Eight “ghost” or non-existent farm-to-market roads in Davao Occidental supposedly completed in 2023 are still unfinished, said the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a report by RH 5 Val Gonzales, the DA now holds the documents supporting the discovery of the missing projects. These were earlier personally inspected by the agency, led by its Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

During a press conference at the DA office, Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said it was surprising to see construction workers scrambling to finish projects that have already been declared completed back in 2021 and 2023.

The assessment and investigation report has already been sent to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Office of the President, he said. Moreover, the DA and DPWH will be submitting separate reports to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) so that they may file the appropriate cases before the Ombudsman.

De Mesa clarified that although ₱52 million in funds from the DA were used for the farm-to-market roads, the DPWH is solely responsible for the execution of said projects.

The DA must assess 4,700 farm-to-market projects, with the review expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.

In the next year, the DA itself will oversee the implementation of farm-to-market in various regions, with a fund of ₱32 billion.