TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 678 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA,  
BRYAN B. REVILLA and RAMON JOLO B. REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE 
NATIONAL LAND USE COMMISSION, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Under the Regalian doctrine, all lands and all other natural resources belong to the state. 
This principle is articulated in Section 2, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution which provides: 
"Sec. 2. All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, 
all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other 
natural resources are owned by the State. With the exception of agricultural lands, all other 
natural resources shall not be alienated." 
The proposed National Land Use Act (NLUA) proposes a State action to declare a national 
public policy framework plan that would define policies guiding utilization versus preservation, 
and indicative uses of land and its resources, from the National government down to the local 
government units (LGU). There should be orderly allocation of land and its natural use, be it for 
agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial or mixed use. 
As a consequence of heavy industrialization and uncontrolled urbanization around the 
world, the globe has become warmer, oceans are overfished, forests denuded, and the Philippines 
today is on the hottest spot of the globe. 
Thus, the Philippines is more prone to natural disasters, particularly typhoons, floods, 
landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis, lying as it does astride the typhoon 
belt, in the active volcanic region known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire," and in the geologically 
unstable region between the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Philippines also suffers 
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major human-caused environmental degradation aggravated by a high annual population growth 
rate, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, 
improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse of 
coastal resources, and overfishing. 
Climate change is an urgent and serious calamity faced by the nations today. C.J. Puno 
states: "Climate change represents the most serious, most pervasive environmental threat that the 
world faces. The issues are not merely scientific; climate change spans political, social, and 
economic dimensions; crosses national boundaries and reaches beyond the present degeneration. 
It will aggravate the complex problems of development that we struggle with today like poverty, 
food, security, and water availability that threaten to ignite large-scale political and social 
upheavals." [“Redefining Humanity: Seeking Environmental Justice in a World Without 
Restraint”, Chief Justice Puno] 
Thus, this bill proposes to come up with an overall framework for rational allocation, 
disposition, sustainable use and management of land resources, and to prevent the premature 
conversion of inalienable lands and of agricultural lands to other uses. 
The proposed measure is also aligned with our commitment to the 17 Sustainable 
Development Goals, particularly SDG 11, on making cities and human settlements inclusive, 
safe, resilient and sustainable; SDG 13 on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its 
impacts; and SDG 15 on protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial 
ecosystems, sustainably managing forests, combating desertification, and halting and reversing 
land degradation and halting biodiversity loss. 
With this measure, Comprehensive Land Use Plans will be formulated following a 
combined bottom-up and top-down approach, and a Land Use Policy Council (LUPC) will be 
created under the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev).  The Council 
is responsible, among others, for preparing, periodically reviewing, and updating the national 
framework for physical planning which shall provide the general long-term framework for the 
spatial development directions and policy guidelines on settlement development, production land 
use, protection land use and infrastructure development for the entire country and sub-national 
levels. 
The National Land Use Act is also identified as legislative agenda of the updated Philippine 
Development Plan 2017-2022, as it is an essential part of three major thrusts: a) Building safe, 
resilient and sustainable communities; b) Ensuring ecological integrity, clean and health 
environment; and c) Expanding economic opportunities In agriculture, forestry, and fisheries and 
ensuring food security. 
With a total land area of about 298,170 km2 (29,817,000 hectares), and a total forest cover 
of 7,226,394 hectares as of 2020, the Philippines has a rich bank of natural resources which 
should be managed properly as an instrument of economic development, with due regard to 
environmental sustainability and the realities of climate change.  If we hope to conserve our 
forest cover and inalienable natural resources, if we are to preserve our agricultural lands for self-
2


sufficiency in food production, and if we are to prepare our land to the devastating effects of 
global warming and climate change, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
This measure was already approved on Third and Final Reading by both houses during the 
Nineteenth Congress.  
REP. LANI MERCADO - REVILLA , MSLG, DM (hc) 
Representative 
2nd District of Cavite  
REP. BRYAN B. REVILLA 
 REP. RAMON JOLO REVILLA III 
Representative 
Representative 
  AGIMAT Partylist 
1st District of Cavite 
3


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 678 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA,  
BRYAN B. REVILLA and RAMON JOLO B. REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE 
NATIONAL LAND USE COMMISSION, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
 
CHAPTER I 
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “National Land Use Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. – All lands of the public domain, waters, 
minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, 
forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the 
State. With the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall not be 
alienated. 
Pursuant to the constitutional provision or mandate, it is the policy of the State  to 
provide  for  a  rational,  holistic,  and  just  allocation,  utilization, management, and 
development of the country’s land to ensure their optimum use to promote sustainable 
socio-economic development and ecological protection. 
The State recognizes the need for rational, optimal and sustainable settlements 
development, consistent  with the  principles  of  environmental management and 
equitable access to land and security. 
Toward this end, the State institutionalizes land use and physical planning as mechanisms 
for identifying, determining, and evaluating appropriate land use and allocation patterns 
4


that promote and ensure: 
 
(a) Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources; 
 
(b) Maintenance  and  preservation  of  environmental  integrity  and. stability 
specifically the 
perpetual 
protection 
of 
permanent 
forests a
n
d 
watershed and ecosystem services for the attainment of food, water and energy 
sufficiency; 
 
(c) Disaster risk-reduction and climate change resiliency; 
 
(d) Protection of prime agricultural lands for food security in basic 
commodities with emphasis on self-sufficiency in rice and corn; 
 
 
(e) Water security through sustainable development and management of water  
 
 
 
resources towards water security; 
 (f) Provision of adequate and efficient settlements, transportation and  
infrastructure development in support of urban, peri-urban, and rural linkages 
towards regional development and inclusive growth; 
  (g) Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino 
within the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social justice, and 
equity; 
 
 
 (h) Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights of the 
Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) to their ancestral 
domains to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being as well as 
recognition of the applicability of customary laws and sustainable traditional 
resource use and management, knowledge, and practices in ancestral domains in 
compliance with free and prior informed consent of ICC/IPs; 
(i) Protection of the rights of basic sectors to equitable access to the country’s 
land; 
 
 
(j) Protection, preservation, and 
development of 
the 
country’s historical, 
cultural, archaeological, and built heritage resources for the deeper understanding 
of our history and culture as a people; 
 
(k) Attainment of energy security and self-sufficiency; 
 
(l) A whole-of-society and whole-of-government orientation, through which thrusts 
and  
strategies espoused by different actors and sectors are heard and brought 
together to achieve complex and interrelated goals, is encouraged and adopted as 
a basic parameter in achieving efficiency in land use and allocation, within the 
framework of ecological development and equity; 
 
 (m) Promotion of the integrated approach to land use and urban transport 
planning to effectively manage growth in urban areas and ensure that the capacity 
of transport facilities can accommodate the demand for movement of passengers 
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and goods to, from, and within the centers of socioeconomic activities; 
 
 (n) Vertical and horizontal linkages or spatial strategies and the potential for 
co- management and inter-locality cooperation across territorial jurisdictions and 
government levels, highlighting the imperative for a ridge-to- reef and ecosystem-
based approach to land and water resource management and governance; and 
 
 (o) Data and evidence-informed management and governance of land and water 
resources, in line with the place-based aspirations and shared values of the 
community. 
It is also the policy of the State to ensure that local government units (LGUs) 
share with the national government the responsibility of managing and maintaining 
ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction as stated in the 1987 
Constitution and Republic Act RA 7160, as amended, also known as the “Local 
Government Code of 1991”. Guided by the principle that the use of land bears a 
social function and that all economic agents contribute to the common good, 
landowners, land tenure holders, in the case of forestlands, be it an individual, 
communal, corporate or group, is held responsible for developing and conserving 
their lands,  thereby making their lands productive and supportive of environmental 
stability. 
SEC. 3. Scope. – This Act applies to all lands and natural resources in the country, whether 
public, private, government-owned or in the possession of any person, whether natural 
or juridical, and serves as guide for the rational, holistic and just allocation, 
utilization, development and management of the land and water resources in the 
country, including such activities that bear impact on those resources. 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
(a) Agricultural land refers to land of public domain which has been classified as such 
and is devoted to agricultural activity as defined under RA 6657, as amended, 
otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988,” and not 
further classified for residential, commercial or industrial use and such other uses as 
may be provided by law; 
(b) Agricultural land use conversion refers to the act or process of changing the 
current physical use of a piece of agricultural land into some other use not comprising 
an agricultural activity as defined under RA 6657, as approved exclusively by the 
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in an order of conversion; 
(c) Alienable and Disposable (A&D) lands refer to lands of the public domain which 
have been delineated, classified, and certified as open and available for disposition 
under existing laws; 
(d) Ancestral  domains  refer  to  all  areas  generally  belonging  to indigenous cultural 
communities or indigenous peoples as defined in RA 8371, otherwise known as “The 
6


Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997;” 
(e) Archaeological site refers to any place, whether above or underground, underwater or at 
sea level, containing fossils, artifacts and other cultural, geological, botanical, 
zoological materials which depict and document culturally relevant paleontological, 
prehistoric or historic events; 
(f) Basic sector refers to a group of people not referring to any organized groups, 
such as but not limited to women, youth, elderly, differently-abled, peasants and 
fisherfolk; 
(g) Coastal area or zone refers to a band of dry land and the adjacent ocean space, water 
and submerged land, in which terrestrial processes and uses directly affect oceanic 
processes and uses and viceversa, the geographic extent of which includes areas within 
a landward limit of one (1) kilometer from the shoreline at high tide to include 
mangrove swamps, brackish water ponds, nipa swamps, estuarine rivers, sandy beaches 
and other areas within a seaward limit of two hundred (200) meters isobaths to include 
coral reefs, algal flats, seagrass beds, and other soft-bottom areas 
(h) 
Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) refers to a plan embodying a set of policies 
accompanied by maps and similar illustrations that serves as a policy guide for 
determining the future use of lands and natural resources within the territorial 
jurisdiction of the LGU, including municipal waters with due consideration to the 
biogeographic region within which the locality belongs, representing the community 
desired pattern of population distribution and proposes future allocation of land and 
resources to various activities including the processes and criteria employed in such 
determination of allocation of land and resources for a long-term management of the 
local territory covering a minimum period of twelve (12) years, reviewable not 
earlier than every six (6) years; 
(i) 
Comprehensive land use planning refers to the act of defining the allocation, 
utilization, development and management of all lands and water resources within a 
given territory or jurisdiction according to the inherent characteristic and carrying 
capacities of the land itself and supportive of sustainable economic, 
demographic, 
socio-cultural 
and environmental objectives as an aid to decision-making and 
legislation; 
(j) 
Critical habitats refer to areas outside protected areas as defined in RA 7586, 
otherwise known as the “National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992”, 
that are known habitats of threatened species and designated as such based on 
scientific data taking into consideration species endemicity or richness, presence of 
human-made pressures or threats to the survival of wildlife living in the area; 
(k) 
Critical watershed refers to a drainage area of a river system supporting 
existing and proposed hydroelectric power, irrigation works or existing water 
7


facilities needing immediate protection and rehabilitation to minimize erosion and 
improve water yield; 
(l) 
Cultural heritage refers to the totality of cultural properties, whether natural 
or human made, preserved and developed through time and passed on for posterity; 
(m) Cultural property refers to all products of human creativity by which a people 
and a nation reveal their identity, including churches, mosques and other places of 
religious worship, schools and natural history specimens and sites, whether public or 
privately-owned, movable or immovable, and tangible or intangible; 
(n) Customary laws refer to a body of written or unwritten rules, usages, customs and 
practices traditionally and continually recognized, accepted, and observed by respective 
ICCs/IPs, consistent with RA 8371; 
(o) Development plan refers to the activities and measures that the national 
government or LGUs intend to implement over a specified period of time to achieve 
the defined set of development goals identified in the national or local physical 
framework plans integrating socio-economic, financial, fiscal, legal and legislative 
institutional and sectoral plans of the national government or any of its 
instrumentalities or a particular LGU, consistent with the objectives identified in spatial 
plans, such as land use plans or physical framework plans including an analysis of 
problems and resources, definition of goals and objectives, policy guidelines, 
programs and projects, and an implementation mechanism which defines the roles 
and contributions expected from the government and the private sector; 
(p) Ecologically fragile areas refer to areas within critical watersheds, brackish and 
freshwater wetlands, pasture lands, inland rivers and waterways, coastal  and 
settlement  areas, and  croplands  which  require  rehabilitation, protection and whose 
continued unsustainable use may result in physical risks and threats to life and 
property, public health and safety as well as adversely affect the productivity of 
lowland agricultural areas and stability of the upland system; 
(q) Ecotourism refers to a form of sustainable tourism within a natural or cultural heritage 
area where community participation, protection and management of natural 
resources, culture and indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education 
and ethics, as well as economic benefits are fostered and pursued for the enrichment of 
host community and satisfaction of visitors; 
(r) Energy resources refer to surface or subsurface substances that serve as energy 
resources including traditionally mineral fuel deposits such as coal petroleum, natural 
gas or renewable resources from geothermal, hydro reservoirs or non-conventional 
sources such as ocean waves, solar, wind, biomass, and other similar resources which 
serve the same purpose; 
8


