MANILA, Philippines – The civil society group People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) raised several red flags during the Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for 2027.
At the center of the group’s report are farm-to-market (FMR) and irrigation projects. Following the flood control scandal, the DA launched a portal for FMR projects to monitor the standard and completion of farm-to-market roads worth millions of pesos.
Here are the issues that the PBC raised during the hearing:
No publicly available documents on insertions
The group flagged P15 billion worth of FMR and irrigation projects that do not have publicly-posted project attachments. They alleged these projects are insertions made in the House of Representatives.
Kenneth Isaiah Abante, co-convenor of the PBC, said the House inserted 355 FMR projects not originally included in the National Expenditure Program and the DA’s proposal.
“We are not sure if these are connected to the national highway network or connected to their resorts,” Abante said.
In addition, Abante alleged that the House also inserted 319 irrigation projects worth P9.4 billion without proper documents.
Coordinates of farm-to-market roads end up at sea
Coordinates of some FMR projects are erroneous as well, according to citizen-led mapping of 18,000 projects in the House’s general appropriations bill. (READ: House passes P7.2-trillion 2027 budget amid pork barrel concerns)
A P23-million FMR project in Nueva Ecija had coordinates that point to the sea near Benham Rise, said Abante. A project that is supposed to be in Cebu appeared in Celebes Sea. Coordinates of a P55-million project appeared in the waters near Brunei.
Likely overpriced roads and irrigation
The group also flagged costings that it alleged were way over the market price. The standard cost per kilometer of a farm-to-market road is P15 million, but some projects allegedly showed costs of P6 million to P19 million per meter.
“If we take the budget as is, there will likely be overpriced projects in the DA,” said Abante.
The group also said instruments for solar irrigation pump systems were likely overpriced. Abante questioned the P50 million to P200 million price tags for solar panel systems, noting that individual 600- to 700-watt panels cost around P7,000.
The cost of solar materials has risen amid the US and Israel’s war on Iran, which has fueled fears of power outages and higher electricity bills. (READ: ‘Solar rush’: Surge in solar demand overwhelms local industry)
Watchdogs and civil society groups like the People’s Budget Coalition are given the floor to present recommendations and red flags in the proposed 2027 budget.
This is part of an effort to make the budget process more transparent and participative after the public uproar over the flood control scandal.
The DA accepted PBC’s offer to mobilize their volunteers in verifying the progress of existing FMR projects.
“We welcome initiatives that empower citizens to hold public spending accountable and ensure that funds go where they are intended and deliver real benefits to the people, from agricultural workers to ordinary residents whose lives are improved by these infrastructure projects,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said.
The DA took over FMR projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways after the latter faced public scrutiny over allegations of massive corruption. – Rappler.com