TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
Senate
HP of tlje -pfnrp
25 JUL 31 P2 50
SENATE 
S. No.
RECEIVED B'f
Introduced by Senator PIA S. CAYETANO
AN ACT
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippines faces a critical and long-standing challenge in managing its land 
and natural resources. Despite the existence of various laws and regulations on land 
utilization and environmental protection, the absence of a comprehensive national 
policy on land use has led to conflicting land uses, inefficient resource allocation, and 
widespread environmental degradation.1
In recent years, the country has witnessed the devastating consequences of 
inadequate land use governance. Disasters, exacerbated by deforestation, 
unregulated land conversion, and poor spatial planning have resulted in the loss of 
lives, the displacement of entire communities, and irreversible harm to our 
ecosystems. Unless this perennial problem is reversed through decisive policy action, 
future generations will bear the cost of today's inaction. It is imperative that we 
safeguard the environment and commit to sustainable development to uphold our 
responsibility to future generations.
This proposed legislation responds to the findings of the Philippine Institute for 
Development Studies (PIDS) in its policy paper entitled, "The Need fora National Land
'Greenprint Philippines, (n.d.). National Land Use Act.
https://www.greenprint.ph/national-land-use-acthttps://www.greenprintph/national-land-use-act


Use Act in the Philippines". The study underscores the urgent need for a national law 
that adopts a transdisciplinary approach, informed by updated data and responsive to 
the evolving threats posed by unregulated development, urban expansion, and climate 
change.2
This bill, which has been consistently filed by the undersigned since the 14th 
Congress, reflects a long-standing commitment to sustainable development and 
environmental protection. It is also aligned with our commitment to the 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 biodiversity loss.
With this measure. Comprehensive Land Use Plans will be formulated through 
a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches. A Land Use Policy Council 
(LUPC) will be created under the Economy and Development Council of the 
Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev). The LUPC will be 
responsible, among others, for preparing, periodically reviewing, and updating the 
national framework for physical planning. This framework will provide long-term 
spatial development directions and policy guidelines on settlement planning, 
production land use, protection land use, and infrastructure expansion at the national 
and sub-national levels.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
PIA S. CAYI^ANO
2Navarro, A. M. (2023, December). The Need for a National Land Use Act in the Philippines (PIDS 
Discussion Paper Series No. 2023-40). Philippine Institute for Development Studies. 
https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/284639/l/pidsdps2340.pdf


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 774
ot tt)f giccrrtai-p
25 JUL31 P 2 SO
RECEIVED BY.
Introduced by Senator PIA S. CAYETANO
AN ACT
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
CHAPTER I
2 
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
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Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known and cited as the "National
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Land Use Act of the Philippines."
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policies and Principles. — It is the policy of the State to
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provide for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, utilization, management, and
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development of the country's land resources to ensure their optimum use is consistent
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with the principle of sustainable development.
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The State recognizes the need for optimal and sustainable settlement
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development and shall allocate lands for urban uses and new town development,
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consistent with the principles of environmental management and equitable access to
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land and security.
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Toward this end, the State shall institutionalize land use and physical planning
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as a mechanism for identifying, determining, and evaluating alternative land use and
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allocation patterns that promote and ensure:
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a) Sustainable and just management and utilization of natural resources;
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b) Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability;
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c) Food and energy security in basic food commodities with emphasis on self-
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sufficiency in rice and corn production through efficient and sustainable use of land
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resources consistent with the principles of sound agricultural development, natural
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resources development, and agrarian reform;
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d) Protection of prime agricultural lands for food production activities and highest
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priority to the completion of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP);
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e) Sustainable development and management of water resources towards water
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security;
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f) Rational population distribution and settlements development that will ensure
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adequate land allocation for government mass housing programs;
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g) Spatial integration that links consumption and production areas to achieve
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physical and economic integration through appropriate infrastructure systems;
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h) Equitable and sustainable economic growth, and balanced and dispersed
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industrial and tourism development guided by the principles of agrarian reform, urban
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land reform, and rural development;
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i) Private-public partnership where government provides the appropriate policy,
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legal, and institutional framework to guide the private sector's management of
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resources;
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j) Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino within
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the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social justice, and equity;
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k) Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights of the
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Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) to their ancestral
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domains to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being as well as recognition
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of the applicability of customary laws, and sustainable traditional resource use and
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management, knowledge, and practices in ancestral domains;
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I) Protection of the rights of basic sectors to equitable access to the country's
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land and other resources through State regulation of land valuation to prevent
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uncontrolled land speculation resulting in tremendous increase in land pricing;
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m) Protection, conservation, and preservation of the Filipino historical, cultural,
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and built heritage and resources for the deeper understanding of our history and
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culture as a people;
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n) Attainment of energy security or energy self-sufficiency through sustainable


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and priority development of indigenous energy resources; and
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o) Market orientation where the interplay of market forces within the framework
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of ecological and intergenerational factors is encouraged and adopted as the basic
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parameter in achieving efficiency in land use and allocation.
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It is also the policy of the State to ensure that local government units (LGUs)
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share with the national government the responsibility of managing and maintaining
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ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction as stated in the 1987 Philippine
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Constitution and Republic Act No. 7160 or the "1991 Local Government Code".
9 
Guided by the principle that the use of land bears a social function and that all
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economic agents shall contribute to the common good, landowners and land tenure
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holders, in the case of forestlands, be it an individual, communal, corporate or group
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shall be held responsible for developing and conserving their lands thereby making
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their lands productive and supportive of environmental stability.
14 
Sec. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply to all lands whether public, private,
15 
government-owned, and/or in the possession of individuals, communities, indigenous
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peoples, or groups of people, to guide and govern the use, allocation, development,
17 
and management of land resources including such activities that bear impact on said
18 
resources.
19 
CHAPTER II
20 
DEFINITIONS
21 
Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:
22 
a) 
"AgricuituraiLand"sh^W refer to lands devoted to or suitable for the cultivation
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of the soil, planting of crops, growing of fruit trees, raising of livestock, poultry, fish
24 
or aqua-culture production, including the harvesting of such farm products, and other
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farm activities and practices performed in conjunction with such farming operations
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done by persons whether natural or juridical and not classified by law as mineral land,
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forest land, residential land, commercial land, or industrial land;
28 
b) "Agricultural Land Use Conversion" shall refer to the undertaking of any
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development activity which modifies or alters the physical characteristics of
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agricultural lands to render them suitable for non-agricultural purposes with an
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approved order of conversion issued exclusively by the Department of Agrarian Reform


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(DAR);
c) 
"Alienable and Disposable (A&D) lands"sha\\ refer to lands of the public domain 
which have been delineated, classified, and certified as open and available for 
disposition under the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 141, otherwise known as 
the "Public Land Act," as amended;
d) 
"Ancestral Domains"s\\aW refer to all areas generally belonging to ICCs/IPs as 
defined in Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the "Indigenous Peoples Rights 
Act (IPRA) of 1998;"
e) 
"Coastal Area/Zone"shaW refer 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 vice versa. Its geographic extent may include 
areas within a landmark 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 200 meters isobath to include 
coral reefs, algal flats, seagrass beds, and other soft-bottom areas. For purposes of 
initiating and implementing sustainable coastal resources protection and 
management, it shall include foreshore lands;
f) 
"Comprehensive Land Use Plan or CLUP"shaW refer to a document embodying 
a set of policies, accompanied by maps and similar illustrations that serves as the 
principal basis for determining the future use of lands and natural resources for 
production and protection purposes within the territorial jurisdiction of the LGUs. It 
represents the community-desired pattern of population distribution and proposes 
future allocation of land resources to various land-using activities. It identifies the 
allocation, character, and extent of the areas of land resources to be used for different 
purposes and includes the processes and the criteria employed in the determination 
of the land use. It has a long-term perspective, encompassing a minimum of three (3) 
terms of local elective officials.
g) 
"Critical Habitats"shaW refer to areas outside protected areas under Republic 
Act No. 7586 or the "National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992" 
that are known habitats of threatened species and designated as such based on 
scientific data taking into consideration species endemicity and/or richness, presence


1 
of human-made pressures/threats to the survival of wildlife living in the area, among
2 
others;
3 
h) 
"Critical Watershed"shaW refer to a drainage area of a river system supporting
4 
existing and proposed hydro-electric power, irrigation works or existing water facilities
5 
needing immediate protection and rehabilitation as it is being subjected to fast
6 
denudation causing accelerated erosion, destructive floods and polluted water;
7 
i) "Cultural Heritage" shaW refer to the totality of cultural properties preserved
8 
and developed through time and passed on for posterity;
9 
j) "Customary Laws" shaW refer to a body of written and/ or unwritten rules,
10 
usages, customs and practices traditionally and continually recognized, accepted, and
11 
observed by respective ICCs/IPs consistent with the IPRA;
12 
k) "Development Plan" shaW refer to a document that defines the activities or
13 
measures that the national government or LCDs intend to implement in order to
14 
achieve a defined set of development goals. It integrates the socio-economic and
15 
sectoral plans of the national government or its instrumentality or a particular LGU
16 
with spatial plans such as land use or physical framework plans. It may include an
17 
analysis of problems and resources, definition of goals and objectives, policy
18 
guidelines, project and target achievements, and an implementation mechanism which
19 
defines the roles and contributions expected from the government and the private
20 
sector;
21 
I) 
"Ecologically-fragile Lands" shaW refer to lands within the critical watershed,
22 
brackish and freshwater wetlands, pasture lands, and croplands which require
23 
rehabilitation and whose continued unsustainable use would adversely affect the
24 
productivity of lowland agricultural areas and the stability of the upland ecosystem;
25 
m) "Ecotourism"shaW refer to sustainable tourism or travel to a given natural area
26 
with exotic or threatened ecosystems or a heritage area to observe wildlife or to help
27 
preserve nature, in the process providing for community participation; protection and
28 
management of natural resources, culture and indigenous knowledge systems and
29 
practices; environmental education and ethics; as well as economic benefits fostered
30 
and pursued for the enrichment of host communities and the satisfaction of visitors;
31 
n) "Energy Resource Lands" shall refer to lands where naturally occurring or


