CREBA Position Paper on the proposed
Institution of a National Land Use Policy
(In response to Senate Bill Nos. 109, 141, 647, 169)
We in CREBA recognize the need for a clear, consistent and socially acceptable land use policy that will remove the inconsistency brought about by conflicting laws on land utilization and resolve conflicts due to competing land use.
To name a few, we cite the following existing laws dealing with land use reclassification.
- Republic Act No. 7279 – classifies all cities regardless of their population density and municipalities with a population density of at least five hundred (500) persons per square kilometer as “urban areas” and reserves them for human settlement and other non-agricultural uses;
- Republic Act 7916 – identifies certain areas as eco zones under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and reserves them for agro-industrial, industrial, tourist/recreational, commercial, and other non-agricultural uses; and
- Republic Act 8435 – identifies certain areas as “Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones” (SAFDZ).
With all due respect, we do not see such consistency and clarity in Sec. 30 of Senate Bill 141, which provide in part that “such sub-classification/reclassification is not synonymous to conversion”.
We hold the view that lands covered by the above-cited laws have ceased to be agricultural in nature, and thus should be deemed outside the coverage of the DAR’s conversion authority or any other government agency.
We propose therefore the deletion of the above-quoted provision of the said Senate Bill 141, and the inclusion of lands reclassified by the above-cited laws as not being subject to land conversion procedure under DAR and ECC under DENR.
The last paragraph of Sec. 44 of Senate Bill 141 should then read as follows:
The housing or residential lands designated in the CLUPs and ZOs of cities and municipalities, agricultural lands located:
(a) within all cities and all first-class municipalities,
(b) within all areas reclassified and zoned by local governments units for non-agricultural uses prior to June 15, 1988;
(c) within a strip of one thousand (1,000) meters along existing national highways and provincial roads; and
(d) within areas identified by Provincial Land Use Councils for priority infrastructure development projects, shall not be subject to further land reclassification by the LGU or land conversion procedure under DAR and shall be exempt from the ECC.
Said lands are hereby reserved for settlements, urban development and infrastructure purposes under RA 7279 and other existing laws.
To be socially acceptable, a land use policy must treat equally the Constitutional mandates of undertaking a just distribution of agricultural lands, and providing affordable and decent housing and basic services to underprivileged and homeless citizens.
It cannot be gainsaid that the housing industry is of vital importance to our country’s future. It is a key sector of our economy that addresses not only the problem of homelessness but provides millions of jobs to the unemployed and billions of revenues to government. #
