SEN. Francis Pangilinan on Saturday issued a strong warning against any attempt to misappropriate funds allocated for the government’s P33-billion farm-to-market road (FMR) program. ”We have put in place several safeguards to really ensure that there will be no corruption,” Pangilinan said in a radio interview. “As chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, we will not tolerate nonsense.” He warned that individuals or groups found exploiting the program would be summoned to the Senate and investigated. “We will watch that. Don’t even try it, because they will get a taste. We will call them to the Senate, and we will subpoena them if necessary, if we see that there is wrongdoing.” Pangilinan recently defended the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies, including the P33-billion allocation for FMR projects. Under special budget provisions, details of its implementation will be posted on an online public dashboard, including geotagging of projects and citizens’ participatory audits. The new structure will see the implementation of the FMR program under the DA, a task previously assigned to the Department of Public Works and Highways. Pangilinan said the change aims to ensure that the construction of farm roads directly supports agricultural productivity and rural development. The program seeks to tackle a significant backlog of approximately 60,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads across the country. These roads, he said, are crucial for improving market access, enhancing food security and increasing the incomes of farmers and fisherfolk. Beyond transparency mechanisms, Pangilinan said the DA would be required to strictly validate project costs and technical details, including detailed engineering designs, programs of work, approved budgets for contracts, prevailing market prices, standard unit costs and site-specific conditions. He underscored the role of the private sector and local government units (LGUs) in ensuring competitive bidding and efficient project delivery. Pangilinan said the provision was modeled after the public-private-LGU partnership program implemented during the Aquino administration under then-education secretary Armin Luistro, which enabled the rapid construction of school buildings nationwide.