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indigenous energy resources exist in sufficient quantity or quality as to be 
economically viable for exploration, development, production, utilization, and 
distribution process;
o) 
"Energy Resources"shd\\ refer to surface or subsurface substances that serve 
as energy sources. These are 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;
p) 
"Environmentally Critical Areas" shaW refer to areas declared by law as:
i) 
Areas for natural parks, watershed reserves, wildlife preserves, and 
sanctuaries;
ii) 
Areas set aside as aesthetic potential tourist spots;
iii) 
Areas which constitute the habitat of any endangered or threatened 
species or indigenous Philippine wildlife (flora and fauna);
iv) 
Areas of unique historic, archaeological, or scientific interests;
v) 
Areas which are traditionally occupied by ICCs/IPs;
vi) 
Areas with critical slopes;
vii) 
Areas frequently visited and/or hard hit by natural calamities (geologic 
hazards, floods, typhoons and volcanic activities);
viii) 
Prime agricultural lands;
ix) 
Recharge areas of aquifers;
x) 
Water bodies;
xi) 
Mangrove areas;
xii) 
Coral reefs;
xiii) 
Mossy and virgin forests;
xiv) 
Rivers and river banks;
xv) 
Swamp forest and marshlands; and
xvi) 
Foreshore lands.
This term shall also include other terrestrial, aquatic and marine areas that 
need special protection and conservation measures because they are ecologically 
fragile or they are needed for food security and food self-sufficiency as determined by


1 
concerned agencies and LGUs in consultation with the concerned sectors;
2 
q) 
'''Estuary"refer to a wetland type where the river mouth widens into a
3 
marine ecosystem, the salinity of which is intermediate between salt and freshwater
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where tidal action is an important biophysical regulator;
5 
r) "Exhausted Mineral Resources" shall refer to a situation where the mineral
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resources in specific sites are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify
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additional expenditure for extraction or utilization;
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s) "Food Security" shall refer to the policy objective of meeting the food
9 
availability, accessibility, quality and affordability requirements of the present and
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future generations of Filipinos in a sustainable manner, through local production or
11 
importation, only when there is shortage established based on a micro level situation,
12 
or both, based on the country's existing and potential resource endowments and
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related production advantages, and consistent with the overall national development
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objectives and policies;
15 
t) "Food Self-sufficiency"shall refer to the policy objective of meeting the food
16 
requirements through intensive local food production in a sustainable manner based
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on the country's existing and potential resource endowments and related production
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advantages;
19 
u) "Forestlands" shaW refer to lands of the public domain which have been
20 
classified or declared as such and all unclassified lands of the public domain. They
21 
include the public forest, the permanent forest or forest reserves, and forest
22 
reservations;
23 
v) "Foreshore Land"sha\\ refer to a string of land margining a body of water, the
24 
part of a seashore between the low-water line usually at the seaward margin of a low
25 
tide terrace and the upper limit of wave wash at high tide usually marked by a beach
26 
scarp or berm;
27 
w) "Framework for Physical Planning"shaW refer to an indicative plan promoting
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the most appropriate and rational use of land and other physical resources. It provides
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policy guidelines for all decisions relating to land use and environmental management
30 
to prevent or mitigate the adverse effects of inappropriate resource utilization on food
31 
security, the people's welfare and their environment. It embodies both policies and


1 
strategies necessary to carry out goals and objectives;
2 
x) 
"Geo-hazards"shaW refer to natural and human-induced geological processes
3 
that have potential to cause destruction and pose a threat or risk to human's life and
4 
property;
5 
y) 
"Geo-hazard Areas"shaW refer to areas frequently visited and/or vulnerable or
6 
prone to experience weather/climatic, hydrologic, geologic, and other natural
7 
calamities;
8 
z) "Illegal Conversion"sha\\ refer to any activity that modifies or alters the physical
9 
characteristics of agricultural lands to render them suitable for non-agricultural
10 
purposes without an approved order of conversion from the DAR Secretary;
11 
aa) 
"Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs)" shaW refer
12 
to groups of people or homogenous societies identified under the Indigenous Peoples
13 
Rights Act or RA 8371;
14 
bb) 
"Indigenous Energy Resources"s\\aW refer to energy resources which originate
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or occur naturally in the Philippines;
16 
cc) "Inland Waters"sha\\ refer to waters which are not coastal and marine waters
17 
and not subject to acquisitive prescription consistent with the provisions of Presidential
18 
Decree No. 1067, otherwise known as the "Water Code of the Philippines";
19 
dd) "Inter-tidal Sandflat"shaW refer to a juvenile fish-feeding area and habitat for
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crustaceans. The littoral gravel and sand biotopes are also used by important
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wintering ground and roosting/feeding grounds of indigenous migratory birds.
22 
ee) "Integrated Watershed Management" shall refer to a planning strategy or
23 
program for watershed areas that complement environmentally-sound soil and water
24 
management practices with mechanisms for ensuring greater responsibility,
25 
involvement, or participation of individuals, groups, communities and other
26 
stakeholders benefiting from these areas and water-related infrastructure;
27 
ff) "Key Biodiversity Areas" shall refer to sites that are globally significant for
28 
biodiversity conservation primarily containing species that require site-scale
29 
conservation to prevent extinction in the short-term and medium-term. Such species
30 
may be globally threatened, restricted-range and/or globally significant congregations
31 
of species;
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gg) 
"Ldgoon// sha 11 refer to a semi-enclosed coastal basin with limited freshwater
2 
input, high salinity and restricted circulation which often lies behind sand dunes. It is
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often highly productive, being a habitat for a variety of plants and animals, serving as
4 
nurseries of prawns and shrimps and also a site for harbor, aquaculture, industry and
5 
recreation;
6 
hh) "Land"sh^\\ refer to resources, both human-made and natural, found on the
7 
surface, below, and above the ground including inland waters and the air therein. In
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its broadest sense, it shall include all uses, improvements and developments of such
9 
resources and may be viewed as a resource, as space, as location, as property and as
10 
factor or production or capital;
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ii) "Land Use" shall refer to the manner of utilization of land, including its
12 
allocation, development, and management;
13 
jj) 
"Land Use Classification "shall refer to the act of delineating or allocating lands
14 
according to protection land use, production land use, settlements development, and
15 
infrastructure development as defined and provided for in this Act;
16 
kk) 
"Land Use Sub-classification"shaW refer to the act of determining and assigning
17 
specific uses of classified lands of the public domain;
18 
II) "Land Use Plan" shaW refer to a document embodying a set of policies
19 
accompanied by maps and similar illustrations which represent the community-desired
20 
pattern of population distribution and a proposal for the future allocation of land to
21 
the various land using activities. It identifies the allocation, character and extent of
22 
the areas of land resources to be used for different purposes and includes the process
23 
and the criteria employed in the determination of the land use;
24 
mm) "Land Use Planning"shaW refer to the act of defining the allocation, utilization,
25 
development, and management of all land within a given territory or jurisdiction
26 
according to the inherent qualities of the land itself and supportive of sustainable
27 
economic, demographic, socio-cultural and environmental objectives as an aid to
28 
decision-making and legislation;
29 
nn) "Land Use Policy CouncH"s\\a\\ refer to the highest land use policy-making body
30 
created under this Act;
31 
oo) "Mandatory Public Consultations"shall refer to the mechanism to ensure the


1 
involvement of affected sectors in land use planning from the local to the national
2 
level. It involves giving notice of hearing/consultation to affected sectors through
3 
publication or posting in conspicuous places, conduct of a reasonable number of
4 
hearings, and solicitation of positions and the public presentation and validation of the
5 
planning results before the final adoption of the plans;
6 
pp) "Mass Housing"sV\d\\ refer to residential subdivision and condominium projects
7 
covered by development permits and licenses to sell, catering to the homeless
8 
population to include socialized, economic/low-cost and medium-cost housing
9 
beneficiaries with affordabilities as defined from time to time by the Department of
10 
Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD);
11 
qq) 
"Minerals"shd\\ refer to all naturally occurring inorganic substance in solid, gas,
12 
liquid or intermediate state excluding energy materials such as coal, petroleum,
13 
natural gas, radioactive materials and geothermal energy;
14 
rr) 
"Mineral Exploration //sha 11 refer to the systematic searching or prospecting for
15 
mineral resources;
16 
ss) 
"MineralLands"shd\\ refer to lands in which minerals exist in sufficient quantity
17 
or quality to justify the investment necessary for their extraction and/or development;
18 
tt) "Mudflat"shd^\ refer to a wetland type that is usually an unvegetated area,
19 
dominated by muddy substrate which provides rich feeding grounds for vertebrates
20 
such as fish and water birds and also important in preventing soil erosion;
21 
uu) "Multiple Use of Land Resources" shall refer to the utilization or management
22 
strategy for public lands, which allows any activity thereat, involving one or more of
23 
its resources, depending on the result of prior evaluation on its numerous beneficial
24 
uses, that will produce the optimum benefits to the development and progress of the
25 
country and the public welfare without impairment or with the least injury to its other
26 
resources;
27 
w) "National Integrated Protected Areas System" or "NIPAS" shdiW refer to the
28 
classification and administration of all designated protected areas to maintain essential
29 
ecological processes and life-support systems, to preserve genetics diversity, to
30 
ensure sustainable use of resources found therein, and to maintain their natural
31 
conditions to the greatest extent possible;
10