(s) Energy resource lands refer to lands where naturally occurring or indigenous energy 
resources exist in sufficient quantity or quality as to be economically viable for 
exploration, development production, utilization and distribution purposes; 
(t) Exhausted mineral resources refer to specific sites where the mineral resources 
are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure for 
extraction or utilization as determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and 
approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); 
(u) Flood plain refers to relatively smooth valley floors adjacent to and formed by rivers 
which overflow its banks at flood stages. The plain usually consist of unconsolidated 
fine sediments such as sand, silt, and clay; 
(v) Flood-prone areas refer to low lying areas usually adjacent to large or active water
bodies and which therefore experience regular or seasonal inundation as a result of 
changes in the mean water level of these bodies or because of land reclamation and 
other artificial interference with the natural processes; 
(w) Foreshore land refers to a string of land margining a body of water, the part of a 
seashore between the low-water line usually at the seaward margin of a low tide 
terrace and the upper limit of wave wash at high tide marked by a beach scarp or 
berm; 
(x) Forest refers to an ecosystem or an assemblage of ecosystems dominated by trees 
and other woody vegetation or a community of plants and animals interacting with 
one another and its physical environment; 
(y) Forest lands refer to one of the four classifications of land defined in the Constitution 
under the public domain determined as suitable for forest purposes and not classified 
as mineral land, national park or agricultural land such as all permanent forest 
reserves, forest reservations, and all the remaining unclassified lands of the public 
domain; 
(z) Geo-hazards refer to a geological process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, 
injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services,
social and economic disruption or environmental damage. This includes internal
earth processes such  as earthquakes and volcanic activities, and geophysical 
processes like mass movements landslides, surface collapses, debris and mud flow; 
(aa) Geo-hazard prone areas refer to areas frequently affected and/or are vulnerable or 
at risk to weather/climatic, hydrologic, geologic and other natural calamities; 
(bb) Heritage zone refer to historical, anthropological, archaeological, artistic 
geographical areas and settings that are culturally significant to the country, as 
declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and/or the 
9


National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP); 
(cc) Illegal conversion refers to an attempt to or an actual change in the use of land from 
agricultural to a residential, commercial, or industrial and other non-agricultural activity, 
without a conversion grant or clearance based on the requirements under Section 65 
of RA 6657, as amended, and to dispossess a tenant as provided under Section 73 
(c) of RA 6657, as amended, when established from the following instances: 
 
(1) an agricultural land is developed for use in non-agricultural activities without a 
DAR Conversion Order; 
 
(2) the agricultural land being converted is irrigated or irrigable; 
 
(3) there is land activity such as, but not limited to, earth filling/dumping, earth 
moving/digging, and quarrying, and in each case, bona fide conduct of agricultural 
activities on a greater portion of the land developed has ceased; and 
 
(4) Other analogous activities. 
(dd) Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPPs) refer to groups of 
people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, 
who have continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and 
defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, 
occupied, possessed, and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of 
language, customs, traditions, and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have, 
through resistance to political, social, and cultural inroads of colonization, non-
indigenous religions and cultures, became historically differentiated from the 
majority of Filipinos including peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account 
of their descent from the populations which inhabited the country at the time of 
conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and
cultures, or the establishment of present state boundaries, who retain some or all of 
their own social, economic, cultural, and political institutions, but who may have 
been displaced from their traditional domains, or who may have resettled outside 
their ancestral domains; 
(ee) Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) refer to the present most important sites for 
biodiversity conservation worldwide which are considered places of international 
importance for the conservation of biodiversity through protected areas and other 
governance mechanisms and which are identified nationally using simple standard 
criteria based on their importance in maintaining species populations; 
(ff) Land refers to resources, both artificial and natural, found on the surface, below, 
and above the ground, including inland waters and the air therein; 
(gg) Land use refers to the manner of allocation, utilization, management and development 
10


of land; 
(hh) Land use classification refers to the act of delineating or allocating lands 
according to protection land use, production land 
use, settlements development and 
infrastructure development as provided for in this Act; 
(ii) Land use planning refers to the rational and judicious approach of allocating available 
land resources to different land-using activities, such as but not limited to agricultural, 
residential, industrial, commercial, institutional, forest land uses, and for  different 
functions  consistent  with the  overall development vision/goal of a particular locality; 
(jj) Mandatory public hearings or consultations refer to the mechanism of involving the 
concerned stakeholders and communities in land use planning, from the barangay to 
the national level, to ensure the social acceptability of the plans including giving 
notice of hearing or consultation to the concerned stakeholders through publication 
or posting in conspicuous places, conducting a reasonable number of hearings, and 
soliciting positions to arrive at a consensus through public presentations and validation 
of the planning results undertaken before the final adoption of the plans; 
(kk) Marine  protected  area  refers  to  a  defined  area  of  the  sea established and set 
aside by law, administrative regulation or any other effective means to conserve and 
protect a part of the entire enclosed environment, through the establishment of 
management guidelines; 
(ll) Minerals refer to naturally occurring inorganic substance beneath or at the surface 
of the earth, whether or not under water, and includes all metallic minerals, and 
non-metallic minerals such as precious stones, industrial rocks, and building stones; 
(mm) Mineral lands refer to any area where mineral resources are found, including areas 
that are established as mineral reservations, areas with active mining operations; 
areas with projected mining tenurial rights; and areas declared by court decisions as 
mineral lands; 
(nn) Mineral reservations refer to areas established and proclaimed as such by the 
President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Director of the 
Mines and Geosciences Bureau through the DENR Secretary including all 
submerged lands within the contiguous zone and exclusive Economic Zone. 
(oo) National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) refers to the classification and 
administration of all designated protected areas to maintain essential ecological 
processes and life-support systems, to preserve genetic diversity, to ensure 
sustainable use of resources found therein, and to maintain their natural conditions to 
the greatest extent possible; 
(pp) National park refers to forest reservation, essentially of natural wilderness 
11


character, which has been withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or any form of 
exploitation, except in conformity with the approved management plan and set aside 
as such exclusively to conserve the area or preserve the scenery, natural and 
historic objects, wild animals and plants therein, and to provide enjoyment of these 
features in such areas including lands and waters of the public domain classified as 
such in the Constitution such as all areas under the NIPAS primarily designated for
the conservation of native plants and animals and associated habitats and cultural 
diversity; 
(qq) Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development 
(NPAAAD) 
refers to agricultural areas identified by the Department of 
Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management in 
coordination 
with the 
National Mapping and 
 Resource Information 
Authority (NAMRIA), in order to ensure the efficient utilization of land for agriculture 
and agro-industrial development and to promote sustainable growth, covering all 
irrigated areas, all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects, all 
alluvial plains, lands highly suitable for agriculture, whether irrigated or not, agro-
industrial croplands or lands planted with industrial crops that support the validity 
of existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises, highlands or areas 
located at an elevation of five hundred (500) meters or above and have the potential 
for growing semi- temperate and high value crops, all agricultural lands that are 
ecologically fragile, the conversion of which may result in serious environmental 
degradation, and all mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries; 
(rr) Physical  framework plans refer  to  the  national,  regional  or provincial indicative 
plans that outline the over-all and macro-level spatial and physical development 
objectives, priorities, directions and strategies in its respective levels as prepared, 
reviewed, integrated and finalized by the national, regional and provincial land use 
councils or boards respectively based on the CLUPs of the LGUs and the national 
policy guidelines relating to land use, infrastructure 
 development 
 and 
environmental management to 
 prevent or mitigate the adverse effects of 
inappropriate resource utilization on food security, the welfare of the people and their 
environment; 
(ss) Physical Planning is the process of organizing physical activities and land uses, 
including settlements, environmental protection, economic activities, and 
infrastructure to ensure sustainable, orderly, and optimal siting and coordination of 
land uses; 
(tt) Prime agricultural lands refer 
to all contiguous 
irrigated lands/areas and 
irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects, including all alluvial plain lands 
highly suitable for agriculture, not irrigated that have been identified to satisfy the 
need for food self-sufficiency and food security and agro-industrial croplands or 
lands presently planted to industrial and high value crops that support the viability of 
existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises, highlands or areas 
12


located at an elevation of five hundred (500) meters or above, highly suitable for 
growing semi-temperate and high value crops outside of declared permanent 
forestlands and protections forests,  and  are  not  located  in  ecologically  fragile 
and  environmentally critical areas; 
(uu) Production land use refers to the most efficient, sustainable, and equitable 
utilization, development and management of land for productive purposes which are 
not classified for protection land use; 
(vv) Protected areas refer to portions of land and water set aside by reason of their 
unique physical and biological diversity and protected against human exploitation 
including all natural forests and agricultural lands identified and delineated under this 
Act; 
(ww) Reclassification of agricultural lands refer to the act of specifying how agricultural 
lands are classified or used for non-agricultural uses such as residential, industrial or 
commercial purposes, as embodied in the land use plan subject to the requirements and 
procedure for reclassification undertaken by the LGU in accordance with Section 20 of 
RA 7160, as amended; 
(xx) Resettlement areas refer to areas identified by the appropriate national agency or 
by the LGU with respect to areas within its jurisdiction which are used for the 
relocation of the underprivileged and homeless, as defined under RA 7279, 
otherwise known as the “Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992;” 
(yy) Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones (SAFDZ) refers to the 
areas within the NPAAAD identified for production, agro-processing, and 
marketing activities to help develop and modernize, with the support of government, 
the agriculture and 
fisheries sectors in an environmentally and socio-culturally 
sound manner pursuant to Section 4 of RA 8435 or “Agriculture and Fisheries 
Modernization Act of 1997”; 
(zz) Settlements refer to communities or built-up environment areas where people 
prefer to live in; 
(aaa) Settlements development refers to any improvement on existing settlements or 
any proposed development of certain areas for settlement purposes involving the 
spatial distribution of population, identification of the roles and functions of key 
urban centers, determination of relationships among settlement areas, and the 
provision of basic services and facilities of identified major settlement areas of growth 
centers; 
(bbb) Shoreline refers to a strip of land covering of at least one (1) kilometer from 
the point where seawater reaches during the highest high tide; 
13


