MANILA — The government has approved a timetable on the construction of farm-to-market roads (FMR), which includes the signing of a joint administrative order among agencies this December, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“FMR approved na. Mayroon na tayong national timetable,” President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said, as quoted by the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) in a press release.

“Lahat ng agencies that are involved, departments that are involved will be signing… by December, before the end of the year, para ma-approve na ang plano para sa pag-construct ng FMR,” he added.

(The FMR is approved. We already have a national timetable. All agencies, departments that are involved will be signing by December, before the end of the year, so that the plan for the construction of FMRs would be approved.)

The agriculture, public works, interior, trade, and tourism departments will sign the order that would set guidelines "to make all FMRs interconnected with other infrastructure projects", the Palace said.

Marcos, who heads the agriculture department, said in July that he wanted more roads constructed in "areas with active agricultural production to address supply chain concerns."

• Marcos wants more farm-to-market roads in push for food sufficiency

He also told agriculture officials to create a farm-to-market road masterplan that will detail the location of FMRs and the "funding source, payment terms, as well as the time frame for project completion."

As of October, some 43,223 kilometers is proposed for FMR projects, the Palace said.

FERTILIZERS

Meanwhile, Marcos said the government was looking for substitutes for urea and petroleum-based fertilizer.

Fertilizer prices have seen an uptick since the last quarter of 2021 due to increased global demand, the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) earlier said.

"We are looking at all the technologies available, including biofertilizer perhaps as an import substitute,” Marcos said.

Marcos in November said he would pursue government-to-government talks to ensure the country's fertilizer supply and address increasing prices.

• Marcos tackles plan to import fertilizer in 2023

In July, Marcos said he was considering writing to the governments of China, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Russia to seek discounted fertilizer.

• Marcos open to pursuing gov't-to-gov't talks for fertilizer supply amid price woes

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