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ww) '"'National Parks"shdiW refer to land of the public domain classified as such in
2 
the 1987 Philippine Constitution which include all areas under the National Integrated
3 
Protected Areas System pursuant to Republic Act No. 7586 or the "NIPAS" Act of 1992;
4 
xx) 
"Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-industrial Development"
5 
or "NPAAAD" shall refer to agricultural areas identified by the Department of
6 
Agriculture through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) in
7 
coordination with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA)
8 
in order to ensure the efficient utilization of land for agriculture and agro-industrial
9 
development and promote sustainable growth. The NPAAAD covers all irrigated areas;
10 
all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects with firm funding
11 
commitments; all alluvial plains; land highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigated
12 
or not; agro-industrial croplands or lands planted to industrial crops that support the
13 
validity of existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises; highlands or
14 
areas located at an elevation of five hundred (500) meters or above and have the
15 
potential for growing semi-temperate and high value crops; all agricultural lands that
16 
are ecologically fragile the conversion of which will result in serious environmental
17 
degradation; and all mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries;
18 
yy) "Non-Government Organization" shall refer to a private, nonprofit voluntary
19 
organization that is committed to the task of political, socio-economic, physical,
20 
cultural and environmental development and established primarily to provide service
21 
to marginalized sectors in these areas;
22 
zz) "People's Organization" shall refer to a private, non-profit, voluntary and
23 
community-based organization established primarily to provide service to its members
24 
and the community in general;
25 
aaa) "Physical Framework Plans"shaW refer to the national, regional or provincial
26 
indicative plans embodying both policies and strategies that are prepared by the
27 
national, regional and provincial land use policy councils, respectively, to guide the
28 
desired direction and growth and to promote and advance appropriate resource
29 
utilization as a way of sustaining food security, promoting people's welfare and
30 
protection of the environment;
31 
bbb) "Prime Agricultural Land" shaW refer to all irrigated areas, all irrigable lands
11


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already covered by irrigation projects with firm funding commitments; all alluvial plain
2 
land highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigated or not; agro-industrial croplands
3 
or lands presently planted to industrial crops that support the viability of existing
4 
agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises, highlands, or areas located at
5 
elevation of 500 meters or above and have the potential for growing semi-temperature
6 
and high value crops; all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile, the conversion
7 
of which will result in serious environmental degradation; and mangrove areas and
8 
fish sanctuaries;
9 
ccc) 
"Production Land Use"shaW refer to the direct and indirect utilization of land to
10 
generate outputs resulting from the following activities: agricultural, fish farming or
11 
aquaculture, timber or agro-forestry, grazing and pasture, mining, indigenous energy
12 
resource development, industry, and tourism;
13 
ddd) "Protected Areas"s\\aW refer to portions of land set aside by reason of their
14 
unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity,
15 
and protected against destructive human exploitation. For purposes of this Act, it shall
16 
include agricultural lands identified and delineated under Section 29 hereof;
17 
eee) "Protection Land Use"shaW refer to the use of land primarily for rehabilitation,
18 
conservation, and protection purposes and the promotion of the country's ecological
19 
and life-support systems;
20 
fff) 
"Public Domain //sha 11 refer to lands that belong to the State which may be any
21 
of the following: agricultural, forest or timber, mineral, or national park as provided
22 
for in the Constitution;
23 
ggg) 
"Public Lands" shaW refer to lands which have not been subject to private
24 
property rights or subject to sale or other modes of acquisition or concession under
25 
the general laws, and are devoted to public use;
26 
hhh) "Reciassification/Sub-ciassification of Agricultural Lands" shaW refer to the act
27 
of specifying how agricultural lands shall be utilized for non-agricultural uses such as
28 
residential, industrial, or commercial purposes through the local planning and zoning
29 
processes pursuant to Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code (LGC) of
30 
1991 and subject to the requirements and procedure for conversion;
31 
iii) 
"Resettlement Sites"s\\aW refer to areas identified by the appropriate national
12


1 
agency or by the local government unit, with respect to areas within its jurisdiction,
2 
which shall be used for the relocation of the underprivileged and homeless, as defined
3 
under Republic Act No. 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA);
4 
jjj) 
Settlements" shall refer to formal and informal communities or built-up
5 
residential areas where people prefer to live in and land areas classified, zoned, or
6 
converted for current or future residential or housing development purposes, including
7 
socialized housing zones for the homeless and underprivileged;
8 
kkk) "Settlements Development"shaW refer to any improvement on existing formal
9 
or informal residential or housing settlements or any proposed development of certain
10 
areas for residential or mass housing settlement purposes. It also involves the spatial
11 
distribution of population, identification of the roles and functions of key urban
12 
centers, determination of relationships among settlement areas, and the provision of
13 
basic services and facilities of identified major residential or housing settlement areas
14 
or growth centers;
15 
III) "Shorellne"shd\\ refer to a strip of land covering at least one (1) kilometer from
16 
the point where sea water reaches during the highest high tide;
17 
xr\xm\) "Significant Caves" shall refer to caves which contain materials or possess
18 
features that have archaeological, cultural, ecological, historical or scientific value as
19 
determined by the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) in coordination with the
20 
scientific community and the academe;
21 
nnn) "Socialized Housing"shaW refer to housing programs and projects undertaken
22 
by the government or the private sector for the underprivileged and homeless citizens
23 
which shall include sites and services development, long-term financing, liberalized
24 
terms on interest payments, and such other benefits in accordance with the UDHA;
25 
ooo) "Socialized Housing Zones" shaW refer to lands identified and designated by
26 
local government units as sites for socialized housing pursuant to Article IV of Republic
27 
Act No. 7279 and its implementing guidelines; these lands to be identified and
28 
designated shall include areas that are presently occupied by the urban poor, as well
29 
as those identified as resettlement areas as defined herein;
30 
ppp) "Sustainable Development"shaW refer to the development objective of meeting
31 
the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future
13


1 
generations to meet their own needs consistent with the principles of social equity,
2 
efficiency, and environmental integrity;
3 
qqq) "Stakeholder"shaW refer to an individual, social group or institution that has a
4 
direct or indirect interest in activity, project, resources, or decision;
5 
rrr) "Tourism Development Areas" shall refer to specific sites for tourism
6 
development located in areas identified as priorities in the national, regional and inter-
7 
regional area specific tourism master plans and other sector plans such as eco-tourism
8 
and agri-tourism sites, including those designated through legislative and executive
9 
issuances i.e., tourist spots, tourist zones and tourism ecozones which can be
10 
developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, leisure, and recreation complexes,
11 
and other tourism related facilities;
12 
sss) "Tourism Estates"sha\\ refer to large tracts of land with well-defined boundaries
13 
in any area identified in the Philippine tourism master plan and regional tourism master
14 
plan, by proclamation of the President and/or by an act of Congress including local
15 
legislation. Such land shall be suitable for the development of an integrated tourism
16 
and resort complex including but not limited to accommodation facilities, food and
17 
beverage outlets, convention and meeting areas, sports, recreational and leisure
18 
centers and commercial outlets among others. It shall be provided with roads, water
19 
supply facilities, power and utilities like potable water, drainage sewerage disposal,
20 
solid waste disposal system and other necessary infrastructure. The estate shall be
21 
under one unified and continuous management;
22 
ttt) "Tourism Ecozone"shaW refer to tourism development areas which have been
23 
granted Special Economic Zone status, through Philippine Economic Zone Authority
24 
(PEZA) registration and issuance of the required Presidential Proclamation, with its
25 
metes and bounds delineated by said Proclamation, pursuant to the Special Economic
26 
Zone Act of 1995 or RA 7916, as amended;
27 
uuu) "TouristSpot"s\\aW refer to a particular area/site/spot, human-made or natural,
28 
known for its unique tourist/visitor-drawing attributes and activities. It may be
29 
classified according to its social, cultural, natural, historical, scientific, religious, and
30 
recreational significance;
31 
vw) " Tourist Zone"shall refer to a geographic area with well-defined boundaries
14


1 
proclaimed as such by the President of the Philippines and/or by acts of Congress. No
2 
development projects for any purpose shall be initiated and introduced within the zone
3 
prior to the formulation of a tourism master development plan which shall be
4 
undertaken in coordination with the Department of Tourism and the Philippine
5 
Tourism Authority. A tourist zone is established for the enhancement and/or the
6 
conservation of cultural and historical heritage and for the appreciation and enjoyment
7 
of the local population and its visitors;
8 
WWW) "Urban Areas"sha\\ refer to all cities regardless of their population density and
9 
to municipalities with population density of at least five hundred (500) persons per
10 
square kilometer;
11 
xxx) "Urbanizable Areas"sh^W refer to sites and lands which, considering present
12 
characteristics and prevailing conditions, display marked and great potential of
13 
becoming urban areas within a period of five (5) years;
14 
yyy) "Urban Forestry or Green Space"shaW refer to the establishment or setting-up
15 
of areas for mini-forest or small nature parks, lining roads and highways with trees,
16 
shrubs, or ornamental plants, and ground landscaping of schools, hospitals, and other
17 
government agencies in order to improve the environment in urban areas;
18 
zzz) 
"Water Security"s\\b\\ refer to the sufficient access throughout the year to the
19 
minimum daily requirement of clean water to maintain a healthy life;
20 
aaaa) "Water Use"shaW refer to the appropriation of water for domestic, municipal,
21 
irrigation, power generation, inland fisheries, poultry and livestock, industrial and
22 
commercial, environmental, and recreational use;
23 
bbbb) " Watershed"shaW refer to a topographically delineated area of land from which
24 
rainwater can drain as surface run-off vis-a-vis a specific stream or river system to a
25 
common outlet point which may be a dam, irrigation system or urban water supply
26 
take-off point, or where the stream discharges into a river, lake, or the sea;
27 
cccc) "Zoning// sha 11 refer to the regulatory tool for delineating the specific uses of
28 
lands in accordance with the approved CLUP within the territorial jurisdiction of a
29 
city/municipality and specifying the conditions for their regulation; subject to the
30 
limitations imposed by law and competent authority; and,
31 
dddd) "Zoning ordinance"or "ZO"sha\\ refer to a local law passed by the Sangguniang
15