(ccc) State universities and colleges (SUCs) refer to public higher education 
institutions in the Philippines created and established by law which constitutes their 
charter and which have independent and separate governing boards; 
(ddd) SUC Land Use Plan refers to a campus master plan mandated under RA 
11396, otherwise known as the “SUCs Land Use Development and Infrastructure 
Plan Act” that contains the allocation and utilization of the land within a campus’ 
geographic boundary to meet the required academic and non-academic support 
services and facilities as well as the campus development programs and projects and 
the investment needed to implement them; 
(eee) Sustainable development refers to the development objective of meeting the 
needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations 
to meet their own needs consistent with the principles of social equity, efficiency 
and environmental integrity; 
(fff) Tourism development areas refer to specific sites for tourism development located 
in areas identified as priorities in the national and regional tourism master plans and 
those designated through legislative and executive issuances as tourist spots and
tourist zones which may be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, 
leisure, recreation complexes, and other tourism related facilities; 
(ggg) Tourism ecozone refers to tourism development areas, outside of protection lands 
which have been granted special economic zone status through the Philippine Export 
Zone Authority registration and issuance of the required Presidential Proclamation, 
with its metes and bounds, delineated by said proclamation, pursuant to RA 7916, 
as amended, otherwise known as “The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995”; 
(hhh) Tourism estates refer to large tracts of land with well-defined boundaries in
any area, excluding those protection lands, identified in the Philippine tourism 
master plan and regional tourism by proclamation of the President of the 
Philippines or by acts of Congress or by local legislation and declared suited for the 
development of an integrated tourism and resort complex with prescribed carrying 
capacities and limits for its facilities and activities; 
(iii) Tourist spot refers to a particular area, site or spot, man-made or natural, known for 
its unique tourist or visitor-drawing attributes and activities and which may be 
classified according to its social, cultural, natural, historical, aesthetic, visual, scientific, 
religious, or recreational significance; 
(jjj) Tourist zone refers to a geographic area with well-defined boundaries proclaimed as 
such by the President of the Philippines or by acts of Congress where development 
projects for any  purpose are initiated and introduced prior to formulation of a 
tourism master development plan which are undertaken in coordination with the 
Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone 
14


(TIEZA) for the enhancement or the conservation of cultural and historical heritage, 
and for the appreciation and enjoyment of the local population and its visitors; 
(kkk) Transmission line corridor refers to the land beneath, the air spaces surrounding, 
and the area traversed by electric power transmission lines including its horizontal, 
vertical, and similar clearance requirements; 
(lll) Urban areas refer to all cities regardless of their population density and to 
municipalities with a population density of at least five hundred (500) persons per 
square kilometer; 
(mmm) Urbanizable areas refer to sites and lands which, considering present 
characteristics and prevailing conditions, display great potential of becoming urban 
areas within a period of five (5) years; 
(nnn) Urban forest or green space refers to the establishment or setting up of areas for 
mini-forest, eco-parks or small nature parks, in both public and private lands, 
wetlands, man-made lagoons and lakes systems, riverbanks and shores, grasslands, 
roof and rock gardens, lining roads and highways with trees, shrubs, or ornamental 
plants, and ground landscaping of schools, hospitals, and other government agencies in 
order to improve the environment in urban areas; 
(ooo) Water security refers to the sufficient access throughout the year to the minimum 
daily requirement of clean water to maintain a healthy life; 
(ppp) Water use refers to the appropriation of water for domestic, municipal, 
irrigation, power generation, inland fisheries, poultry and livestock, industrial and 
commercial, environmental, and recreational use; 
(qqq) Watershed refers to a topographically delineated area of land from which rainwater 
can drain as surface run-off vis-a-vis a specific stream or river system to a common 
outlet point which may be a dam, irrigation system or urban water supply take off 
point, or where the stream discharges into a river, lake, or the sea; 
(rrr) Zoning refers to the regulatory tool for delineating the specific land uses in 
accordance with the approved CLUP within the territorial jurisdiction of a city or 
municipality and specifying the conditions for their regulation, subject to the 
limitations imposed by law and competent authority; and 
(sss) Zoning ordinance refers to a local law passed by the Sangguniang Bayan or 
Panlungsod approving the development control or zoning plan in accordance with 
an approved or adopted CLUP of the city or municipality, providing for the 
regulations and other conditions on the land uses, including the limitation on the 
infrastructure that may be placed within the territorial jurisdiction of the city or 
municipality, incorporating the protected areas, protected agricultural lands and 
15


ancestral lands as provided for in this Act. 
CHAPTER II 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLAN 
SEC. 5. National Physical Framework Plan. – The National Land Use Commission (NLUC) 
created under Section 18 herein shall draft the National Physical Framework Plan 
(NPFP), which shall have a timeframe of thirty (30) years, with regular review and 
updating every ten (10) years. The NPFP, which guides the planning and management 
of the country's land and other physical resources at the national and sub-national 
levels, shall indicate broad spatial directions and policy guidelines on settlements 
development, production land use, protection land use, social services and utilities, 
transmission line corridor, and transportation and communication. 
 
The Regional Physical Framework Plans (RPFPs), Provincial Physical 
Framework and Development Plans (PPFDPs), and CLUPs shall cover the physical 
development of their respective territories and shall be consistent with the NPFP: 
Provided, That the integration and harmonization of the physical framework plans at 
all levels shall be iterative to ensure that the concerns of both top and bottom levels of 
government are considered. The physical and land use plans prepared at all levels shall 
have internal consistency specifically on, but 
not limited to, the development, 
management and conservation of forestlands, watersheds, and all terrestrial, aquatic, and 
marine ecosystems found within a given territory and the linkages of the major land use 
categories to ensure their complementation in the utilization, development, management, 
protection and conservation of all natural resources. The NLUC shall issue procedural 
guidelines which shall guide the formulation and integration or harmonization of 
land use plans at all levels: Provided, That the National Economic Development 
Authority (NEDA), DENR, Department of Human Settlements and Urban 
Development (DHSUD), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and 
other agencies will continue to issue specific guidelines on the planning process and 
content of the plans consistent with the NLUC guidelines and their respective agency 
mandates. 
SEC. 6. Regional Physical Framework Plans. – In consultation with concerned sectors, the 
Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC) shall define the desired spatial arrangement 
of land and land-use activities in the entire  region, based on the consolidated and 
harmonized PPFDPs of provinces and independent cities within the territorial 
jurisdiction of the region. The RPFP, which depicts an end-state scenario toward 
which efforts and activities are directed, shall consist of spatially-based and area-
focused policies, consistent with those in the national framework for physical 
planning, to guide detailed physical, socio-economic, sectoral and investment 
planning. The RPFP shall have a planning period of twelve (12) years to be updated 
every six (6) years or when deemed necessary. 
16


SEC. 7. Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plans. – In consultation with 
concerned sectors, the Provincial Planning and Development Office 
(PPDO) shall 
prepare 
 a Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plans (PPFDP), which 
shall define the province's development vision, economic and social development 
policies, environmental and ecological protection policies, general land uses, and inter-
city/municipal transportation system. The PPFDP shall integrate and harmonize the 
land use plans of component cities and municipalities using the ridge-to-reef (R2R) or 
watershed ecosystem management (WEM) approach taking into consideration shared 
watersheds, ecosystems and natural resources and planning concerns, and define the uses 
of land and other resources within the province consistent with the policies in the 
regional physical framework plan. The programs, projects and activities prescribed in 
the PPFDP shall be integrated into the provincial development investment program. 
The PPDO shall submit the PPFDP to the Provincial Land Use Policy Council 
(PLUPC), created under Section 24 of this Act, for review and endorsement to the 
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, which shall adopt the same pursuant to Section 468 (2) (vii) 
of RA 7160. The PPFDP shall have a planning period of twelve (12) years to be updated 
every six (6) years or when deemed necessary. 
SEC. 8. City/Municipal Land Use Plans. – The City/Municipal Planning and Development 
Office (C/MPDO) shall prepare the comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) to determine 
the specific uses of land and other physical resources therein including areas co-
managed with the national government and, as appropriate, the ancestral domain 
areas. This shall be done in consultation with concerned sectors through mandatory 
conduct of public hearings and with the use of technology-based systems such as, but 
not limited to, the Community- Based Monitoring System (CBMS) required to be 
established in every city and municipality under RA 11315 or the “Community-Based 
Monitoring System Act”. The CLUP shall be consistent with the R2R/WEM-based 
PPFDP and shall define the city or municipal development vision, appropriate 
economic, environmental and social development policies, densities and 
transportation system using the R2R/WEM approach. The CLUP shall have a planning 
period of twelve (12) years to be updated every six (6) years or when deemed 
necessary. The C/MPDO shall also use, among others, the CBMS in the updating 
of the CLUPs. 
The R2R/WEM-based CLUP will be used as the common reference framework for 
the preparation of all sectoral development plans that will form part of the 
Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan which merges the traditionally separate 
CLUP and comprehensive development plan to address the disconnect between spatial 
development and sectoral programs and to ensure the complementation between the 
medium- and long-term concerns and shall be the basis of the formulation of the 
local development investment program. The CLUP shall be translated into a zoning 
ordinance by the concerned Sanggunian to regulate the uses of land, including the 
limitations on height, density and bulk of buildings and other infrastructure that may be 
placed thereon. 
17


SEC. 9.  Physical Framework and Land Use Planning Process. – The land use and physical 
planning process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down 
approach. The NLUC, in consultation with the concerned sectors through the 
mandatory conduct of public hearings, shall formulate, periodically update and ensure 
the implementation of the NPFP that shall prescribe and influence the country’s land use 
and physical development. 
The NPFP shall operationalize the policies provided in this Act and shall be the basis for 
adopting land use and physical planning-related guidelines and standards, including 
zoning and other land use control standards that shall guide the formulation of city/
municipal zoning ordinances. The policies prescribed in the NPFP shall be integrated 
into the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan and Medium-Term Philippine 
Investment Program. 
In the formulation of the respective National, Regional Provincial or City/Municipal 
Land Use Plans, the respective SUC Land Use Plans approved by the CHED prior to the 
approval of this Act shall be taken into consideration in the approval of the plans. As 
such, the President of the SUCs shall be consulted prior to the approval of the said 
plans. 
SEC. 10. Land Use Plans for Ancestral Domains. – Land use plans for ancestral domains 
shall be formulated by the ICCs/IPs themselves in accordance with their needs and 
traditional resource and management systems with the assistance of the NCIP, the 
LGUs and civil society organizations (CSOs)  concerned.  Such  plans  shall  be 
recognized  and  adopted  in  the City/Municipal, Provincial, Regional and National 
Physical Framework Plans. 
Physical Framework Plans made prior to the delineation of ancestral domains 
included in such plans shall, without prejudice to the rights of the ICCs/IPs 
concerned, adopt different land use categories in accordance with their particular needs 
and traditional resources and management systems. 
 
 
In cases where there are no ancestral domains sustainable development and  protection 
plans (ADSDPPs),  the  LGUs  and  ICCs/IPs  shall jointly formulate the land use 
within the ancestral domains until such time that the ICCS/IPS shall have formulated 
their ADSDPPs. 
SEC. 11. Revision of Existing Planning Guidelines. – The existing planning guidelines on 
the NPFP, RPFP and PPFDP shall be reviewed and revised pursuant to Sections 5, 6, 7, 
and 9 of this Act. 
18


