DA creates interim unit to monitor infrastructure projects

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has established an Interim Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) Unit to monitor its infrastructure projects, including farm-to-market roads, food hubs, cold storage facilities, and rice mills.

This new watchdog unit aims to strengthen oversight and embed social and environmental safeguards in all DA infrastructure initiatives.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. stated that the unit is necessary to prevent "gray areas or blind spots" and ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with environmental and social standards, referencing recent controversies.

The SES Unit will institutionalize safeguards tools developed under the World Bank-supported Philippine Rural Development Project, such as environmental assessments, social risk reviews, and stakeholder engagement protocols.

Safeguard officers will be assigned by the SES Unit to oversee infrastructure projects at both the central and regional levels.

The unit will also collaborate with other government agencies and international organizations like the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.