1 
Bayan or Panlungsod approving the development control/zoning plan in accordance
2 
with an approved or adopted CLUP for the city/municipality, and providing for the
3 
regulations and other conditions on the uses of land including the limitation on the
4 
infrastructure that may be placed thereon within the territorial jurisdiction of a city or
5 
municipality. It incorporates the protected areas under Section 13(a) and the
6 
protected agricultural lands under Section 29 hereof.
7 
CHAPTER III
8 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLANS
9 
Sec. 5. National Land Use Planning Process. — The land use and physical
10 
planning process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down
11 
approach. The national framework for physical planning, which guides the planning
12 
and management of the country's land and other physical resources at the national
13 
and sub-national levels, shall indicate broad spatial directions and policy guidelines on
14 
settlement development, production land use, protection land use and infrastructure
15 
development. The regional and provincial framework plans and Comprehensive Land
16 
Use Plans (CLUPs), which cover the physical development of their respective
17 
territories, shall be consistent with the national framework for physical planning:
18 
Provided, That the integration and harmonization of physical framework plans at all
19 
levels shall be imperative to ensure that the concerns of both top and bottom levels
20 
of government are considered in the national, regional and physical framework plans
21 
and CLUPs. The physical and land use plans prepared at all levels shall have internal
22 
consistency specifically on, but not limited to, the development, management, and
23 
conservation of forestlands found within a given territory and the linkages of the major
24 
land use categories to ensure that they complement in the utilization, development,
25 
and management of resources.
26 
Sec. 6. National Framework for Physical Planning. — The Land Use Policy
27 
Council (LUPC) created in Section 14 herein, in consultation with the concerned
28 
sectors through the mandatory conduct of public hearings, shall formulate, periodically
29 
update and ensure the implementation of a national framework for physical planning
30 
that shall serve as the general long-term framework for the spatial development
16


1 
directions of the entire country. A national framework for physical planning shall be
2 
the basis for adopting land use and physical planning-related guidelines and
3 
standards, including zoning and other land use control standards that will guide the
4 
formulation of city/municipal zoning ordinances.
5 
Sec. 7. Regional Physical Framework Rians. — In consultation with concerned
6 
sectors, the Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC) shall define the desired spatial
7 
arrangement of land-using activities in the entire region, consolidating and
8 
harmonizing the provincial physical framework plans of provinces and independent
9 
cities within the territorial jurisdiction of the region. The regional physical framework
10 
plan, which depicts an end-state scenario toward which efforts and activities are
11 
directed, shall consist of spatially-based and area-focused policies, consistent with
12 
those in the national framework for physical planning, to guide detailed physical,
13 
socio-economic, sectoral and investment planning.
14 
Sec. 8. Provincial Physical Framework Rians. — In consultation with concerned
15 
sectors, the Provincial Planning and Development Office shall prepare a provincial
16 
physical framework plan to determine the physical development of the entire
17 
provincial territory, consolidating and harmonizing the land use plans of component
18 
cities and municipalities, and defining the uses of land and other resources within the
19 
province consistent with the policies in the regional physical framework plan. It shall
20 
submit the provincial physical framework plan to the Provincial Land Use Policy Council
21 
(PLUPC), created under Section 20 of this Act, for review and endorsement to the
22 
Sangguniang Paniaiawigan, which shall adopt the same pursuant to Section 468 (2)
23 
(vii) of the LGC.
24 
Sec. 9. City and Municipal Land Use Rians. — The City/Municipal Planning and
25 
Development Office, in consultation with concerned sectors through mandatory
26 
conduct of public hearings, shall prepare the CLUP to determine the specific uses of
27 
land and other physical resources therein including areas co-managed with the
28 
national government and, as appropriate, the ancestral domain areas. Guided by a
29 
provincial physical framework plan, the CLUP shall embody the desired land use
30 
patterns and mixes of the city or municipal territory and provide appropriate policies
31 
for each of the four land use planning categories that shall guide and serve as
17


1 
framework for more detailed development and sectoral planning.
2 
The CLUP shall be translated into a zoning ordinance by the concerned
3 
Sanggunian to regulate the uses of land, including the limitations on height, density
4 
and bulk of buildings and other infrastructure that may be placed thereon.
5 
CHAPTER IV
6 
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING
7 
Sec. 10. Priorities in Land Use AHocation and Pianning. — In projecting spatial
8 
allocation for different land uses, the LGUs shall first exclude areas under protection
9 
land use of Section 13(A) hereof, national parks, energy resource lands, and prime
10 
agricultural lands to ensure ecological integrity, energy supply, and promote food
11 
security. Areas with prior rights and those with site-specific resources for basic
12 
services, such as but not limited to, water and indigenous energy resources, shall also
13 
be excluded. Spatial allocation and planning shall then proceed in accordance with
14 
Sections 12 and 13 hereof with priorities given to integrated watershed management
15 
areas, socialized housing sites, fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas, and waste
16 
disposal sites.
17 
Sec. 11. Adoption of Muitipie Uses of Land Resources. — The primary and
18 
alternative uses of a specific land resource shall be determined and evaluated prior to
19 
any decision for the assignment of its use. Areas feasible for sustainable land resource
20 
use may be considered multiple-use zones wherein settlements, tourism, agriculture,
21 
agro-forestry and extraction activities and other income-generating or livelihood
22 
activities may be allowed: Provided, That multiple uses of land resources shall be in
23 
accordance with priorities in land use allocation and planning and that no
24 
reclassification shall be allowed.
25 
Sec. 12. Basic Land Use Planning Considerations. — In determining the various
26 
land uses, the people and their productive activities and the need for functional open
27 
spaces and preservation areas as well as the various interrelationships of the physical
28 
characteristics of the land and other elements therein shall be considered, among
29 
others, the following:
30 
a) Availability of natural resources including indigenous energy resources for
18


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10 
11 
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
energy security and self-sufficiency;
b) 
Geology, geomorphology, geologic hazard, climate, soil, vegetative cover, 
demography and slope;
c) 
Economic, environmental, social and related development activities;
d) 
Existing government policies on land and natural resources allocation, 
utilization, management and disposition;
e) 
Technological changes/advancement;
f) 
Existing customary rights for the protection of indigenous peoples and 
vulnerable groups including women and urban poor;
g) 
Inventory of prior and existing rights, to harmonize determination of land use. 
Sec. 13. 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 - Planning for protection of land use intends to achieve 
environmental stability and ecological integrity, ensure a balance between resource 
use and the preservation of some areas with environmental, aesthetic, educational, 
cultural and historical significance, and protect people and human-made structures 
from the ill-effects of natural hazards. Areas under this category are those under the 
coverage of the NIPAS Law 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. Areas outside the coverage of the NIPAS 
law include, but are not limited to the following:
i) Reserved old-growth forests above 1,000 meters in elevation and those 
50% in slope gradient;
Mangrove and fish sanctuaries, pursuant to Republic Act No. 8435 or the 
"Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997" and Republic Act 
No. 8550 or the "Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998";
Buffer zones or strips/easements, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 
705 or the "Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines" and Presidential 
Decree No. 1067 or the "Water Code of the Philippines";
19
ii)
iii)


1 
iv) Salvage zones along foreshore areas, freshwater swamps and marshes,
2 
plazas and heritage/historic sites, pursuant to Presidential Decree No.
3 
2146, entitled "Proclaiming Certain Areas and Types of Projects as
4 
Environmentally Critical and Within the Scope of the Environmental
5 
Impact Statement System Established Under PD 1586";
6 
v) 
Watersheds supporting domestic water supply;
7 
vi) 
Utility easement like transmission lines of power companies, oil and gas
8 
facilities, cell sites, and domestic water lines;
9 
vii) Amenity areas or those with high aesthetic values, pursuant to P.D. No.
10 
2146, entitled "Proclaiming Certain Areas and Types of Projects as
11 
Environmentally Critical and Within the Scope of the Environmental
12 
Impact Statement System Established Under PD 1586";
13 
viii) Natural and human-made areas/sites of cultural, historical and
14 
anthropological significance, which are declared as such by
15 
internationally recognized organizations and concerned national
16 
agencies;
17 
ix) Critical habitats as provided in Republic Act No. 9147 or the "Wildlife
18 
Resources Conservation and Protection Act";
19 
x) Significant Caves under Republic Act No. 9072 or the "National Caves
20 
and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act"; and
21 
xi) Key Biodiversity Areas under Executive Order No. 578, Series of 2006
22 
(National Biodiversity Policy)
23 
b) Production Land Use - Planning for production land shall determine the most
24 
efficient, sustainable, and equitable manner of utilizing, developing and managing land
25 
for productive purposes. Areas included in this category are agricultural lands, fishing
26 
grounds, coastal and marine zones, production forest which comprise lands 18% to
27 
50% in slope gradient such as: residual dipterocarps, rangelands for grazing purposes,
28 
industrial tree plantation, community-based forest management areas and other
29 
reforestation projects; mineral lands or mining areas and reservations, energy
30 
resource lands, industrial development areas, and tourism development areas where
31 
productive activities could be undertaken to meet the country's requirements for food
20


