Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso promised to ensure the passage of the National Land Use Act (NLUA) during a dialogue with farmers in Calauan, Laguna on Friday, Nov. 19.
The NLUA, which has been pending in congress for over 30 years, aims to create a national land-use authority which, through a land-use plan, will determine how land is to be developed according to its zoning classification such as for protection, production, settlement development, or infrastructure development.
Domagoso explained that farmers have been complaining that the decrease in total production area has gradually decreased due to reclassification of farm land into subdivisions and other commercial venues.
Statistics provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority show that from 2017 to 2019, palay harvest area decreased from 4.81 million hectares to 4.65. Meanwhile, corn harvest area went from 2.55 million hectares in 2017 to 2.51 in 2018.
“Sisiguruhin ng batas na ito na ang agricultural lands ay hindi mako-convert sa ibang pagga-gamitan (This law will ensure agricultural lands are not converted for other uses),” added Domagoso.