture (DA) are the development of more FMRs in Sultan Kudarat province and Liguasan Marsh.

Sultan Kudarat province is the country’s major coffee producer while Liguasan Marsh is the largest wetland in the nation straddling the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and the two Maguindanaos.

Last October, Tiu Laurel graced a gathering of coffee farmers here, where he committed to build more FMRs in Sultan Kudarat in the bid to increase the province’s coffee production.

“Hundreds of billions of pesos in untapped agricultural value can finally be unlocked once long-isolated farmlands are connected to commercial hubs,” he said in a statement late last week.

Starting next year, the DA will regain full control of the government’s FMR construction program after it was removed from the Department of Public Works and Highways following the massive flood control corruption mess that rocked the nation in mid-2025.

Tiu Laurel said preparations are underway for roads that will cut through some of the country’s most promising—but chronically underutilized—food production zones, including wide tracts in Sultan Kudarat and the vast Liguasan Marsh.

He noted they are looking to invest P2 billion for FMRs in Sultan Kudarat that could open up about 35,000 hectares of new farmlands.

“These areas are not being used now because there’s simply no road,” the secretary said.

He added that Liguasan Marsh could deliver “an even larger windfall, with up to 300,000 hectares recoverable once road networks are in place.”

Beyond basic access, the DA plans to reinforce these new agricultural corridors with post-harvest facilities under the World Bank–funded Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), which is being implemented by the Agriculture department.

The program will roll out cold storage units, dryers, silos, and logistics links to ports and emerging agri-ports, facilities that are essential for lowering production costs and raising farmer incomes, Tiu Laurel said.

To prepare for the transition, the DA has organized a dedicated FMR unit. It also plans to roll out a transparency system featuring time-lapse cameras, a farm-to-market portal, and memorandums of understanding with farmer cooperatives to help monitor project progress.

“It’s not rocket science to build a farm-to-market road,” Tiu Laurel said. “But we need people’s help to monitor those projects. Technology will also help.”

Macario Gonzaga, PRDP Mindanao Project Support Office director, welcomed the opening of more FMRs in the island to help ensure stable food supply for the nation and increase farmers’ incomes.

He noted that PRDP has established the Citizen Monitoring Team (CMT) where community members are trained to monitor construction progress, validate safeguards compliance, and raise concerns.

“As the DA resumes full oversight of FMR projects, the safeguards institutionalization becomes even more crucial. Strong systems—not shortcuts—are what will ensure durable, climate-resilient, and community-centered infrastructure,” Gonzaga said in a separate statement.

He said the PRDP this year rolled out P20.02 billion worth of FMR projects across Mindanao covering two completed subprojects, 32 under construction, five under procurement, and 54 in pre-approval stage. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)