1 
security, economic growth and development.
2 
c) Settlements Development- The settlement development plan ensures for the
3 
present and future generation the following:
4 
i) Effective integration of activities within and among settlements, allowing
5 
efficient movement of people and production of commodities through
6 
the provision of appropriate land, infrastructure, and facilities; and
7 
ii) Access of the population to housing, education, healthcare, recreation,
8 
transportation and communication, sanitation, and basic utilities such as
9 
water, power, waste disposal, and other services.
10 
d) Infrastructure Development - Infrastructure development seeks to provide
11 
basic services and foster economic and other forms of integration necessary for
12 
producing or obtaining the material requirements of Filipinos, in an efficient,
13 
responsive, safe and ecologically friendly built environment. It covers these sub-
14 
sectors: transportation, communications, indigenous energy exploration and
15 
development, water resources, and social infrastructure: Provided, That the
16 
determination of functional uses of lands within ancestral domains shall consider
17 
traditional resource and management systems that do not endanger the lives and
18 
property of the local community and neighboring areas or increase the vulnerability of
19 
the natural environment to the effects of natural and human-induced geological
20 
processes.
21 
CHAPTER V
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISM
22 
ARTICLE I
23 
LAND USE POLICY COUNCIL
24 
Sec. 14. Creadon of the Land Use Policy Council (LUPC). — The LUPC is hereby
25 
created under the Economy and Development Council. It shall exercise the powers
26 
and responsibilities of the National Land Use Committee (NLUC). The LUPC shall act
27 
as the highest policy-making body on land use and resolve land use policy conflicts
28 
between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government. It shall integrate
29 
efforts, monitor developments relating to land use and the evolution of policies.
21


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Sec. 15. Composition of the LUPC. — The LUPC shall be headed by the 
Secretary of DEVDep as Chairperson, with the Secretaries of the Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and 
the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) as Vice- 
Chairpersons, and the following as members: 
a) Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR);
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
Department of Transportation (DOTr);
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT); 
Department of Tourism (DOT);
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
Department of Justice (DOJ);
Department of Science and Technology (DOST);
Department of Finance (DOF);
Department of Energy (DOE);
A representative each from four (4) basic sectors directly involved in land use, 
namely: urban poor, peasants, fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who shall be 
appointed by the President of the Philippines based on the nomination and 
recommendation of the respective sectoral councils of the National Anti-Poverty 
Commission (NAPC). At least two sectoral representatives shall be women; and 
m) Two representatives from private subdivision and housing developers.
Each government agency member may designate a permanent representative to the 
LUPC, with a rank not lower than an Assistant Secretary or its equivalent, and 
preferably with proven expertise or relevant background in land use planning, 
environmental management, urban and regional development, or related fields.
A consultative body shall likewise be convened by the LUPC at least once a year 
or as often as may be necessary. It shall be composed of representatives from the 
Leagues of Municipalities, Cities, and Provinces, other government agencies not 
represented in the LUPC, and from non-government sectors such as the private sector, 
non-government organizations (NGOs) and people's organizations (POs), and the
22
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)


1 
academic community.
2 
Sec. 16. Powers and Functions. — The LUPC shall have the following powers
3 
and functions:
4 
a) Advise the President of the Philippines and the Economy Development Council
5 
on all matters concerning land use and physical planning;
6 
b) Formulate policies and endorse land use and physical planning-related policies
7 
that may be formulated by the RLUPC and concerned agencies as well as promulgate
8 
zoning and other land use control standards and guidelines which shall guide the
9 
formulation of land use plans and zoning ordinances by local governments;
10 
c) Harmonize laws, guidelines and policies relevant to land use and physical
11 
planning to come up with a rational, cohesive, and comprehensive national land use
12 
framework;
13 
d) Prepare, periodically review and if necessary, update the national framework
14 
for physical planning to provide the general framework for the spatial development
15 
directions for the entire country and sub-national levels;
16 
e) Monitor and coordinate undertaking the gathering of data, the conduct of
17 
studies pertaining to land use planning including studies on the management of
18 
identified land uses and such other studies not undertaken by other government
19 
agencies;
20 
f) Coordinate with and assist other government agencies and LGUs in planning,
21 
developing, and implementing their land use classification programs, and provide, to
22 
the extent possible, technical assistance and guidance;
23 
g) Monitor and coordinate the activities of concerned agencies and entities of the
24 
government, as well as LGUs, in the enforcement and implementation of policies and
25 
regulations relating to land use and resource management and development;
26 
h) Monitor and coordinate activities in the establishment of a national land
27 
resource information and management system of concerned agencies that shall
28 
integrate and process information on land use and allocation generated by the various
29 
national government agencies; define information requirements at various levels; and
30 
standardize information inputs and outputs including scales and symbols used in
31 
territorial and sectoral maps;
23


1 
i) Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the
2 
government, and or private entities and organization for cooperation, support, and
3 
assistance in the performance of its functions;
4 
j) Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use between or among national
5 
government agencies and act on unresolved land use policy conflicts at the regional
6 
level;
7 
k) Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of meetings
8 
and other business of the Council; and
9 
I) Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers as may
10 
be necessarily implied, inherent, incident, or related to the foregoing.
11 
Sec. 17. LUPC Technical Board (LUPC-TB). — A Technical Board shall be created
12 
to provide technical support to the LUPC. It shall be composed of:
13 
a) 
DEPDev Deputy Director-General for Regional Development as Chairperson;
14 
b) 
Representatives of the member agencies/institutions of the LUPC, who shall
15 
have a rank not lower than Director level; and
16 
c) 
The representatives of the four (4) basic sectors as enumerated in Section 15
17 
(d) of this Act.
18 
Sec. 18. Offices, Units and Staff Support. —The DEPDev Regional Development
19 
Office shall continue to provide core secretariat services to LUPC, its Technical Board
20 
and RLUPC. Other government agencies may also be called upon for staff support.
21 
ARTICLE II
22 
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS AS LOCAL LAND USE POLICY COUNCILS
23 
Sec. 19. Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC). — At the regional level, the
24 
RLUPC will be institutionalized, replicating the LUPC structure and composition. A
25 
representative from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian
26 
Reform (DAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall
27 
be included in the composition of the RLUPC. The RLUPC shall have the following
28 
functions:
29 
a) 
Formulate and adopt regional policies on land use and physical planning;
30 
b) 
Prepare and periodically update a regional physical framework plan, taking into
24


1 
consideration national policies and lower level plans;
2 
c) Assist the provinces in preparing and periodically updating its physical
3 
framework plans to ensure consistency with the regional and national plans and
4 
policies and to facilitate its integration to the regional plans;
5 
d) Review, prior to adoption by respective Sanggunian bodies, the provincial
6 
physical framework plan and CLUPs of highly urbanized and independent component
7 
cities to ensure consistency with the regional physical framework plan and national
8 
policies set forth by LUPC and compliance with limits prescribed under the 1991 LGC
9 
for reclassifying agricultural lands;
10 
e) Resolve and recommend policy conflicts on land use planning, classification,
11 
and allocation that may arise between or among regional line agencies;
12 
f) 
Monitor changes in land use and other physical resources in the region;
13 
g) 
Evaluate consistency of major programs and projects with the regional physical
14 
framework plans and their impact on land use and the environment;
15 
h) Undertake the gathering of regional data for the Land Resource Information
16 
and Management System; and
17 
i) 
Perform other related functions as may be directed by the LUPC.
18 
Sec. 20. Provincial Land Use Policy Council (PLUPC). — The Provincial
19 
Development Council (PDC), created under Section 106 of the LGC, shall act as the
20 
PLUPC that will tackle land use concerns whenever necessary. A representative from
21 
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Environment and
22 
Natural Resources (DENR) shall be included in the composition of the PLUPC.
23 
In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 109 of the LGC, the PLUPC shall:
24 
a) Advise the Sangguniang Paniaiawigan on all matters pertaining to land use and
25 
physical planning;
26 
b) Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Paniaiawigan for adoption, the
27 
provincial physical framework plan prepared and periodically updated by the Provincial
28 
Planning and Development Office and other land use and physical planning-related
29 
policies;
30 
c) Assist the Sangguniang Paniaiawigan in reviewing the CLUPs of component
31 
cities/municipalities to ensure consistency with the provincial physical framework plans
25


1 
and compliance with the limits prescribed under the 1991 LGC for reclassifying
2 
agricultural lands; and
3 
d) Resolve and recommend policy conflicts on land use planning, classification,
4 
and allocation that may arise between or among cities/municipalities and any
5 
unresolved land use conflicts at the city/municipal level.
6 
The PLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as Provincial Planning and
7 
Development Coordinator, Provincial Agriculturist, Provincial Environment and Natural
8 
Resources Officer, Provincial Engineer, Provincial Assessor, or any official of national
9 
agencies and other relevant agencies during discussions on land use and physical
10 
planning concerns.
11 
Sec. 21. City/Municipal Land Use Policy Council (C/MLUPC). — The
12 
City/Municipal Development Council (C/MDC), created under Section 106 of the LGC,
13 
shall act as the C/MLUPC that will tackle land use concerns whenever necessary. A
14 
representative from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of
15 
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall be included in the composition of
16 
the C/MLUPC.
17 
In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 109 of the LGC, the C/MLUPC shall:
18 
a) Advise the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Paniungsod on all matters
19 
pertaining to land use and physical planning;
20 
b) Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Paniungsod for
21 
adoption, the CLUP prepared and periodically updated by the City/Municipal Planning
22 
and Development Office and other land use and physical planning-related policies;
23 
and
24 
c) Resolve and recommend policy conflicts on land use planning and allocation
25 
that may arise between and among barangays any unresolved land use conflicts
26 
at the barangay\&je\ regarding the violation of zoning ordinances including opposition
27 
to applications for locational clearances, permits or certificates.
28 
For purposes of this Act, the City/Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator
29 
(C/MPDC) shall (a) act on all applications for locational clearances for all projects
30 
except those of vital and national economic or environmental significance, and (b)
31 
monitor on-going/existing projects within their respective jurisdictions and issue
26