CHAPTER III 
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING 
SEC.  12.  Basic Objective of Land  Use or 
Physical Framework Planning. – The primary 
objective of a physical framework plan is to describe existing land uses and to identify an 
integrated physical framework, including an 
overall vision, policies on social and 
economic development and environmental protection and supporting transportation and 
other infrastructure facilities, that 
shall define future development. Its output includes the 
identification of programs, projects and activities needed to achieve the desired 
development, without compromising environmental and ecological stability, and which 
shall serve as inputs to the investment program. In the case of the CLUP, it is also 
intended to provide specific development and building guidelines and parameters that be 
implemented through a zoning ordinance. 
SEC. 13. Priorities in Land Use Allocation and Planning. – Using the R2R/WEM approach in 
projecting spatial allocation for different land uses, the LGUs shall first exclude areas 
under protection land use in Section 17 (a) hereof, national parks, energy resource 
lands, and prime agricultural lands to ensure ecological integrity, energy supply, and 
promote food security. Areas with prior rights and those with site-specific resources for 
basic services, such as but not limited to, water and indigenous energy resources, shall 
also be excluded. All land use activities inside the excluded areas that are not consistent 
with the general purposes of the excluded areas shall be assessed, regulated, and/or 
modified to ensure that these activities do not compromise the general purposes of the
excluded areas. Spatial allocation and planning shall then proceed in accordance with 
Sections 16 and 17 hereof with priorities given to integrated watershed management 
areas, socialized housing sites, fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas, and waste disposal 
sites. 
SEC. 14. Approach to Land Use and Physical Framework Planning. – The R2R/WEM approach 
shall be used in land use and physical framework planning to promote a holistic, 
integrated, equitable and inclusive development, and a flourishing environment, 
watersheds and ecosystems. It shall include a description of existing land uses and land 
use trends, as well as the physical, demographic, economic, social, political, environmental, 
and ecological conditions that have shaped and are likely to shape future land use and 
physical developments. It shall then derive a land use plan or physical framework by 
matching, reconciling or integrating the demand for land with the supply of land in a holistic 
manner to optimize socioeconomic development and minimize the total impacts of the land 
use plan on watersheds and ecosystems. The resulting land use plan or physical framework 
shall be the basis for identifying necessary policies, programs, projects and activities, and 
development controls to guide future development. The land use plan or physical 
framework shall be holistic in nature and not emanate from specific individual or 
corporation which, in essence, constitutes as spot zoning. 
SEC. 15. Adoption of Multiple Uses of Land Resources. – The primary and alternative uses of 
a specific unit of land resource based on its capability to support certain uses sustainably 
19


shall be determined and evaluated prior to any decision for the assignment of its use. 
Areas feasible for sustainable land resource use may be considered multiple-use zones 
wherein settlements, tourism, agriculture, forestry, agro-forestry and extraction activities 
and other income-generating or livelihood activities may be allowed  by concerned 
agencies: Provided, That multiple uses of land resources shall be excluded in areas 
identified as protection land use: Provided, further, That such land uses shall maximize 
the socioeconomic benefits without compromising the desired levels of ecosystem 
services within a ridge to reef unit: Provided, finally, That such land uses shall be in 
accordance with priorities in land use allocation and planning and that no reclassification 
shall be allowed. 
SEC. 16. Basic Land Use Planning Considerations. – In determining the various land uses, the 
people and their productive activities and the need for functional open 
spaces a
n
d 
preservation areas as well as the various interrelationships of the physical characteristics of 
the land and other elements therein shall be considered, among others, including the 
following: 
 
(a) Availability of  natural  resources including indigenous energy resources for 
energy security and self-sufficiency; 
 
(b) Geology, geomorphology, current and emerging geologic climate- related 
hazards and risks, soil, vegetative cover, demography and slope; 
 
(c) Economic, environmental, cultural, social and related development activities; 
 
(d) Existing government policies on land and natural 
resources allocation, 
utilization, management and disposition; 
 
(e) Technological changes or advancement; 
 
(f) Existing customary rights for the protection of indigenous peoples and 
vulnerable groups including women, rural and urban poor; 
 
(g) Desired  levels  of  ecosystem  services  like  water  quality  and quantity, 
soil stability, biodiversity, agricultural and fishery productivity, among others; and 
 
(h) Inventory of prior and existing rights, to harmonize determination of land use. 
SEC. 17. Categories of Land Uses for Planning Purposes.  – In determining and defining 
the national, regional and provincial framework plans, and CLUPs, land uses shall be 
grouped into four major functional uses as follows: 
(a) Protection land use which include the use of land primarily for food, water and energy 
security, rehabilitation, conservation, and protection purposes to promote the country’s 
ecological and life-support systems. Planning for protection land use intends to achieve 
20


food self-sufficiency in rice and corn, water and energy security, environmental stability 
and ecological integrity, ensure a balance between resource use and the preservation of 
some areas with environmental, 
aesthetic, 
educational, cultural, 
heritage 
and 
historical significance, and protect people and human- made structures from the ill-
effects of natural hazards. All lands, either public or private, under protection land use shall 
be permanently conserved, preserved, rehabilitated and protected from all other land uses, 
disposition, intrusion, utilization and development that is not consistent with its existing 
uses. Areas under this category also include those covered by RA 7586, as amended by 
RA 11038 or the “Extended National Integrated Protected Areas Act of 2018”, and 
other coastal and marine protected areas, those areas outside NIPAS but nonetheless 
require protection because of their outstanding physical and aesthetic features, 
anthropological significance, and biological diversity, and those areas prone to natural 
hazards, such as but not limited to the following: 
 
(1) Natural forests and mossy areas with more than 50% in slope gradient; 
 
(2) Mangrove and fish sanctuaries, pursuant to RA 8435, and RA 8550, “The 
Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998”; or 
 
(3) Buffer zones or strips/easements, pursuant to Presidential Decree (PD) 389, 
otherwise known as the “Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines”, as amended 
by PD 705, or the “Revised Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines” and PD 
1067, or the “Water Code of the Philippines”; 
 
(4) Salvage zones along foreshore areas, freshwater swamps and marshes, plazas, 
archaeological, and heritage or historic sites, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 
No. (PP) 2146, 
series of 1981 entitled “Proclaiming Certain Areas and Types 
of Projects Environmentally Critical and within the Scope of Environmental 
Impact Statement System Established under Presidential Decree No. 1586”; 
 
(5) Watersheds supporting bulk or domestic water supply; 
 
(6) Utility easement like power lines of electric power generators, transmission and 
distributors, oil and gas facilities, cell sites, and bulk/domestic water lines; 
 
(7) Amenity areas or those with high aesthetic values, pursuant to PP 2146; 
 
(8) Natural and human-made areas/sites of cultural, historical and 
anthropological 
significance, which are declared as such by internationally 
recognized organizations and concerned national agencies; 
 
(9) Critical habitats as provided in RA 9147, otherwise known as the “Wildlife 
Resources Conservation and Protection Act”; 
 
(10) Significant caves under RA 9072, otherwise known as the “National Caves 
and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act”; or 
 
(11) Key biodiversity areas under Executive Order No. 578, series of 2006, 
entitled “Establishing the National Policy on Biodiversity, Prescribing its 
Implementation Throughout the Country, Particularly in the Sulu Sulawesi 
Marine Ecosystem and the Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor”.  Existing 
property and private rights shall be recognized and respected on the condition that 
these rights are harmonized with the intent of the identified protected land use. 
(b) Production Land Use  wherein there is a direct and indirect utilization of land resources 
21


for crop, fishery, livestock and poultry production, forestry, agroforestry, mining, 
industry, energy development, indigenous energy exploration and development, 
and tourism. Planning for  production land determines the most efficient, 
sustainable, and equitable manner of utilizing, developing and managing land for 
productive purposes. Areas included in this category are agricultural lands, 
fishing grounds, coastal and marine zones, production forest, which can be 
made available for timber and agroforestry production, rangelands for grazing, 
forest lands for special uses including for energy 
and 
reforestation 
projects, 
mineral 
lands or 
mining 
areas and reservations, 
energy resource lands, industrial development areas, and tourism development 
areas where productive activities may be undertaken to meet the country's 
requirements for food security, economic growth and development. 
(c) Settlements development wherein any improvement on existing settlements in urban and 
rural areas or any proposed development of certain areas for settlement 
purposes involves the spatial distribution of population, identification of the 
roles and functions of key urban centers, determination of relationships among 
settlement areas, and the provision of basic services and facilities to such 
settlement. The settlements development plan ensures for the present and  future 
generation the  following:  (1)  effective integration  of activities within and 
among settlements, allowing efficient movement of people and production of 
commodities through the provision of appropriate land, infrastructure, and 
facilities; (2) access of the population to housing, education, health care, 
recreation, transportation and communication, sanitation, and basic utilities such 
as water, power, waste disposal, and other services; and (3) security against 
risks associated with climate change and other natural hazards. 
(d) Infrastructure development includes the availability or supply of basic services and 
fostering of economic and other forms of integration necessary for producing 
or obtaining the material requirements of Filipinos, in an efficient, responsive, 
safe and ecologically friendly built environment. It covers sub-sectors of 
transportation, communications, energy, water resources, and social infrastructure: 
Provided, That the determination of functional uses of lands within ancestral 
domains 
shall consider 
traditional resource and management systems that 
do not endanger the lives of the people and property of the local community and 
neighboring areas or increase the vulnerability of the natural environment to the 
effects of natural and human-induced geological processes. 
CHAPTER IV 
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISM 
SEC. 18. Creation of the National Land Use Commission. – The National Land Use 
Commission (NLUC) is hereby created as a Commission under 
the 
Office of the 
President. It shall exercise the 
powers 
and responsibilities of the current 
22


National Land Use Committee, which is hereby abolished. The NLUC shall be chaired by 
a Commissioner to be appointed by the President. The Commissioner will have the rank of 
a Cabinet Secretary. The Commissioner shall be a qualified professional in any of the fields 
of land use, physical planning, environmental management, engineering, public governance 
or law. 
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. It
shall coordinate efforts towards the development of integrated land use plans at the 
national, regional, provincial, and municipal/city levels, and monitor the implementation 
of all land use plans including relevant policies. 
SEC. 19. Composition of the NLUC. – The NLUC will be composed of the following: 
(a) Commissioner of NLUC as Chairperson; 
(b) Secretary of NEDA as Vice-Chairperson; 
As Ex-Officio Members: 
(c) Secretary of DENR; 
(d) Secretary of DHSUD; 
(e) Secretary of DA; 
(f) Secretary of DAR; 
(g) Secretary of  Department  of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);  
(h) Secretary of DILG; 
(i) A Representative from the LGUs; 
(j) Chairperson of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP); and 
(k) Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. 
 
The Department Secretaries may designate a representative with a rank not lower 
than Assistant Secretary: Provided, That the designated representative shall be on a permanent 
basis. The representative from the LGUs shall come from the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and 
Municipalities. 
SEC. 20. Powers and Functions. – The NLUC shall have the following powers and functions: 
(a) Advise the President of the Philippines on all matters concerning land use and 
physical planning; 
(b) Integrate and harmonize all laws, guidelines and policies relevant to land use and 
physical planning to come up with a rational, cohesive, 
andcomprehensive national land use framework; 
(c) Formulate policies and endorse land use and physical planning-related policies that 
may be formulated by the RLUPC, created under Section 23 of this Act, 
and concerned agencies as well as promulgate zoning and other land use 
23


control standards and guidelines which shall guide the formulation of land 
use plans and zoning ordinances by local governments; 
(d) Prepare, periodically review and if necessary, update the national framework for 
physical planning to provide the general framework for the spatial 
development directions for the entire country and sub-national levels; 
(e) Review and endorse all land use and physical planning related guidelines; 
(f) Monitor and coordinate the gathering of data, the conduct of studies pertaining to 
land use planning including studies on the management of identified land 
uses and such other studies not undertaken by other government agencies; 
(g) Recommend to the President of the Philippines the adoption, passage, or 
amendment of laws to ensure that sectoral programs, plans, projects, and 
activities, including local government initiatives affecting land use are 
consistent with national development objectives; 
(h) Coordinate with and assist other government agencies and LGUs in planning, 
developing, and implementing their land use classification programs, and 
provide, to the extent possible, technical assistance and guidance; 
(i) Monitor and coordinate the activities of concerned agencies and entities  of  the  
government,  as  well  as  LGUs,  in  the  enforcement  and 
implementation of land use plans, policies and regulations relating to land 
use and resource management and development; 
(j) Monitor and coordinate activities in the establishment of a national land resource 
information and management system of concerned agencies that shall 
integrate and process information on land use and allocation generated by 
the various national government agencies; define information 
requirements at various levels; and standardize information inputs and 
outputs including scales and symbols used in territorial and sectoral maps; 
(k) Be the repository of all RPFPs, PPFDPs and CLUPs and all data and information 
pertaining to land and land use; 
(l) Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the government, 
and or private entities and organization for cooperation, support, and 
assistance in the performance of its functions; 
(m) Decide and resolve policy conflicts and territorial jurisdiction on land use between 
or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government and act on 
unresolved land use policy conflicts at the regional level elevated by the 
RLUPC; 
24


