Manila: Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Thursday ordered an audit of all farm-to-market road (FMR) projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) amid continuing investigation into alleged anomalies in infrastructure spending.

According to Philippines News Agency, the directive comes amid an ongoing investigation into alleged anomalous transactions and programs of the DPWH related to flood control projects. In a statement, Tiu Laurel said the review is meant to ensure FMRs serve their purpose of linking farmers to markets, rather than becoming 'farm-to-pocket' projects. "With what is happening now in flood control projects, I ordered an audit of all FMR projects from 2021 to 2025. If there are any issues in these agricultural road projects, I will have to report that to President Marcos," he said.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) backed the initiative, calling it a crucial step to protect public funds and ensure accountability. "The SINAG supports the initiative of DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel to audit all farm-to-market road (FMR) projects," Executive Director Jayson Cainglet said in a separate statement.

As of July, the DPWH has completed 70,000 kilometers (km) of FMRs nationwide. This leaves around 61,000 km in backlogs or pending validation out of the 131,000 km target under the government's roadmap. Under the scheme, the DA identifies and validates road projects, while the DPWH handles bidding and construction.

Cainglet also urged the government to prosecute those behind irregular projects and return the funds allegedly misused. "Today, we are witnessing yet another massive scheme: the flood control and public infrastructure kleptocracy -a racket of unprecedented scale and brazenness," he said. Cainglet also lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s political will in exposing alleged infrastructure abuses and creating mechanisms for investigation.