Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the launch of a Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) Watch website and location portal aimed at preventing corruption in infrastructure construction. This initiative is part of the government's effort to address inefficiencies and abuses impacting farmers' income and food production.

According to Philippines News Agency, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated that the new technology will enable public and local government units (LGUs) to act as 'crowdsourced oversight.' He explained that netizens, ordinary citizens, and local government officials can help monitor projects by uploading photos to the FMR Watch website, allowing the DA to track progress or identify issues.

The platform aims to empower Filipinos to report FMR construction issues directly from their local areas. Tiu Laurel encouraged local farmers and citizens to assist in monitoring these projects by submitting complaints and progress reports, including pictures. He emphasized the importance of collective effort to ensure the proper and timely completion of FMR projects.

Tiu Laurel further noted that these initiatives are expected to promote transparency and prevent public funds from being misappropriated. The DA also plans to establish a portal for more efficient inspection of reported or flagged FMR projects. This portal will display the exact location of road projects, facilitating easier on-site inspections.

Currently, eight out of nearly 3,000 validated FMR projects have been reported as missing or partly missing in Davao Occidental and Zamboanga City. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is overseeing 4,700 FMR projects funded by the DA. Approximately 70,000 kilometers of FMRs have been completed out of the 131,000 kilometers of total potential projects nationwide.