(n) Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of meetings and 
other business of the Council; and 
(o) Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers as may be 
necessarily implied, inherent, incident, or related to the foregoing. 
SEC. 21. National Land Use Office (NLUO). – The National Land Use Office (NLUO) is 
hereby created under the Office of the President, which will serve as technical secretariat 
to the NLUC. The NLUO shall be headed by the NLUC Commissioner with two (2) 
Deputy Commissioners with the rank of Undersecretary. 
The DHSUD – Environmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development 
Bureau (DHSUD-ELUPDB) shall be converted into a line bureau that shall serve as the 
NLUO. 
Further, the DHSUD-ELUPDB shall have service units for the planning and policy 
formulation, operations,  monitoring and 
information 
 systems management, 
technical assistance, legal, and special land use concerns. The staffing pattern of the 
NLUO shall be approved by the Department of Budget and Management. 
SEC. 22. Regional Land Use Office. – A Regional Land Use Office (RLUO) is hereby 
created in each Region. 
CHAPTER V 
REGIONAL AND LOCAL LAND USE POLICY BODIES 
SEC. 23. Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC). – At the regional level, the RLUPC shall 
be institutionalized, replicating the NLUC structure and composition with DHSUD 
representative as Chairperson, NEDA representative as Vice-Chairperson and with 
a duly authorized representative from the DENR, DA, DAR, DPWH, DILG, 
NCCA, and LGU as members. The RLUPC shall have the following functions: 
(a) 
Formulate and adopt regional policies on land use and physical planning; 
(b) 
Prepare and periodically update an RPFP taking into consideration national polices 
and lower-level plans; 
(c) 
Assist the provinces in preparing and periodically updating its physical 
framework plans to ensure consistency with the regional and national plans 
and policies and to facilitate its integration with the regional plans; 
(d) 
Review, prior to adoption by respective Sanggunians, the PPFDP, and CLUPs of 
highly urbanized and independent component cities, to ensure consistency 
with the RPFP and national policies set forth by the NLUC and 
compliance with limits 
prescribed under 
RA 
7160, as 
amended, 
for reclassifying agricultural lands; 
25


(e) 
Decide 
and resolve 
policy 
conflicts 
on land use planning, 
classification, and allocation that may arise between or among regional 
line agencies, provinces and cities or municipalities; 
(f) 
Monitor changes in land use and other physical resources in the region; 
(g) 
Evaluate consistency of major programs and projects with the regional 
physical framework plans and their impact on land use and the environment; 
(h) 
Undertake the gathering of regional data for the land resource information 
and management system; and 
(i) 
Perform other related functions as may be directed by the NLUC. 
SEC.  24.  Provincial  Land  Use  Policy Council.  –  The  Provincial Development Council, 
created under Section 106 of RA 7160, shall act as the PLUPC that will tackle 
land use concerns whenever  necessary. A duly authorized representative from 
the DENR, DHSUD, DAR, DA, DILG, and DPWH shall be included in the 
composition of the PLUPC. In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 
109 of RA 7160, the PLUPC shall: 
(a) 
Advise the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on all matters pertaining to land use and 
physical planning; 
(b) 
Review 
 and endorse to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for adoption, the 
provincial physical framework plans, prepared and periodically updated 
by the PPDO and other land use and physical planning-related policies; 
(c) 
Decide and 
resolve 
policy 
conflicts 
on land use planning, 
classification, and allocation that may arise between or among cities  
or municipalities and any unresolved land use conflicts at the city or 
municipal level. The PLUPC may call upon any local official concerned 
such as provincial planning and  development  coordinator,  provincial  
agriculturist,  provincial environment and natural resources officer, 
provincial engineer, provincial assessor, or any official of national agencies 
and other relevant agencies during discussions on land use and physical 
planning concerns; and 
(d) 
Assist the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in reviewing the CLUPs of component 
cities or municipalities to ensure consistency with the provincial physical 
framework plans and compliance with the limits prescribed under RA 
7160, as amended, for reclassifying agricultural lands. 
SEC. 25. City/Municipal Land Use Policy Council – The City/Municipal Development Council 
(C/MDC), created under Section 106 of RA 7160, shall act as the C/MLUPC that 
will tackle land use concerns whenever necessary. A duly authorized 
representative from the DHSUD, DAR, DA, DENR, DPWH and DILG shall be 
included in the composition of the C/MLUPC. In addition to the functions 
enumerated in Section 109 of RA 7160, the C/MLUP shall: 
(a) 
Advise the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Panlungsod on all matters 
pertaining to land use and physical planning; 
26


(b) 
Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Panlungsod for 
adoption, the CLUP prepared and periodically updated by the City/
Municipal Planning and Development Office and other land use and 
physical planning-related policies; 
(c) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts 
on land use planning, classification, and 
allocation that may arise between and among barangays and any unresolved 
land use conflict at the barangay level regarding the violation of zoning 
ordinances including opposition to applications for locational clearances, 
permits or certificates; and 
(d) 
Advise the local zoning board of appeals and adjustments on all issues and 
conflicts relating to zoning. 
For purposes of this Act, the City/Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (C/
MPDC) shall: (a) act on all applications for 
locational clearances for all projects except
those of vital and national economic or environmental significance; and (b) monitor on-
going/existing projects within their 
respective 
jurisdictions and 
issue notices o
f 
violation 
to 
owners, developers, or managers of projects that are violative of zoning 
ordinances. The C/MLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as C/MPDC, 
city/municipal agriculturist, city/municipal environment and natural resources officer, city/
municipal engineer, city/municipal assessor, or any official of national agencies during 
discussions on land use and physical planning concerns. LGUs without operational C/MPDC 
as mandated by RA 7160, as amended, shall activate their respective councils within six (6) 
months from the effectivity of this Act. 
CHAPTER VI 
ADOPTION, APPROVAL AND REVIEW OF LOCAL LAND USE 
AND PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK PLANS 
SEC. 26. Approval and Review of PPFDP and CLUPs. – The PPFDP, CLUPs  and  zoning 
ordinances (Zos) of the respective LGUs,  including provinces, highly urbanized cities 
and independent component cities, shall be submitted by the local land use committees to 
the local development councils for transmission to their respective local Sanggunian for 
approval. 
SEC. 27. Provinces and Independent and Highly Urbanized Cities. – Provinces and 
independent and highly urbanized cities shall have the power and authority to adopt and 
approve their respective CLUPs, zoning ordinances or provincial  physical  framework
plan,  as the  case  may  be,  through  their respective Sanggunian but subject to the 
review of the RLUPC as provided in Section 23 (d). 
27


CHAPTER VII 
MAPPING AND DATA MANAGEMENT FOR LAND USE PLANNING 
SEC. 28. National Base Mapping Program. – A national mapping program shall be 
implemented, coordinated, and monitored through the creation of an Inter-agency Technical 
Committee (ITC) composed of the NAMRIA, as the lead agency, BSWM, the Forest 
Management Bureau (FMB), the Land Management Bureau (LMB), the Biodiversity 
Management Bureau (BMB), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Philippine 
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), DAR, the National Water 
Resources Board (NWRB), Department of Energy (DOE), NEDA, Philippine Statistics 
Authority (PSA) , University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI), NCIP, and 
other concerned government agencies/bureaus. The ITC shall be constituted, and the 
mapping program shall be initiated, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this 
Act. The agencies mentioned in this Section shall finish their base mapping program within 
one (1) year upon the effectivity of this Act. 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, to be assisted by the 
appropriate agencies of the national government, shall likewise prepare their respective 
territorial maps using scales, symbols, and other indicators to be prescribed in accordance 
with this Act. The completed maps shall be integrated in the NPFP pursuant to Section 5 
of this Act. 
SEC. 29.  National Geospatial Information Program. – Within one (1) year upon the 
effectivity of this Act, the NAMRIA, in coordination with BSWM, FMB, LMB, BMB, 
MGB, PHIVOLCS, DAR, NWRB, NCIP, DOE, NEDA, PSA, UPRI, and other concerned 
government agencies or bureaus shall complete the updating of base maps including 
national disaster risk maps. These base maps and corresponding geospatial data shall be 
shared and disseminated to all agencies and LGUs to serve as reference in plan 
preparation and other planning activities. 
SEC. 30. National Hazard Mapping Program. – Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, a nationwide hazard mapping and probabilistic hazard risk assessment program 
shall be initiated jointly through the NLUC by the PHIVOLCS, the Philippine 
Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), 
NAMRIA, MGB, BSWM, DOE, and UPRI, in coordination with the 
National 
Disaster Risk Reduction 
and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Regional Disaster 
Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), 
NCIP, NCCA, 
and 
other 
concerned government agencies. The program shall include the generation of 
indicative hazard zoning maps that will outline areas in the Philippines which are prone to 
liquefaction, landslides, severe flooding, lahar, ground rupturing, tsunami, river erosion, 
coastal erosion, sinkhole collapse, earthquake, lava flow, pyroclastic flow, base surge, and 
other natural hazards. 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop a safe-built 
environment, the LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the generated hazard 
28


zoning maps in their respective CLUPs. Said hazard maps shall serve as guide for all the 
LGUs in the preparation of their own hazards-constrained development plans. The 
NPFP, pursuant to Section 5 hereof, shall incorporate these hazard maps. 
All infrastructure activities including real estates and subdivision projects and the 
development of tourist spots requiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) 
shall be required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard Assessment 
Report (EGGAR). 
SEC. 31. 
Basic and Applied Research for Science and Technology Development. –
Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, the Department 
of Science and 
Technology (DOST), in 
coordination with concerned agencies, academe, and 
research organizations, shall formulate a research agenda that will support physical 
framework and land use planning. 
SEC. 32. 
Scope and Nature of Responsibilities of Other National Government Agencies. 
– All concerned national government agencies shall periodically report to the NLUC on 
the various activities and accomplishments on land use, including their respective 
sectoral or development plans. The NLUC may call upon the agencies for technical and 
administrative support. 
SEC. 33. Monitoring of CLUP Implementation. – The DHSUD shall design and install an 
information system for monitoring the actual use of land resources, the reclassification of 
agricultural lands authorized by cities and municipalities, and the implementation of 
CLUPs of LGUs with a view to ensuring the compliance with national policies, 
standards and guidelines:  
Provided, That the system shall be developed in coordination with DA, DAR, DILG, DENR, 
DPWH, NEDA, league of provinces, league of cities, league of municipalities, other 
concerned national government agencies, academe, and research organizations . 
SEC. 34. Submission of Annual Report on the Implementation of CLUPs. – The C/MLUPC 
shall submit an annual report on the implementation of their land use plans to the 
PLUPC, which shall integrate the same for submission to the RLUPC, which shall in 
turn integrate the provincial reports for submission to the NLUC. 
CHAPTER VIII 
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN 
Article 1 
Forest Lands and Reservation of Watershed 
SEC. 35. Reversion of Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands. – Upon the 
29


recommendation of the Secretary of the DENR, duly reviewed and endorsed by the 
NLUC, and after due consultations with the concerned LGUs and affected parties, 
Congress may authorize the reversion of alienable and disposable lands of the public 
domain or portion thereof to forestlands, unless they are covered by existing titles, or 
actually occupied openly, continuously, adversely, and publicly for a period required by 
law: Provided, That, when public interest so requires, steps shall be taken to expropriate 
such lands, cancel defective titles, or eject occupants thereof. Thereafter, said lands shall 
be included in the preparation of land use plans within forestlands. 
SEC. 36. Critical Watershed Areas. – The DENR, in coordination with the DA, LGUs and 
other government agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporation, 
and after mandatory public hearings or consultations, shall identify and delineate critical 
watershed areas that need to be protected, rehabilitated, enhanced or withdrawn from uses 
that contribute to their further degradation. 
SEC. 37. 
Formulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed Management Plans. 
– A Watershed Management Council (WMC), which is a multi-agency, inter-LGU, and 
multi-sectoral consortium, chaired by the DENR and co-chaired by the duly designated 
representative of the LGUs, shall be created at the provincial level to ensure effective 
and sustainable resource management of a particular watershed and provide the 
development needs of local communities. in cases where a watershed transcends more 
than one province, a WMC at the regional level shall be created. 
The WMC shall prepare the Integrated Watershed Management Plans (IWMP) consistent 
with the existing DENR laws, guidelines, and rules and regulations. The said IWMPS 
shall be integrated into the CLUPs of the LGUs. The  DENR  and  the  concerned  LGUs 
shall  jointly  implement  the Watershed Management Plan subject 
t o 
r e g u l a r 
consultations with and involvement of the community and other stakeholders. 
SEC. 38. 
Establishment and Management of National Parks. – All areas proclaimed by
the President of the Philippines and Congress of the Philippines to be under the 
NIPAS, unless disestablished, including those identified as initial components of the 
NIPAS as KBAs, shall comprise the national parks classification of the public domain. 
The DENR and concerned LGUs shall ensure that such areas are integrated in the 
CLUP and physical framework plans. The preparation of management plans of protected 
areas and national parks shall be in accordance with the provisions of RA 7586, as 
amended, and other laws establishing or declaring specific areas as protected areas. 
Article 2 
Coastal Zones 
SEC. 39. Criteria on the Allocation and Utilization of Lands within the Coastal Zones. – The 
allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zones shall be guided by the following: 
(a) 
Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be preserved for mangrove 
30