1 
notices of violation to owners, developers, or managers of projects that are violative
2 
of zoning ordinances.
3 
The C/MLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as C/MPDC,
4 
City/Municipal Agriculturist, City/Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer,
5 
City/Municipal Engineer, City/Municipal Assessor, or any official of national agencies
6 
during discussions on land use and physical planning concerns.
7 
Local government units without operational C/MDCs as mandated by the 1991 LGC
8 
shall activate their respective Councils within six (6) months from the effectivity of this
9 
Act.
10 
ARTICLE III
11 
ADOPTION, APPROVAL AND REVIEW OF LAND USE PLANS
12 
Sec. 22. Component Cities and Municipaiities. — Component cities and
13 
municipalities shall have the power and authority to adopt and approve their
14 
respective CLUPs and ZOs through their respective Sanggunian bodies subject to the
15 
power of review of their respective provinces only with respect to the consistency of
16 
the CLUPs and ZOs with Section 9 hereof on the preparation of the provincial physical
17 
framework plan.
18 
Sec. 23. Provinces and Independent and Highiy Urbanized Cities. — Provinces
19 
and independent and highly urbanized cities shall have the power and authority to
20 
adopt and approve their respective CLUPs, ZOs or provincial physical framework plan,
21 
as the case may be, through their respective Sanggunian but subject to the review of
22 
the RLUPC as provided in Section 19 hereof.
23 
ARTICLE IV
24 
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND LGUS
25 
Sec. 24. Nationai Base Mapping Program. — A national mapping program shall
26 
be implemented, coordinated, and monitored through the creation of an Inter-agency
27 
Technical Committee (ITC) composed of the National Mapping and Resource
28 
Information Authority (NAMRIA), as the lead agency, the Bureau of Soils and Water
29 
Management (BSWM), the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the Land Management
30 
Bureau (LMB), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), the Mines and
27


1 
Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology And Seismology
2 
(PHIVOLCS), DAR, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), DOE, DEPDev and
3 
other concerned government agencies/bureaus. The ITC shall be constituted, and the
4 
mapping program initiated, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act.
5 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, to be assisted by the
6 
appropriate agencies of the national government, shall likewise prepare their
7 
respective territorial maps using scales, symbols, and other indicators to be prescribed
8 
in accordance with this Act. The completed maps shall be integrated in the national
9 
framework for physical planning pursuant to Section 6 hereof.
10 
Sec. 25. National Geo-Hazard Mapping Program. — Within thirty (30) days from
11 
the effectivity of this Act, a nationwide geo-hazard mapping program shall be initiated
12 
jointly thru the LUPC by the PHIVOLCS, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
13 
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the NAMRIA, MGB, BSWM, and DOE,
14 
in coordination with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), the Regional
15 
Disaster Coordinating Councils, and other concerned government agencies. The
16 
program shall include the generation of indicative geo-hazard zoning maps that will
17 
outline areas in the Philippines which are prone to liquefaction, landslides, severe flash
18 
flooding, lahar, ground rupturing, tsunami, river erosion, coastal erosion, sinkhole
19 
collapse, earthquake, hazardous volcanic products, and other disastrous natural
20 
hazards.
21 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop a safe-
22 
built environment, the LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the
23 
generated geo-hazard zoning maps in their respective CLUPs. Said geo-hazard maps
24 
shall serve as guide for all the LGUs in the preparation of their own hazards-
25 
constrained development plans. The national framework for physical planning,
26 
pursuant to Section 6 hereof, shall incorporate these geo-hazard maps.
27 
All infrastructure activities including real estate and subdivision projects and the
28 
development of tourist spots requiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)
29 
shall be required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard Assessment
30 
Report (EGGAR).
31 
Sec. 26. Scope and Nature of Responsibilities of Other National Government
28


1 
Agencies. — All concerned national government agencies/bodies shall periodically
2 
report to the LUPC on the various activities and accomplishments relative to land use.
3 
Likewise, they shall provide their respective sectoral/development plans and render
4 
technical and administrative support if called upon by the LUPC relative to the
5 
implementation of the provisions of this Act.
6 
Sec. 27. Submission of Annuai Report on the Impiementation of CLUPs. — The
7 
C/MLUPC shall submit an annual report on the implementation of their land use plans
8 
to the PLUPC, which shall integrate the same for submission to the RLUPC, which shall
9 
in turn integrate the provincial reports for submission to the LUPC.
10
11
CHAPTER VI
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN
12 
ARTICLE I
13 
AGRICULTURAL LANDS
14 
Sec. 28. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development. — Priority areas for
15 
agricultural development are the CARP, CARPable areas, and the NPAAAD.
16 
Sec. 29. Conversion of Agricultural Lands. — Agricultural lands are deemed
17 
converted to non-agricultural uses upon the recommendation of appropriate
18 
government agencies and the approval by the DAR of the application for conversion.
19 
Prime agricultural lands and specific types of lands to the extent necessary for
20 
attaining food self-sufficiency in rice and corn and food security in other basic
21 
commodities, as determined by the DA, subject to mandatory consultation with the
22 
LGUs, the private sector, the NGOs, and POs, shall be protected from conversion,
23 
which shall include but not limited to areas under the NPAAAD: Provided, That all
24 
irrigated and irrigable lands, all lands developed or possessing the potential for
25 
development of high value crops, and all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile
26 
and whose conversion will result in serious environmental problems shall be given full
27 
protection from conversion, the areas under which are subject to review every six (6)
28 
years by the DA, DAR and DENR, with the mandatory public consultations: Provided,
29 
further. That consistent with the State policy on giving priority to the completion of
30 
the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), all lands subject to CARP
29


1 
including those lands covered under the notice of compulsory acquisition/voluntary
2 
offer to sell, production or profit-sharing, or commercial farm deferment shall also be
3 
protected from conversion pending the distribution and installation of the farmer
4 
beneficiaries, but thereafter. Section 65 of Republic Act No. 6657 or the
5 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) shall apply.
6 
Lands defined under Section 10 of R.A. No. 6657 shall remain exempted and
7 
excluded from the coverage of CARP.
8 
Sec. 30. Re-dassification/Sub-dassification of Agricultural Lands by LGUs. —
9 
Sub-classification or re-classification of agricultural lands to other uses under Section
10 
20 of the LGC of 1991 shall exclude the prime agricultural lands as stated in the
11 
preceding section. Moreover, such sub-classification/reclassification 
is not
12 
synonymous to conversion. The DA and DAR shall provide the LGUs with a complete
13 
list and maps of prime agricultural lands within their territorial jurisdictions.
14 
ARTICLE II
15 
FORESTLANDS AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
16 
Sec. 31. Reversion of Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands. — Upon
17 
the recommendation of the Secretary of the DENR, duly reviewed and endorsed by
18 
the LUPC, and after due consultations with the concerned LGUs and affected parties,
19 
Congress may authorize the reversion of alienable and disposable lands of the public
20 
domain or portion thereof to forestlands. Thereafter, said lands shall be included in
21 
the preparation of land use plans within forestlands.
22 
Sec. 32. Critical Watershed Areas. — The DENR, in coordination with the DA,
23 
LGUs, and other government agencies, including government-owned and-controlled
24 
corporations, and with mandatory public consultations, shall identify and delineate
25 
critical watershed areas that need to be protected, rehabilitated, enhanced, and/or
26 
withdrawn from uses that contribute to their further degradation.
27 
Sec. 33. Formulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed
28 
Management Plans. — With the assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory
29 
consultations with the concerned sectors, the LGUs through their local land use
30 
committees shall prepare their watershed management plans which shall be
30


1 
integrated with their respective CLUPs. The formulation and integration of the plan
2 
shall be guided, among others, by the principle that the management and
3 
development of inland water resources shall be at the watershed level. A nationwide
4 
mapping of watersheds in the country shall be implemented.
5 
In cases where the watershed areas transcend the boundaries of a particular
6 
municipality, an inter-LGU committee composed of representatives from local land use
7 
committees of the LGUs where the watershed area is located shall be formed. With
8 
the assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory consultations with the concerned
9 
sectors, the inter-LGU committee shall formulate the watershed management plan for
10 
the said watershed area.
11 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the watershed
12 
management plan subject to regular consultations with and involvement of the
13 
community and other stakeholders in the implementation of the plan.
14 
The preparation of Forest Land Use Plans shall make use of the watershed as the basic
15 
planning unit.
16 
ARTICLE III
17 
COASTAL ZONES
18 
Sec. 34. Criteria on the Aiiocation and Utiiization of Lands within the Coastai
19 
Zones. — The allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zones shall be
20 
guided by the following:
21 
a) Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be preserved for mangrove
22 
production and shall not be converted to other uses;
23 
b) Areas that meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil depth,
24 
topography, supply for successful fishpond development, and are not identified as
25 
mangrove protected areas, shall be utilized for aquaculture purposes;
26 
c) Areas sub-classified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or due to
27 
environmental conditions need to be preserved as mangrove, but are devoid of
28 
mangrove stands shall not be converted to other uses. The DENR shall ensure that
29 
these lands shall be reforested within a given period of time;
30 
d) Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and housing
31 
shall be allocated to traditional fisherfolk who are inhabitants of the coastal
31


1 
communities and members of legitimate fisherfolk organizations and/or holders of
2 
stewardship iease contracts or titles to ancestral domains or any form of property right
3 
arrangements who participate in coastal resource management initiatives, subject to
4 
the usual census procedures of the DHSUD;
5 
e) Areas that are neither sub-classified as mangrove, fisherfolk settlement nor
6 
fishpond may be devoted to recreational or tourism purposes: Provided, That such
7 
undertaking will not result in environmental degradation and displacement of small
8 
fishers;
9 
f) Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used
10 
primarily for such purpose;
11 
g) Areas which have been allocated for small infrastructure needed by fisherfolk
12 
shall be allowed; and
13 
h) Areas which form part of foreshore lands as defined in this Act including those
14 
that are under lease agreements or arrangements shall undergo zoning and evaluation
15 
to determine their boundaries and actual sizes and corresponding uses.
16 
Sec. 35. Coastal Land Zone Sub-classification. — All public lands in the coastal
17 
zones shall be subclassified into any of the following: estuaries, lagoons, inter-tidal
18 
flats, mudflats, fishponds, mangroves, protection from tidal surge, for preservation of
19 
biodiversity, habitats and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife, fisherfolk settlement, or
20 
recreational/tourism areas. No sub-classification of coastal zones to different uses shall
21 
be done without the following:
22 
a) Conduct of a comprehensive resource and environmental assessment by the
23 
DENR and respective LGUs and accredited NGOs and POs within their jurisdiction; and
24 
b) Prior consultation with local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management
25 
Councils (FARMCs) formed under Republic Act No. 8550 or the Fisheries Code.
26 
Sec. 36. Zoning of Foreshore Areas. — Local government units, in coordination
27 
with the DENR, shall conduct zoning of their respective foreshore areas to assist
28 
government and community fishers identify priority areas for conservation and
29 
development, and to enable them to set targets for mangrove reforestation and
30 
rehabilitation.
31
32


