Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._2703__

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE RIGHT OF THE GOVERNMENT TO
EXPROPRIATE LANDS FOR SOCIALIZED HOUSING, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE SECTIONS 9, 10, AND 11 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7279, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE "URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING ACT OF 1992"

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill serves to make modifications to Sections 9-11 of the Urban
Development and Housing Act of 1992 in order to reinforce the government's right to
use lands for establishing socialized housing.

Due to the geographical location of the Philippines, many areas are prone to
natural disasters ranging from typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. This,
alongside the rising poverty rate, raises the importance of providing affordable shelters
in accessible locations.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Rep. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative/Tingog Sinirangan

Rep. JUDE/A. ACIDRE
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _ 2703

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE RIGHT OF THE GOVERNMENT TO
EXPROPRIATE LANDS FOR SOCIALIZED HOUSING, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE SECTIONS 9, 10, AND 11 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7279, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE "URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING ACT OF 1992"

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Section 1. Sections 9, 10, and 11 of Republic Act No. 7279 are hereby
amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 9. [Priorities in the] Acquisition of Land FOR SOCIALIZED
HOUSING, — {Lands for socialized housing shall be acquired in the following
order] THE FOLLOWING LANDS MAY BE ACQUIRED FOR SOCIALIZED
HOUSING:

“(a) Those owned by the Government or any of its subdivisions,
instrumentalities, or agencies, including government-owned or -controlled
corporations and their subsidiaries;

“(b) Alienable lands of the public domain;

“(c) Unregistered or abandoned and idle lands;

"(d) Those within the declared Areas for Priority Development, Zonal
Improvement Program sites, and Slum Improvement and Resettlement
Program sites which have not yet been acquired;


"(e) Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services or BLISS sites
which have not yet been acquired; and

“(f) Privately-owned lands.

“[Where on-site development is found more practicable and
advantageous to the beneficiaries, the priorities mentioned in this section shall
not apply. The local government units shall give budgetary priority to on-site
development of government lands.]

"THE POWER TO IDENTIFY AND TO PRIORITIZE THE PARTICULAR
AREA TO BE ACQUIRED SHALL BE WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
UNIT OR THE PROPER AGENCY ACQUIRING LAND FOR SOCIALIZED
HOUSING. FOR THIS PURPOSE, THE ENUMERATION IN THIS SECTION
SHALL NOT, IN ANY WAY, BE INTERPRETED AS SETTING AN ORDER OF
PRIORITY."

"SEC. 10. Modes of Land Acquisition. The modes of acquiring lands for
Purposes of this Act shall include, among others, community mortgage, land
swapping, land assembly or consolidation, land banking, donation to the
Government, joint-venture agreement, negotiated purchase, and expropriation:
Provided, [however, That expropriation shall be resorted to only when other
modes of acquisition have been exhausted: Provided, further] That where
expropriation is resorted to, parcels of land owned by small property owners
shall be exempted for purposes of this Act: Provided, [finally] FURTHER, That
abandoned property, as herein defined, shall be reverted and escheated to the
State in a proceeding analogous to the procedure laid down in Rule 91 of the
Rules of Court.

“For the purpose of socialized housing, government-owned and
foreclosed properties shall be acquired by the local government units, or by the
National Housing Authority primarily through negotiated purchase: Provided,
That qualified beneficiaries who are actual occupants of the land shall be given
the right of first refusal.”

"SEC. 11. Expropriation of Idle Lands. All idle lands in urban and
urbanizable areas, as defined and identified in accordance with this Act, shall
be expropriated and shall form part of the public domain. These lands shall be


disposed of or utilized by the Government for such purposes that conform with
their land use plans. Expropriation proceedings shall be instituted if, after the
lapse of one (1) year following receipt of notice of acquisition, the owner fails to
introduce improvements as defined in Section 3(1) hereof, except in the case
of force majeure and other fortuitous events. Exempted from this provision,
however, are residential lands owned by small property owners [or those the
‘ownership of which is subject of a pending litigation]."

Section 2. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this
Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 3. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after

its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,