protection 
and shall not be converted to other uses; 
(b) 
Areas which meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil depth, 
topography, supply for successful fishpond development, and are not 
identified as mangrove protection areas, shall be utilized for aquaculture 
purposes; 
(c) 
Areas sub-classified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or due to 
environmental conditions need to be preserved as mangrove, but is devoid 
of mangrove stands shall not be converted to other uses. The DENR 
shall ensure that these lands shall be reforested within a given period of time; 
(d) 
Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and housing 
shall be allocated to traditional fisherfolk who are inhabitants of the coastal 
communities and members of legitimate fisherfolk organizations and/or 
holders of stewardship lease contracts or titles to ancestral domains or any 
form of property right arrangements who participate in coastal resource 
management initiatives, subject to the usual census procedures of the 
DHSUD. 
(e) 
Areas which does not fall under (a) to (d) above may be devoted to recreational or 
tourism purposes: Provided, That such undertaking will not result in 
environmental degradation and displacement of small fishers; 
(f) 
Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used primarily 
for such purpose; 
(g) 
Areas which have been allocated for small infrastructure needed by fisherfolk shall 
be allowed; 
(h) 
Areas which form part of foreshore lands as defined in this Act including those 
which are under lease agreements or arrangements shall undergo zoning 
and evaluation to determine their boundaries and actual sizes and 
corresponding 
uses: Provided, 
That vested rights under the 
lease agreements or arrangements shall be respected. Evaluation of the 
said lands shall also consider the natural, geologic and geomorphic 
conditions of the coast; and 
(i) 
The free and prior informed consent of the concerned ICCs/IPs and the necessary 
certification from the NCIP shall be secured before any allocation and 
utilization of lands within the coastal zones that are found to be within 
ancestral domains. 
SEC. 40. 
Coastal Land Zone Sub-classification. – All public lands in the coastal zones 
are sub-classified into any of the following: fishponds, mangroves for protection 
from tidal surge and for preservation of biodiversity, habitats and sanctuaries for 
endangered wildlife, fisherfolk settlement, or recreational or tourism areas. No 
sub-classification of coastal zones to different uses may be done without the 
following: 
31


(a) 
Conduct of a comprehensive inventory and resource and environmental  assessment  
by  the  DENR  with  the  respective  LGUs  and accredited non-
government organizations (NGOs) or peoples organization (POs) within 
their territorial jurisdiction. The result of the assessment along with a list 
of all existing applications and expired foreshore lease agreements must 
be posted in three (3) conspicuous places in the affected localities; and 
(b) 
Prior consultation with the local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management 
Councils pursuant to RA 8550 as amended. 
SEC. 41. Zoning of Foreshore Areas. – LGUs, in coordination with the DENR, shall conduct 
zoning of their respective foreshore areas to assist government and community fishers 
identify priority areas for conservation and development, and to enable them to set targets 
for mangrove reforestation and rehabilitation. 
SEC. 42. 
  Protection of Waterways, Easements and Flood Plains. – Structures of any 
kind may not be built in waterways and easements. Pursuant to PD 1067, the banks of 
rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and 
within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in agricultural areas 
and forty (40) meters in forest areas along their margins are subject to easement of 
public use only in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage. 
The protection of flood plains shall use the watershed management plan as the reference 
framework in formulating flood mitigation plan. Development within flood plains and 
other flood-prone areas must be controlled or, if allowed, must be so sited, constructed 
and serviced that the lives of occupants are not put at risk and that disruptions during 
floods are minimized. The identification and characterization of flood-prone areas and 
flood plains must be an integral part of Watershed Management Plan that shall guide the 
preparation of CLUPs, local climate change action plans local disaster risk reduction and 
management plans 
and other prescribed thematic plans. The LGUs shall establish 
land use regulations to mitigate flood risks through the CLUPs and zoning ordinances. 
To promote the best interest and coordinated protection of flood plains, the DPWH, in 
coordination with the DOST and DENR shall declare flood control areas as necessary 
and shall prohibit or control activities that may damage or cause deterioration of lakes 
and dikes, obstruct the flow of water, change the natural flow of rivers, increase flood 
losses or aggravate flood problems, pursuant to PD 1067. 
Article 3 
Settlements Development 
SEC. 43. 
Municipalities, Cities, and Settlements Development. – The development of 
municipalities, cities and settlements through CLUP and implemented by the zoning 
ordinances of cities and municipalities are guided by the urban zoning standards 
designed to maximize existing urban spaces, taking into account the studies of 
pertinent government agencies on climate change. The new and existing government 
buildings within the cities and municipalities shall comply with the government energy 
32


management program and 
the 
Inter-Agency Energy 
Efficiency 
and 
Conservation 
Committee resolutions. 
SEC. 44. Settlements within Hazard Areas. – Settlements, in particular, housing or residential 
developments, within hazard areas may be allowed: 
Provided, That mitigating or protective measures are adopted to address the potential danger 
or risk to lives and property within such settlements. In coordination with the 
concerned agencies of the government such as the PHIVOLCS, PAGASA, and MGB, 
the NLUC shall provide assistance to concerned LGUs and settlers in instituting safety 
and corrective measures to address the potential danger or risk. Residential zones as 
designated in the CLUP shall not be considered as outside the hazard areas. However, 
for this purpose, housing projects within such areas with less than or equal to one (1) 
hectare of project area shall be exempt from the ECC as well as the EGGAR and may 
be implemented without the need for any further certificate of exemption from the 
DENR or any other government regulatory agency. 
SEC. 45. Designation of Waste and Environment Management Site. – Each city or municipality 
shall identify, designate and allocate a suitable area as indicated in the watershed 
management plan within their territorial jurisdiction to serve as sanitary landfill or solid 
waste disposal site as established in its solid waste management plan pursuant to RA 9003 or 
the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000” within one (1) year from the 
effectivity of this Act. 
SEC. 46. Network of Settlements. – The framework and policies for the development of 
network of settlements shall be provided by the National Physical Framework Plan 
formulated by the NLUC. Individual settlements shall be planned as part of a national 
network of settlements. The network shall be based on existing and potential settlements; 
production activities, particularly those that involve highly competitive industries and 
services and generate local employment; environmental constraints and 
sustainability 
considerations. Individual cities and municipalities shall be integrated through 
transportation and other infrastructure support facilities. 
SEC. 47. Criteria for Settlement Sites. – The following shall be the criteria for identifying 
settlement areas: 
(a) Within A&D lands but not in environmentally-critical, hazard-prone or other 
protection areas as assessed, identified and indicated in the Watershed 
Management Plans; 
(b) Along established urban growth directions; 
(c) Are already or can be provided with basic services and utilities; 
(d) Ideally within the 0-8% slope range, but with mitigating measures from slope 9-17%; 
33


(e) Reasonably accessible from existing built up areas and other employment centers 
through existing or proposed roads and other transportation facilities; and 
(f) Identified ICCs/IPs settlement 
areas shall be located within ancestral domains.  
Hazard-prone areas shall be defined, delineated and mapped by the DENR and other 
the mandated government agencies, together with LGUs during the preparation of 
management plans of the watersheds that are partially or wholly inside the jurisdiction of 
municipality or city. As such, new settlements within high-risk areas shall not be allowed. In 
cases where there are existing settlements within geo-hazard areas or high-risk areas, 
mitigating or protective measures shall be adopted to address the potential danger or risk to 
lives and property within such settlements. In coordination with the concerned agencies of the 
government, the NLUC, through the RLUPC and PLUPC, shall provide assistance to concerned 
LGUs and settlers in instituting safety and corrective measures to address the potential danger 
or risk. New developments within geo-hazard areas shall be required to submit an ECC and 
EGGAR consistent with the Revised Procedural Manual for DENR Administrative Order (DAO)
No.  2003-30  otherwise  known  as  the  “Implementing  Rules  and Regulations (IRR) for 
the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System” and DAO No. 2000-28 
otherwise known as the “Implementing Guidelines 
on 
Engineering Geological and 
Geohazard Assessment as Additional Requirement for ECC Applications covering Subdivision, 
Housing and other Land Development and Infrastructure Projects”. 
SEC. 48. Sustainable Communities. – Each city or municipality or cluster of cities or 
municipalities, as appropriate, shall seek to follow the basic features of sustainable 
communities,  as 
guided by the 
National Urban Development and 
Housing Framework: transit-oriented, pedestrian-biased, and multiple use, with systems 
and practices that promote water use efficiency, energy efficiency, waste segregation, 
recycling, and adequate community facilities. Cities and municipalities or clusters 
thereof shall identify, designate and allocate areas within their territorial jurisdiction to 
serve as waste disposal site following the provisions of RA 9003. 
For energy efficiency, cities and municipalities or clusters thereof shall utilize energy 
consuming products which comply with the DOE’s efficiency rating and energy labeling 
system pursuant to the provision of RA 11285 or the “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act”. 
SEC. 49. Designation and Zoning of Socialized Housing Zones. – Each city or municipality in 
urban, urbanizable and rural areas shall designate through the CLUP adequate lands for 
housing or residential purposes, including socialized housing and resettlement areas for the 
immediate and future needs of the local population as well as the underprivileged and 
homeless in their territory, pursuant to existing laws and regulations. In order to ensure 
adequate availability of lands for the housing needs of the local population, the CLUP 
shall be updated, at maximum, every twelve (12) years for provinces, cities and 
municipalities. 
34


The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential zones, and shall 
be zoned as socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city or municipality’s zoning 
ordinance,  pursuant to  existing  laws and regulations. 
Fisherfolk settlements and housing in coastal municipalities shall be zoned near the sea 
for easy access to their livelihood as provided under Section 39 (d) of this Act. 
The housing or residential lands designated in the CLUPs and zoning ordinances of 
cities and municipalities shall, on one hand, not be subject to further land reclassification by 
the LGU or land conversion procedure under DAR. On the other hand, agricultural lands as 
designated in the CLUP which are no longer economically feasible for agricultural use may be 
subject to land reclassification or land use conversion to housing or residential purposes and 
such land use conversion, as the case may be, shall be exempt from the coverage of any 
moratorium on land use conversion, provided such conversion shall not conflict with the 
prescriptions of watershed management plans and shall not result in serious environmental and 
ecological problems. 
SEC. 50. Urban Forest or Green Space. – Each city or highly urbanizing  municipality shall 
identify, designate, and allocate lands owned by the city or municipality as urban forest 
or green space based on the guidelines and standards to be issued by the DENR and 
approved by the NLUC. 
Article 4 
NIPAS Areas 
SEC. 51. 
Integrated Management Strategy. – For a more effective planning, 
management, and protection of protected areas at the provincial, city or municipal 
levels, the Protected Area Management Plan referred to in RA 7586, as 
amended, must be incorporated in the provincial physical framework plan and 
CLUPs, if applicable, wherein the protected area zoning must be reflected. 
Article 5 
Agricultural Lands 
SEC. 52. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development. – Priority areas for agricultural 
development shall be those agricultural areas covered under RA 6657 and those 
covered under NPAAAD and SAFDZ, defined in Section 4 of this Act and in RA 
8435 or the “Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act”. 
SEC. 53. Conversion of Agricultural Lands. – Prime agricultural lands and specific types of 
lands to the extent necessary for attaining food self-sufficiency in rice and 
food security in other basic commodities, as determined by the DA, subject to 
mandatory consultation with the LGUs, the private sector, the NGOs, and POs, 
shall be protected from conversion, which shall include but not limited to areas 
under the NPAAAD and SAFDZ: Provided, That all irrigated and irrigable 
35


lands, all lands developed or possessing the potential for development of high 
value crops, and all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile and whose 
conversion will result in serious environmental problems shall be given full 
protection from conversion, the areas under which are subject to review every 
six (6) years by the DA, with the mandatory public consultations: Provided, 
further, That consistent with the State policy on giving priority to the completion 
of the comprehensive agrarian reform program, all lands subject to the 
comprehensive agrarian reform program including those lands covered under 
notice of compulsory acquisition or voluntary offer to sell, production or profit-
sharing, or commercial farm deferment shall also be protected from conversion 
pending the distribution and installation of the farmer beneficiaries, but thereafter, 
Section 22 of RA 9700 shall apply: Provided, furthermore, That the conversion 
of prime agricultural lands for use in priority government projects for basic 
services such as, but not limited to, irrigation and power shall be allowed only 
upon the recommendation of the Secretaries of the DA and the DAR: Provided, 
finally, That the mapping of the NPAAAD under the RA 8435 shall be completed 
within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. Lands defined under Section 
10 of RA 6657 shall remain exempted and excluded from the coverage of the 
comprehensive agrarian reform program. 
 
