As the country seeks to strengthen its connectivity with global partners in a post-pandemic world, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. cited the urgency of enacting a National Land Use Policy for the country, a priority legislative agenda of his administration.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (Yummie Dingding/PPA Pool)

Marcos said this as he led the grand launching of Pier 88, Cebu’s first smart port, in Liloan on Saturday, May 27.

In his speech, the President thanked the House of Representatives for passing their version of the bill on the third and final reading this week, noting how plans to have a National Land Use Act during his time in the Senate did not materialize for reasons beyond their control.

"This time, we will see to it that this measure shall be given the urgent attention that it deserves, cognizant of its fundamental importance to our holistic national development," he said.

"It is terribly important. I have been following this from the time that I was governor to the time that I was congressman until the time I was senator, and I continue to do so now as President," he added.

Through a national physical framework plan, Marcos said all mandates and policies on land use shall be integrated— including watersheds, farmlands, cultural heritage sites, ancestral domains, and protected disaster-prone areas.

"Local governments must ensure that their respective physical and land use plans shall conform to and shall be consistent with the national plan. Hence, the whole-of-government approach," he said.

Moreover, President Marcos said national and local governments will tap the budding profession of environmental planners for its technical expertise in crafting accurate and well-aligned physical and land use plans.

The House of Representatives approved on the third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 8162, or the proposed National Land Use Act (NLUA), via 262-3-0 (yes-no-abstain) vote during the plenary session on May 22.

HB No. 8162 creates the National Land Use Commission (NLUC) under the Office of the President (OP). It shall exercise the powers and responsibilities of the current National Land Use Committee, which would be abolished.

Among the powers and functions of the Commission is to advise the President on all matters concerning land use and physical planning and develop a rational, cohesive, and comprehensive national land use framework.