The Economy and Development (ED) Council approved the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P27.7-billion Farm-to-Market Bridges Development Program (FMBDP) to be funded through official development assistance (ODA) from the French government
Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. pitched the program’s proposed construction of 300 modular steel panel bridges (MSPBs) across the country to improve rural infrastructure and agricultural logistics.
“This initiative also seeks to raise the income of farmers and fisherfolk by improving access to markets and ensuring the more efficient and cost-effective movement of goods and services,” said Tiu Laurel.
Spanning 11,400.9 linear meters, the 300 single-lane bridges, four standard-width and 296 extra-wide, will be built in 52 provinces across 15 regions.
Priority will be given to areas with high agricultural potential but poor road access, in a bid to stimulate regional growth and connect farmers to local and regional markets.
The DA said of the 1,428 proposed sites submitted by local government units, the top 300 were selected through a prioritization framework developed by the DA’s Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE).
Set for implementation from 2026 to 2029, the FMBDP is designed to address long-standing logistical bottlenecks in rural areas and support inclusive economic development.
It said of the total cost, P22.15 billion would be sourced from loans, while P5.54 billion would come from the national budget.