With due consideration of the above-mentioned conditions that provides for the 
full protection of prime agricultural land, only then, upon approval by the DAR of 
the application for conversion, agricultural lands are deemed converted to non-
agricultural uses. 
SEC. 54. Sub-classification or Re- classification of Agricultural Lands by LGUs. – Sub-
classification or re-classification of agricultural lands to other uses under Section 
20 of RA 7160 shall exclude the protected agricultural lands as  stated  in  the 
preceding  section.  Moreover,  such  sub-classification  or reclassification 
is 
not synonymous 
to conversion. Further, such sub-classification or re-
classification shall not result to land uses that are in conflict with the prescriptions 
of the watershed management plans. The DA and DAR shall provide the LGUs 
with complete list and maps of protected agricultural lands within their territorial 
jurisdictions. 
SEC. 55. Criteria for the Utilization and Allocation of Land for Mining Purposes. – Consistent 
with this Act and the provisions of RA 7942, otherwise known as the “Philippine 
Mining Act of 1995”, and to ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological 
balance and maximizing economic returns to mining operations are realized, the 
allocation and utilization of lands for mining purposes shall be guided by the 
following: 
(a) 
The principles of sustainable development and responsible mining; 
(b) 
In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards shall be 
36


instituted by the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent environmental 
degradation of the mining sites and adjacent areas; 
(c) 
Mineral 
reservations 
which have become 
non-operational as 
determined by the MGB shall be placed under appropriate surface management by 
the DENR after conducting scientific, geological, and environmental studies in 
accordance with relevant laws on mineral reservation establishment and de-
establishment; 
(d) 
Natural forests, proclaimed watershed forest reserves, mangrove forests, and 
mossy forests are closed to mining operations pursuant to RA 7942, and other 
pertinent laws; 
(e) 
Consistent with RA 7942, areas closed to mining operations like natural forests, 
proclaimed watershed forest reserves, mangrove forests, and mossy forests shall 
be periodically reviewed through mineral exploration to be undertaken by the 
DENR for the purpose of determining whether or not their continued 
closure 
is 
consistent 
with  the  national interest 
and 
with  the 
prescriptions of watershed management plans and, if warranted, recommend 
their reclassification as mineral lands; and 
(f) 
Protection forestlands and agricultural lands shall be exempt from mining 
activities to minimize the effect of natural calamities and to protect food security 
respectively. The small to large scale mining operations shall yield from and 
recognize the tenurial instrument given by the government such as original 
certificate of title, transfer certificate of title, certificate of ancestral domain 
title, emancipation patent-certificate of land ownership award and other 
instruments. If these be present, mining activity shall be allowed subject to 
clearances and consent, and: Provided, That mining activity shall not conflict 
with the prescriptions of watershed management plans and shall not have 
serious environmental and ecological problems. 
SEC. 56. Reversion of Mineral Lands. – All mineral lands with exhausted mineral 
resources, 
as 
determined 
by 
the 
MGB upon the recommendation 
of the DENR, shall revert to its original land classification, that is, as forestland 
or agricultural land. In the case of forestlands, the DENR may classify such 
areas for other purposes in consultation with concerned LGUs, DOT, and other 
national government agencies, and consistent with the prescriptions of the 
watershed management plans. 
Article 6 
Energy Resources 
SEC. 57. 
Guidelines for the Utilization and Allocation of Lands for Energy Resource 
Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution 
37


Purposes. –  To ensure 
that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and 
maximizing the power potential from indigenous energy resources in the most 
economical and environmentally-acceptable means are realized, the allocation 
and utilization of lands are be guided by the following, consistent with the 
existing laws, rules and regulations on energy resources: 
(a) Indigenous energy resource exploration and development for the purpose of creating a 
national energy resource inventory and data base as well as an energy resource 
block map are allowed, subject to the prescriptions of watershed management 
plans and other land management plans; 
(b) Indigenous energy resource exploration, development, production, utilization, and 
distribution are subject to the appropriate requirements and processes of the 
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) system. Each project must secure an ECC 
prior to project implementation to ensure that adequate and appropriate 
environmental management measures and optimum methods for resource access 
and recovery are used; 
(c) Protected areas defined in Section 17 of this Act are closed to any kind of energy resource 
development except for installation or erection of power lines therein 
Provided, That vested rights granted through the Special Use Agreements in 
Protected Areas as granted by the DENR are respected; 
(d) Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been established to be 
non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used for energy purposes must 
be reclassified to other land uses, subject to existing laws 
covering 
energy 
reservations and to prescriptions 
of watershed management plans; and 
(e) Renewable energy is preferred over other energy resource. 
SEC. 58. 
Reversion of Energy Resource Lands. – All exhausted indigenous energy 
resource lands, as determined by the DOE, which are not covered by  
proclamations 
must automatically  revert 
to  the category  of 
forestlands or agricultural lands, open to disposition, whichever is appropriate, 
unless the DENR classifies such areas for other purposes consistent with the 
prescriptions of watershed management plans. Exhausted energy resource lands are 
specific energy resource sites that the energy reserves of the desired type or types 
are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure 
for its extraction and utilization. 
Article 7 
Industrial Development Areas or Sites 
SEC. 59. Criteria for Designating Industrial Development Areas. – The identification and 
establishment of industrial development areas shall conform to the provisions of 
RAs 7916, 6657, 8371, 7279, 8550, and 8435, taking into consideration the 
38


following: 
(a) 
Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected 
agricultural areas pursuant to the RA 8435; 
(b) 
National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based industrial 
development; 
(c) 
Identified growth areas and corridors in the National Development Plan; 
(d) 
NIPAS and non-NIPAS areas such as KBAs and restored areas that require 
protection; 
(e) 
National and Urban Development and Housing Framework; 
(f) 
Identified socialized housing zones; 
(g) 
National framework for physical planning and other existing national programs 
and policies; and 
(h) 
Prescriptions of watershed management plans. 
  
 
The designated industrial development areas must be located only in 
production land uses areas and shall form an integral part of the land use plan 
and zoning ordinance of the city or municipality where these areas are located 
pursuant to RAs 6657, 8371, 7279, 855, 8435, and 7160, as amended. 
Article 8 
Tourism Development Areas 
SEC. 
60. 
Designating Tourism Development Areas. – The identification, selection, 
and development of tourism development areas, and Tourism Enterprise Zones shall be done 
in consultation and coordination with the LGUs, TIEZA, DOT and other national government 
agencies, the private sector and the affected communities subject to the provisions of RA 
9593, otherwise known as “The Tourism Act of 2009.” 
Tourism development areas include 
those covered by legislative and executive issuances such as tourist spots, tourist zones and 
tourism ecozones which can be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, or integrated 
resort leisure and recreation complexes. Other tourism-related facilities and those identified in 
the national, regional and area-specific tourism master plans and other sector plans, such as 
ecotourism and agri-tourism sites are also considered as tourism development areas. The sites 
designated for tourism development must be outside of the areas identified for protection land 
use. As much as practicable, community-based tourism shall be the principal mode of tourist 
spot operation. RAs 6657, 8371, 7279, 8435, 7160, and EO 111, series of 1999, which 
provided for the national ecotourism strategy, shall apply to all tourist zones and tourist 
development areas. Designated areas for tourism development form part of the CLUPs and 
39


zoning ordinances of the cities or municipalities where these areas are located. 
SEC. 61. Identification and Declaration of Areas for Protection, Conservation and 
Preservation of Cultural Heritage. – Pursuant to RA 10066 or the “National Cultural 
Heritage Act of 2009”, the NHCP or the National Museum, the NCCA, in coordination 
with NCIP, DHSUD and other concerned agencies, local communities, and the private 
sector, shall identify declared areas and structures which shall be protected and preserved 
as part of the Philippine cultural heritage. 
 
The LGUs in coordination with the NHCP, the NCCA and the Cultural Center of 
the Philippines (CCP) shall designate historical zones to protect the historical integrity of said 
geographical areas and cultural space of intangible cultural properties. 
 
Declared and known archaeological sites shall likewise be protected by the 
NCCA, the DHSUD, NCIP, other concerned government agencies, and LGUs against 
modification, alteration, or destruction. 
Article 9 
Infrastructure Development 
SEC. 62. 
Strategic Transport Network. – The national government, through the 
Department of Transportation, shall establish a strategic and sustainable multimodal 
transport network that provides connectivity within the national network of settlements. 
Such connectivity shall include linkages among existing and proposed priority urban 
centers, rural areas, production hubs and tourism zones, distribution centers and markets, 
and key international points of entry. It shall be developed to promote network efficiency 
and social service delivery, to catalyze areas identified critical for economic growth, while 
minimizing negative impacts to environmentally-critical and protected areas as identified 
in the watershed management plans. 
 
The national network of settlements, as defined in the NPFP, shall guide the development 
of a multi-modal transportation network. The network shall be designed and implemented 
to provide seamless connectivity among the various modes of transportation. The RPFPs, 
PPFDPs and city or municipal CLUPs shall focus on the transportation network that 
corresponds to their respective jurisdictions while maintaining consistency with the overall 
national networks. 
SEC. 63. Allocation and Use of Land for Infrastructure Development. – Land, whether public 
or private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure projects that are 
supportive of national or local development objectives. The NEDA, in consultation with 
the national government agencies, LGUs and the private sector, shall identify and 
periodically review, update or revise the list of priority infrastructure projects under an 
over-all national strategic infrastructure development plan subject to the provisions of this 
Act, RA 8435 and RA 8371. The national strategic infrastructure development plan must 
40


