DA-10 convenes LGU engineers, planners to rev up FMR Network Plans

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Sought to fast-track the actualization of priority FMR locations vital to advance agricultural development in the region, the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-NorMin) staged a review workshop to expedite the finalization of local Farm-to-Market Road Network Plans (FMRNPs) on October 21-24, this city.

Engineers, planning and development officers, and designated FMR focal persons from provincial, municipal, and city local government units (P/M/CLGUs) across the region convened to accelerate the completion of their FMRNPs.

As stipulated in Section 52 of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (RA 8435), LGUs shall prioritize investments in FMR construction and allocate at least 10% of their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) as counterpart funding.

Thereby, the DA shall coordinate with the LGUs, as well as resident farmers and fishers, to identify priority FMR locations based on factors such as the number of project beneficiaries, expected agricultural productivity, and other prioritization indicators, including the estimated road influence area, agricultural potential, current road condition, average daily traffic, and climate change resilience/adaptation.

DA-NorMin emphasized that, all proposed road segments included in the FMRNP shall be encoded in the GeoAgri system, the centralized database for FMR projects nationwide. This platform helps prevent duplication and overlapping of road projects.

Based on the region’s 2023–2028 local FMRNP status report, 25 LGUs have submitted their write-ups, while 7 other LGUs have already secured approved resolutions from their respective Sangguniang Bayan (SB) councils.

Each municipality, city, and province is required to submit its completed FMRNP and the corresponding ordinance of endorsement within one month after the conclusion of the workshop.

The workshop was conducted in batches to provide focused technical assistance and detailed plan reviews for each LGU, scheduled as follows: October 21 for Bukidnon; October 22 for Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, and Cagayan de Oro City; October 23 for Misamis Occidental; and October 24 for Lanao del Norte and Iligan City.

Also present in the workshop were representatives from the DOST, DILG, and DEPDev, who provided further technical guidance to LGUs in identifying, prioritizing, and validating their proposed road projects.

This move aligns with President Marcos’ pronouncement in his inaugural SONA to craft a National Network of FMRs that interconnects agri-fishery production hubs, aiming to reduce transport costs and improve logistics for Filipino farmers and fishers.# (BJCE)