House of Representatives (PPAB)




Another priority measure of the President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has moved forward in the House of Representatives. This, after the House Committee on Land Use approved in a hearing on Thursday, April 27 the substitute bill on the proposed national land use policy seeking to protect irrigated and irrigable lands from conversion. During the hearing, the technical working group (TWG) headed by Nueva Ecija 3rd district Rep. Ria Vergara presented to the mother committee the substitute bill to House Bill (HB) Nos.420, 870, 1621, 2299, 2383, 2878, 3007, 3611, 3956, 4081, 4163, 4291, 4884, 5149, 6055, 6275, 7092, and 7652, or the proposed National Land Use Act. The proposed law was identified last year by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) as one of the priority measures of the Marcos administration. Vergara, a vice chairperson of the committee, said the consolidated and as yet unnumbered bill seeks to impose an idle land tax on any person or entity who shall cause any irrigated land within the protected areas for agricultural development to lie idle and unproductive for more than one year. The idle land tax will be equivalent to 5 percent of the value of the agricultural land based on the real property tax declaration. The bill likewise seeks to penalize a landowner and designated developer who, without justifiable cause, fails to commence or complete the development of agricultural lands with approved order of conversion. Individuals initiating, causing, inducing, or abetting illegal conversion will be meted with imprisonment of seven to 12 years and at least a P100,000 fine, the bill said. If the violator is a government official or employee he/she will be dismissed from the service and his/her benefits and entitlements will be forfeited. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is tasked to penalize local government units (LGUs) that fail to formulate and implement their Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs). In the interest of food security, the measure seeks to protect from conversion: 1) prime agricultural lands as defined in the bill; 2) all irrigated and irrigable lands; 3) all lands developed or suitable for high-value crops; and 4) all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile and whose conversion will lead to serious environmental problems. The unnumbered bill also creates the National Land Use Commission (NLUC) under the Office of the President. It will take over the powers and responsibilities of the National Land Use Committee. To be headed by a commissioner, the NLUC shall act as the highest policy-making body on land use and resolve land use policy conflicts between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government. The measure is expected to be taken up in plenary once sessions resume on May 8.