1 
ARTICLE IV
2 
MINERAL LANDS
3 
Sec. 37. Criteria for the Utiiization and Allocation of Land for Mining Purposes.
4 
— Consistent with Section 5 of this Act and the provisions of Republic Act No. 7942
5 
or the Mining Act of 1995, and to ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological
6 
balance and maximizing economic returns to mining operations are realized, the
7 
allocation and utilization of lands for mining purposes shall be guided by the following:
8 
a) The principles of sustainable development and responsible mining;
9 
b) In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards shall be
10 
instituted by the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent environmental
11 
degradation of the mining sites and adjacent areas;
12 
c) Mineral reservations which have become non-operational for more than ten
13 
(10) years as determined by the MGB shall be placed under appropriate surface
14 
management by the DENR;
15 
d) Consistent with the Mining Act of 1995, existing mineral reservations shall be
16 
periodically reviewed by the DENR for the purpose of determining whether their
17 
continued existence is consistent with the national interest and, if warranted,
18 
recommend the alteration or modification of its boundaries or revert the same to
19 
public domain without prejudice to prior existing rights; and
20 
e) Protection of forest lands and agricultural lands should be exempt from mining
21 
activities to minimize the effect of natural calamities and to protect food security
22 
respectively. Small to large scale mining operations should yield and recognize the
23 
tenurial instruments given by the government such as OCT, TCT, CADT, EP-CLOA and
24 
other instruments. If these be present, no mining activity should be conducted.
25 
Sec. 38. Reversion of Mineral Lands. — All mineral lands with exhausted mineral
26 
resources, as determined by the MGB upon the recommendation of the DENR, shall
27 
revert to its original land classification, that is, as forest land or agricultural land. In
28 
the case of forestlands, the DENR may classify such areas for other purposes in
29 
consultation with concerned LGUs, the DOT, and other national government agencies.
30 
Exhausted mineral lands shall refer to specific sites whose mineral deposits are no
31 
longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure for their
33


1 
extraction and utilization.
2 
ARTICLE V
3 
ENERGY RESOURCE LANDS
4 
Sec. 39. Guidelines for the Utilization and Allocation of Lands for Energy
5 
Resource Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution Purposes.
6 
—To ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and maximizing the
7 
power potential from indigenous energy resources in the most economical and
8 
environmentally-acceptable means are realized, the allocation and utilization of lands
9 
for said purposes shall be guided by the following, consistent with existing regulations
10 
and laws on energy resources:
11 
a) Indigenous energy resource exploration and development for the purpose of a
12 
National Energy Resource Inventory and Data Base as well as Energy Resource Block
13 
Map shall be allowed subject to the implementation of complementary watershed and
14 
other land management plans;
15 
b) Indigenous energy resource exploration, development, production, utilization,
16 
and distribution shall be subject to the appropriate requirements and processes of the
17 
Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) system. Each project shall secure an
18 
Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) prior to project implementation to ensure
19 
adequate and appropriate environmental management measures and optimum
20 
methods for resource access and recovery are utilized; and
21 
c) Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been
22 
established to be non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used for energy
23 
purposes shall be released to give way to other land uses, subject to existing laws
24 
covering energy reservations.
25 
Sec. 40. Reversion of Energy Resource Lands. — All exhausted indigenous
26 
energy resource lands not covered by proclamations shall automatically revert to the
27 
category of forestlands or agricultural lands open to disposition, whichever is
28 
appropriate. Exhausted energy resource lands shall refer to specific energy resource
29 
sites whose energy reserves of the desired type/s are no longer in sufficient quantity
30 
or quality to justify additional expenditure for their extraction and utilization.
34


1 
CHAPTER VII
2 
SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT
3 
Sec. 41. Town, City, and Settlements Development — The development of
4 
town, city, and settlements through the zoning ordinances of cities and municipalities
5 
shall be guided by urban zoning standards designed to maximize existing urban
6 
spaces. Socialized housing and settlement areas should be established only on
7 
alienable and disposable lands in order to avoid further degradation of forestlands.
8 
Sec. 42. Settlements within Geo-hazard Areas. — Settlements, in particular
9 
housing or residential developments, within geo-hazard areas may be allowed
10 
provided that mitigating and/or protective measures are adopted to address the
11 
potential danger or risk to lives and property within such settlements. In coordination
12 
with the concerned agencies of the government, the LUPC shall provide assistance to
13 
concerned LGUs and settlers in instituting safety and corrective measures to address
14 
the potential danger or risk.
15 
Residential zones as designated in the CLUP shall be considered as outside the
16 
geo-hazard areas. For this purpose, housing projects within such areas shall be
17 
exempt from the ECC as well as the EGGAR and may be implemented without the
18 
need for any further certificate of exemption from the DENR or any other government
19 
regulatory agency.
20 
Sec. 43. Designation of Sanitary Landfill. — Each city or municipality shall
21 
identify, designate and allocate an area within their territorial jurisdiction to serve as
22 
sanitary landfill within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. The LGUs, in
23 
coordination with the DENR or any other competent authority, shall identify sanitary
24 
landfill sites in order to fast-track the conduct of environmental impact assessment
25 
study and to facilitate processing of the environmental compliance certificate. The site
26 
or area shall be identified in the city or municipality's CLUP. For this purpose, cities
27 
and municipalities shall establish their solid waste management program pursuant to
28 
Republic Act No. 9003 or the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act". Likewise, as
29 
provided under Section 33 of the LGC, cities and municipalities may, through
30 
appropriate ordinances, bind themselves towards the establishment of a common solid
31 
waste management program.
35


1 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR, in coordination with
2 
concerned agencies, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines and standards for the
3 
formulation and establishment of solid waste management programs by cities and
4 
municipalities, and shall submit the same to the LUPC for review and approval.
5 
Sec. 44. Designation and Zoning of Socialized Housing Zones. — Each city or
6 
municipality in urban, urbanizable and rural areas shall designate through the CLUP
7 
adequate lands for housing or residential purposes, including socialized housing and
8 
resettlement areas for the immediate and future needs of the local population as well
9 
as the underprivileged and homeless in their territory, pursuant to existing laws and
10 
regulations. In order to ensure adequate availability of land for the housing needs of
11 
the local population, the CLUP shall be updated, at maximum, every nine (9) years
12 
for provinces, cities and municipalities.
13 
The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential zones,
14 
and shall be zoned as socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city or
15 
municipality's zoning ordinance, pursuant to existing laws and regulations.
16 
Fisherfolk settlements and housing in coastal municipalities shall be zoned near the
17 
sea for easy access to their livelihood as provided under Section 35 (d) of this Act.
18 
The housing or residential lands designated in the CLUPs and ZOs of cities and
19 
municipalities shall, on one hand, not be subject to further land reclassification by the
20 
LGU or land conversion procedure under DAR. On the other hand, agricultural lands
21 
as designated in the CLUP which are no longer economically feasible for agricultural
22 
use may be subject to land reclassification or conversion to housing/residential
23 
purposes and such conversion, as the case may be, shall be exempt from the coverage
24 
of any moratorium on land conversion.
25 
Sec. 45. Urban Forest or Green Space. — Each city or highly urbanizing
26 
municipality shall identify, designate, and allocate lands owned by the city or
27 
municipality as urban forest or green space based on the guidelines and standards to
28 
be issued by the DENR and approved by the LUPC.
36


1 
CHAPTER VIII
2 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS
3 
Sec. 46. Criteria for Designating Industrial Development Areas. — The
4 
identification and establishment of industrial development areas shall conform to the
5 
provisions of Republic Act No. 7916, or the "Philippine Economic Zone Authority
6 
(PEZA) Law"; the CARL, IPRA, UDHA, and the AFMA, taking into consideration the
7 
following:
8 
a) Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected
9 
agricultural areas pursuant to the AFMA;
10 
b) National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based industrial
11 
development;
12 
c) Identified growth areas and corridors in the National Development Plan;
13 
d) 
National 
Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and non-NIPAS areas that require
14 
protection;
15 
e) 
National and Urban Development and Housing Framework;
16 
f) 
Identified Socialized Housing Zones;
17 
g) 
National framework for physical planning and other existing national programs
18 
and policies.
19 
The designated industrial development areas shall become an integral part of the land
20 
use plan and zoning ordinance of the city or municipality where these areas are
21 
located.
22 
CHAPTER IX
23 
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AREAS
24 
Sec. 47. Criteria for Designating Tourism Development Areas. — The
25 
identification, selection, and development of tourism development areas and tourism
26 
estates shall be done in consultation and coordination with the concerned LGUs,
27 
national government agencies, the private sector, and the affected communities.
28 
Tourism development areas shall likewise include those covered by legislative and
29 
executive issuances as tourist spots, tourist zones and tourism ecozones which can be
30 
developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, leisure and recreation complexes
37


