Business · Philippines Bureau
Lawmaker says farm-road budget concerns overblown despite DA errors
A Philippine congressman has downplayed concerns over incorrect farm-to-market road coordinates in the 2027 budget, noting that errors affected only eight of nearly 1,700 proposed projects. The Department of Agriculture acknowledged the discrepancies this week.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Camarines Sur 4th District Representative Arnie Fuentebella characterized concerns over farm-to-market road (FMR) coordinate errors as exaggerated, following an admission by the Department of Agriculture that eight of 1,669 projects in the proposed 2027 national budget contained location inaccuracies.
Fuentebella issued the statement Wednesday, emphasizing that the eight affected projects represent a minimal fraction of the total farm-road infrastructure proposals under review for the coming fiscal year. The Department of Agriculture's disclosure came after questions were raised about the accuracy of project coordinates for rural road development initiatives.
The acknowledgment of errors, though limited in scope, had triggered broader scrutiny of budget preparation processes within the agricultural department. Officials have not detailed the nature of the coordinate errors or their potential impact on project implementation and fund allocation.
The farm-to-market road program is a key agricultural support initiative aimed at improving rural connectivity and facilitating the transport of farm products to markets. With thousands of projects regularly included in annual budget proposals, the discovery of coordinate inaccuracies has raised questions about quality control mechanisms in budget compilation, even as lawmakers argue the errors remain isolated incidents.