be consistent and integrated in the objectives and directions of the NPFP. 
In determining and evaluating the list of priority infrastructure projects, consideration shall be 
given to those that: 
(a) 
Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national and regional 
economy with priority to improving production-market integration, inter-modal 
transport, conveyance and logistics linkages, rural infrastructure and the 
development of the agriculture and fisheries sectors; 
(b) 
Upgrade existing facilities to international public safety standards; 
(c) 
Address the need for sustainable settlement development; and 
(d) 
Mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing phenomena or serve as 
alternatives to existing infrastructure found in natural hazard-prone areas. 
The provision and implementation of infrastructure support must be made compatible with 
existing environmental conditions and the physical, whether natural or human-made, and 
cultural character of the area. Mandatory public consultations pursuant to existing laws and 
regulations must be held prior to the conduct of all infrastructure projects that necessarily 
involve dislocation or displacement of people in the area. 
The proponent of the infrastructure project shall follow the rules on just and humane 
eviction or demolition under Section 28 of RA 7279 as a last resort, notwithstanding the 
provisions of RA 8975, prohibiting lower courts from issuing temporary restraining orders, 
preliminary injunctions or preliminary mandatory injunctions. The proponent shall also follow 
the provisions of RA 8371, particularly those pertaining to the rights of IPs or ICCs in 
case of displacement. The national government infrastructure projects shall, after 
determining that displacement is unavoidable, include the budgetary requirements for the adequate 
relocation of displaced communities. 
SEC. 64. 
Infrastructure 
Projects 
within Geo-hazard Areas. – Construction of 
priority infrastructure projects within hazard-prone areas are allowed. 
H o w e v e r , 
mitigating or preventive measures must be adopted and implemented to address the 
potential adverse economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts that emanate from 
these infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and recommendations of a 
feasibility study or environment impact assessment in accordance with PD 1586 and RA 
4846, otherwise known as the “Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act.”  
Existing projects that were undertaken without the required environmental impact 
assessment and which pose a threat to the environment, or to the integrity of historic, 
archeological or scientifically significant areas, or impinge on critical ecosystems, and other 
areas identified in the watershed management plans may be terminated immediately or 
gradually phased-out and relocated. 
If the existing project is to be maintained within 
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their life span, mitigating measures must be adopted and implemented. The rules on mandatory 
public hearings or consultations and just and humane eviction or demolition shall also be 
observed prior to the termination, gradual phase-out, or relocation of projects that necessarily 
involve dislocations or displacement of the people in the area. 
Article 10 
Agro-Industrial Development 
SEC. 65. Land Consolidation for Agro-industrial Development. - The consolidation of small-
scale agricultural landholdings shall be promoted to take advantage of economies of scale 
in agricultural production, to promote value chain development, and to increase farm 
incomes and improve the quality of life of farmers. A Land Consolidation and Utilization 
Program under the DA shall be established. The program shall implement the following: 
(a) Consolidation of small contiguous landholdings into bigger agricultural estates for farm 
operations and agro-industries; 
(b) Crafting of a comprehensive plan and study of the optimum utilization and long-
term productivity of bigger landholdings; 
(c) Private sector participation in agricultural production and management through 
adequate security, incentives and reasonable return on investments, within limits set 
by existing laws; 
(d) Development and adoption  of cooperative systems  that will increase the participation 
and protection of small farmers; and 
(e) Provision of support to consolidated farms in such forms as farm-to-market roads, 
irrigation, utilities, logistics, processing facilities, upgrading of basic social amenities, 
and marketing assistance to farmers. 
CHAPTER IX 
TRAINING, EDUCATION AND VALUES FORMATION 
SEC. 66. 
Values Formation. – In order to develop a well-informed, responsible and 
committed citizenry, who value the protection, conservation and development of 
the limited land and other physical resources of the country, the CHED, with prior 
consultation with concerned stakeholders, may include a subject or topic on 
sustainable land use in the general education curriculum of higher education 
institutions. 
SEC. 67. Information or Education Campaign and Capacity Building. – The NLUC shall 
spearhead a nationwide information or education campaign on land use and 
physical planning together with the local and  national government agencies. 
The DHSUD, in coordination with DILG, CHED and other concerned agencies 
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shall formulate and implement a land use management capability  building 
program  for  national  and  local  government  officials, community leaders, 
representatives of NGOs, POs, the religious sector and the general public. 
CHAPTER X 
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES 
Article 1 
INCENTIVES 
SEC. 68. Formulation of a System of Incentives and Awards. – The NLUC shall come 
out with a system of incentives and awards to LGUs 
that 
regularly  
update 
their CLUPs 
within  the 
prescribed 
period, as follows: 
(a) Provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities once every 
twelve (12) years; and 
(b) Component cities and municipalities once every twelve (12) years. 
SEC. 69. 
Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs. – In providing technical 
assistance and other forms of support related to land use management  and the 
implementation  of development  plans, the  national government agencies shall 
give priority to cities and municipalities with approved CLUPs. The same 
assistance and support shall also be provided to the fifth (5th) and sixth (6th) class 
municipalities: Provided, That the lack of technical assistance shall not exempt 
said municipalities from the provisions of Section 70. 
Article 2 
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES 
SEC. 70. Failure to Formulate, Enforce, or Implement the CLUPs.  – Within three (3)
years from the effectivity of this Act, all LGUs shall complete the formulation 
of their CLUPs. Failure to formulate, enforce or implement the CLUPs shall be 
subject to the penalties and sanctions to be imposed by DHSUD pursuant to RA 
11201, otherwise known as the “Department of Human Settlement and 
Development Act” and its Implementing Rules and Regulations. The DILG, 
consistent with due process, shall investigate, review, and impose appropriate 
action regarding local chief executives and other local officials and employees 
responsible for the formulation, enforcement, and/or implementation of the 
CLUPs in case of any of the following: 
(a) 
Failure to implement and enforce the CLUP due to negligence of duty; 
(b) 
Failure to provide appropriate budgetary allocation to effect its implementation; 
and 
43


(c) 
Failure to complete the preparation  and undergo review and approval process 
of the CLUP despite the availability of funds, resources, and support by the 
Sanggunian concerned. 
SEC. 71. 
Causing Irrigated Agricultural Lands to be Idle. – Any person  or  juridical 
entity  who  shall 
cause 
any irrigated lands whether contiguous or not, within the protected areas for 
agricultural development, to lie idle and unproductive for a period exceeding one 
(1) year, unless due to force majeure, shall be subject to an idle land tax 
equivalent to five percent (5%) of the value of the agricultural land as 
appearing in its real  property tax declaration. In addition, the violator shall be 
required to put back such lands to productive agricultural use. Should the 
continued agricultural inactivity, unless due to force majeure, exceed period of two 
(2) years, the land shall be subject to escheat proceedings. 
SEC. 72. Person Abetting Illegal Conversion. – Any person initiating, causing, inducing, or 
abetting illegal conversion as defined in Section 73(c) of RA 6657, as amended, 
and Section 4(cc) of this Act shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned from seven (7) 
to twelve (12) years and imposed a fine of not less than One hundred thousand 
(Pl00,000.00) pesos, or both at the discretion of the court: Provided, That if the 
offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the 
penalty shall, in addition thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation 
from the service and forfeiture of all benefits and entitlements accruing to the 
public position and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or 
appointive public office: Provided, further, That if the offender is a juridical 
person, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on the president, chief 
executive officer, manager, chairperson and all the members of the board, and 
other responsible officers thereof, and the fine shall be equivalent to the zonal 
value of the land or forty percent (40%) of the shareholders equity, as 
determined at the time of judgment whichever is higher, plus forfeiture of the land 
in favor of the State for sale though public auction, the proceeds of which shall 
automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund as provided for in Section 79 of 
this Act. 
SEC. 
73. 
Fine for 
Non-Completion 
and Non-Commencement 
o
f 
Development of Agricultural Lands with Approved Order of Conversion. – A 
landowner and designated developer or duly authorized representative who, 
without justifiable cause, fails to commence or complete the development of 
agricultural lands with approved order of conversion shall be penalized, jointly or 
severally, with any of the following fines based on the zonal value of the land at the 
time the fine is imposed: 
(a)  On failure to commence within one (1) year from the date of conversion order: 
44


(1) Six percent (6%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the first three (3) hectares; 
(2) Fifteen percent (15%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the next three hectares, 
and 
(3) Thirty percent (30%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the remaining area: 
Provided, That the order of conversion shall be deemed revoked automatically and 
the land shall revert to its original agricultural use and covered automatically and the 
land shall revert to its original agricultural use and covered. 
(b) On failure to complete fifty percent (50%) of the approved conversion plan within a 
specified time frame. Fifty percent (50%) of the zonal value of the subject land and the 
revocation of the conversion plan on the undeveloped portion which shall automatically 
revert to its original use as agricultural land. The same shall be covered under the CARP 
and processed for land distribution as soon as possible. 
SEC. 74. Change of Use from the Previously Authorized Conversion Order. – The 
landowner and future landowners of the property approved for conversion shall 
not change its use to another use not authorized under the Conversion Order 
without prior consent from the DAR. This prohibition extends to changes in 
housing standards, changes in selling schemes, changes from social housing to 
open market housing or vice-versa, and all other similar changes. Violation of 
which shall be penalized with revocation of Conversion Order and forfeiture of 
cash bond. 
SEC. 75. Payment of Disturbance Compensation. – Following the order of priority as 
enumerated in Section 22 of RA 6657, as amended, qualified beneficiaries such 
as agricultural lessees and share tenants, regular farm workers, seasonal farm 
workers, other farm workers, actual tillers or occupants of public lands, collective, 
or cooperative of the above-mentioned beneficiaries, and others directly working 
on the land affected by agricultural land use conversion shall be entitled to 
the payment of disturbance compensation equivalent to five (5) times the average 
of the gross harvests on the landholding during the last five (5) preceding calendar 
years or a certain percentage of the converted land, whichever is higher, as 
determined by the DAR. 
SEC. 76. Authority to Impose Fine. – The DAR shall impose the penalty provided for under the 
preceding section. 
SEC. 77. Withdrawal of Local Development Permits or Licenses. – Upon receipt of notice 
from the DAR of illegal conversion, the concerned agencies, city or 
municipality shall withdraw or revoke any development permit or license issued to 
illegally converted agricultural lands. 
45


SEC. 78.  Penalty for Reclassification of Protected Agricultural Lands and Exceeding the 
Limit of Areas Allowed for Reclassification. – Any person initiating, causing, 
inducing or abetting the reclassification to non-agricultural uses of protected 
agricultural areas as defined in this Act shall be punished with imprisonment of 
twelve (12) years or a fine of not less than One hundred thousand Pesos 
(P100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court. 
If the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the 
penalty includes dismissal from the service, forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the public 
position, and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive position. If 
the offender is a juridical person, the president, chief executive officer, manager, chairperson, 
members of the board and other officers who directly participated in the violation of this 
Section shall be held liable. 
The same penalty is applicable to persons who are responsible for exceeding the limits 
set forth under Section 20 of RA 7160 pertaining to reclassification of lands. 
SEC. 79. Utilization of Fines. – The fines collected under Sections 72, 73 and 78 of this Act 
shall accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund and shall be used for the purpose for 
which the fund is established. 
CHAPTER XI 
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 80. Convening of the NLUC. – Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act, 
the chairperson shall convene the NLUC. 
SEC. 81. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within six (6) months from the effectivity of 
this Act, the NLUC shall promulgate the rules and regulations to implement 
the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 82. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act. – There is hereby created 
a joint congressional oversight committee to monitor the implementation of this 
Act. The committee shall be composed of seven (7) senators and seven (7) 
representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, respectively.  The members from the Senate shall be 
appointed based on proportional representation of the parties or coalitions 
therein, with at least two (2) senators representing the minority. Likewise, the 
representatives from the House of Representatives shall be appointed based on 
proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein with at least two (2) 
Members representing the minority. The mandate given to the joint congressional 
46


oversight committee under this Act shall be without prejudice to the 
performance of the duties and functions by the respective existing oversight 
committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The secretariat of the 
committee shall be drawn from the existing secretariat personnel of the committees 
comprising the oversight. 
SEC.  83.  Appropriations.  –  The  amount  necessary for the initial implementation  of  this 
Act  shall  be  charged  against  the  current  year’s appropriations of the 
departments and agencies concerned. 
Thereafter, such amount shall be included 
in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 84. 
Review of the Existing Land Use Plans. – Provinces, cities, and municipalities 
with existing land use plans shall review, revise, reconcile, and harmonize their 
respective land use plans in accordance with the guidelines and standards issued by 
the National Land Use Commission (NLUC) within one (1) year from the 
effectivity of this Act.  
 
All  other  laws,  orders  issuance,  rules  and  regulations  inconsistent herewith 
are repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 85. 
Non-impairment Clause. – Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to 
diminish or impair the rights recognized granted, or available to marginalized or 
the basic sectors under existing laws or to diminish or impair vested rights 
generally, including the rights of indigenous cultural communities and indigenous 
peoples as provided under RA 8371. 
SEC. 86. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the 
remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full 
force and effect. 
SEC. 87. Repealing Clause. – Sections 10 and 11 of RA 8435, Sections 447 (a2vii) and 458 
(a2viii) of RA 7160, the pertinent provisions of EO 648, series of 1991, EO 72, 
series of 1993, EO 770, series of 2008, Letter of Instruction No. 1350, series 
of 1983, PP 2282, series of 1983 are hereby repealed, amended or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 88. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,
47