DPWH fast-tracks farm-to-market roads ahead of Super El Niño

By Vito Barcelo Jr.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is supporting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push to improve connectivity between agricultural production areas, ports and business centers, as the government prepares for the potential impact of a looming Super El Niño on food production and supply.

The initiative seeks to strengthen road and bridge networks that link farming communities to markets and transport hubs, helping ensure the more efficient movement of agricultural products and other essential goods amid the threat of prolonged dry conditions.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said a strong to very strong El Niño was present in the tropical Pacific and could reach its peak before the end of 2026. 

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has emphasized the need to complete infrastructure projects efficiently and ensure that public investments deliver tangible benefits to communities.

Dizon said the DPWH had proposed a catch-up plan to complete pending farm-to-market road projects ahead of the transfer of responsibility for their development to the Department of Agriculture (DA) in 2026.

“There are roughly 1,000 kilometers of FMRs that still need construction. We must think outside the box to ensure these roads are completed as quickly as possible,” Dizon said.

While infrastructure improvements alone cannot prevent the effects of drought on agricultural output, reliable transport networks can help facilitate the distribution of available food supplies from producing areas to markets and consumers.

The DPWH’s infrastructure development efforts, alongside the government’s wider El Niño preparedness measures, form part of the administration’s push to improve economic resilience and maintain the movement of essential goods during potential climate-related disruptions.