1 
and other tourism-related facilities as well as those identified in the national, regional
2 
and inter-regional tourism, and area specific tourism master plans and other sector
3 
plans such as ecotourism and agri-tourism sites.
4 
Designated areas for tourism development shall become part of the CLUPs of
5 
the cities or municipalities where these are located.
6 
Sec. 48. Identification and Declaration of Areas for Protection, Conservation
7 
and Preservation of Cultural Heritage. — The National Historical Institute (NHI) and/or
8 
the National Museum in coordination with other concerned agencies, local
9 
communities, and the private sector, shall identify declared areas and structures which
10 
shall be protected and/or preserved as part of the Philippine cultural heritage.
11 
The LCDs in coordination with the NHI, the National Commission for Culture
12 
and Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) shall designate
13 
historical zones to protect the historical integrity of said geographical areas and
14 
cultural space of intangible cultural properties, which are significant to a city/
15 
municipality and the community.
16 
CHAPTER X
17 
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
18 
Sec. 49. Allocation and Use of Land for Infrastructure Development — Land,
19 
whether public or private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure
20 
projects that are supportive of national or local development objectives. The DEPDev,
21 
in consultation with the concerned national government agencies, LGUs, and the
22 
private sector shall identify and periodically review, update and/or revise the list of
23 
priority infrastructure projects subject to Sections 5 and 29 hereof, and Section 47 of
24 
the AFMA. In determining and evaluating the list of priority infrastructure projects,
25 
consideration shall be given to those that;
26 
a) Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national economy with
27 
priority on improving rural infrastructure and the development of the agriculture and
28 
fisheries sectors;
29 
b) Upgrade existing facilities to international standards;
30 
c) Address the need for sustainable settlements development; and
38


1 
d) Help mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing phenomena or
2 
those that shall serve as alternatives to existing infrastructures found in natural
3 
hazard-prone areas: Provided, That the provision and implementation of infrastructure
4 
support shall be made compatible with existing environmental conditions and the
5 
physical, whether natural or human-made, and cultural character of the area.
6 
Mandatory public consultations pursuant to existing laws and regulations shall be held
7 
prior to the conduct of all infrastructure projects that will necessarily involve
8 
dislocation or displacement of people in the area: Provided, further. That the
9 
proponent of the infrastructure project shall follow the rules on just and humane
10 
eviction or demolition under Section 28 of the UDHA, notwithstanding the provisions
11 
of Republic Act No. 8975, prohibiting lower courts from issuing temporary restraining
12 
orders, preliminary injunctions, or preliminary mandatory injunctions, and proponent
13 
shall follow IPRA: Provided, fmaiiy. That national government infrastructure projects
14 
shall allocate budget for the adequate relocation of displaced communities.
15 
Sec. 50. Infrastructure Projects Within Geo-hazard Areas. — Construction of
16 
priority infrastructure projects within hazard-prone areas shall be allowed: Provided,
17 
That mitigating and/or preventive measures are adopted to address the potential
18 
adverse economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts that will emanate from
19 
these infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and recommendations of a
20 
feasibility study/environmental impact assessment in accordance with Presidential
21 
Decree No. 1586 and Republic Act No. 4846.
22 
Existing projects that did not go through the process of an environmental
23 
impact assessment and pose threats to the environment, integrity of historic,
24 
archeological, or scientifically significant areas or are impinging on critical ecosystems,
25 
may be:
26 
a) Terminated immediately;
27 
b) Required to implement an Environmental Management Plan; (c) gradually
28 
phased-out and relocated; or
29 
c) Maintained up to their life span, subject, however, to mitigating measures.
30 
Provided, That the rules on mandatory public consultations and just and humane
31 
eviction or demolition shall also be observed prior to the termination, gradual phase-
39


1 
out, or relocation of projects that will necessarily involve dislocation or displacement
2 
of people in the area.
3 
CHAPTER XI
4 
TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND VALUE FORMATION
5 
Sec. 51. Value Formation. — In order to create a well-informed, responsible
6 
and committed citizenry who values the protection, conservation and development of
7 
the country's limited land and other physical resources, the State shall mandate the
8 
inclusion of sustainable land use education or any subject related thereto in the
9 
curricula of primary, secondary and tertiary education.
10 
Sec. 52. Information and Education Campaign. — The LUPC shall undertake a
11 
nationwide education information campaign in land use and physical planning to be
12 
implemented by local and national government agencies. The DILG and concerned
13 
agencies shall formulate and implement a land use management capability-building
14 
program for national and local government officials, community leaders, NGOs, POs,
15 
religious sector, and the general public.
16 
CHAPTER XII
17 
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS, AND PENALTIES
18 
ARTICLE I
19 
INCENTIVES AND AWARDS
20 
Sec. 53. Formulation of a System of Incentives and Awards. — The LUPC shall
21 
come out with a system of incentives and awards to LGUs that regularly update their
22 
CLUPs within the prescribed period, as follows:
23 
a) Provinces, Highly Urbanized Cities, and Independent Component Cities once
24 
every nine (9) years; and
25 
b) Component cities and municipalities once every nine (9) years.
26 
Sec. 54. Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs. — In providing
27 
technical assistance and other forms of support related to land use management and
28 
the implementation of development plans, national government agencies shall give
29 
priority to cities and municipalities with approved CLUPs.
40


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
ii)
iii)
ARTICLE II
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES
Sec. 55. Fine for Non-Completion and Non-Commencement of Development of 
Agricultural Lands with Approved Order of Conversion. — A landowner and his/her 
designated developer or duly authorized representative who fails to commence and/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 year from the date of conversion order:
i) Six percent (6%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the first three 
(3) hectares;
Fifteen percent (15%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the next 
three hectares, and
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 by the DLR through 
compulsory acquisition for distribution to qualified beneficiaries.
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. 56. Authority to Impose Fine. — The DAR shall impose the penalty provided 
for under the preceding section.
Sec. 57. Withdrawal of Local Development Permits or Licenses. — Upon receipt of 
notice from the DAR, the concerned agencies and the city or municipality shall 
withdraw or revoke any development permit and other licenses that may be necessary 
to develop the agricultural land subject of conversion.
Sec. 58. Utilization of Fines. — The fines collected under Sections 55, 60, 61, and
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1 
62 hereof shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund consistent with the
2 
provisions of the CARL, as amended.
3 
Sec. 59. Failure to Formulate, Enforce, and/or Implement the CLUPs. —Consistent
4 
with due process, the DILG shall investigate, review, and impose appropriate action
5 
regarding local chief executives and other local officials and employees responsible for
6 
the formulation, enforcement, and/or implementation of the CLUPs in case of any of
7 
the following:
8 
a) Failure to implement and enforce the CLUP due to negligence of duty;
9 
b) Failure to provide appropriate budgetary allocation to effect its implementation;
10 
and
11 
c) Failure to complete the preparation of the CLUP despite the availability of funds,
12 
resources, and support by the Sanggunian concerned.
13 
Any public official or employee, regardless of whether elected or appointed or
14 
holding office or employment in a casual, temporary, holdover, permanent, or regular
15 
capacity, found to be responsible for any of the foregoing acts, after due notice and
16 
hearing by the appropriate body or agency, shall be punished with forfeiture of salaries
17 
and allowances and suspension from:
18 
a) Six (6) to nine (9) months, in case of non-implementation of CLUP; or
19 
b) Three (3) to six (6) months, in case of non-completion of the CLUP,
20 
Sec. 60. Person(s) Abetting Illegal Conversion. — Any person initiating, causing,
21 
inducing, or abetting illegal conversion shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned from
22 
seven (7) to twelve (12) years and imposed a fine of not less than one hundred
23 
thousand (Phpl00,000.00) pesos, or both at the discretion of the court: Provided,
24 
That if the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the
25 
penalty shall, in addition thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation
26 
from the service and forfeiture of all benefits and entitlements accruing to the public
27 
position and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive
28 
public office: Provided, further. That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty
29 
of imprisonment shall be imposed on the president, chief executive officer, manager,
30 
the Chairperson and all the members of the board, and other responsible officers
31 
thereof, and the fine shall be equivalent to the zonal value of the land or forty percent
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1 
(40%) of the shareholders equity, as determined at the time of judgment whichever
2 
is higher, plus forfeiture of the land in favor ofthe State for sale though public auction,
3 
the proceeds of which shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund as
4 
provided for in Section 58 of this Act.
5 
Sec. 61. Penalty for Reclassification of Protected Agricultural Lands and Exceeding
6 
the Limit of Areas Allowed for Reclassification. — Any person initiating, causing,
7 
inducing, or abetting the reclassification of protected agricultural areas into non-
8 
agricultural uses and exceeding the limits set forth under Section 20 of the LGC of
9 
1991, shall be penalized with imprisonment of twelve (12) years and a fine of not less
10 
than One hundred thousand (Phpl00,000.00) pesos, or both at the discretion of the
11 
Court: Provided, That if the offender is a public official or employee, the penalty shall,
12 
in addition thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation from the service
13 
whether elected or appointed and forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the public
14 
position, and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive
15 
public position: Provided, further. That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty
16 
shall be imposed on the president, chief executive officer, manager, the Chairperson
17 
and all the members of the board, and other responsible officers thereof.
18 
Sec. 62. Payment of Disturbance Compensation. — Following the order of priority
19 
such as agricultural lessees and share tenants, regular farm workers, seasonal farm
20 
workers, other farm workers, actual tillers or occupants of public lands, collective, or
21 
cooperative of the above beneficiaries, and others directly working on the land
22 
affected by agricultural land use conversion shall be entitled to the payment of
23 
disturbance compensation equivalent to five (5) times the average of the gross
24 
harvests on the landholding during the last five (5) preceding calendar years or a
25 
certain percentage of the converted land, whichever is higher, as determined by the
26 
DAR.
27 
CHAPTER XIII
28 
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS
29 
Sec. 63. Convening ofthe LUPC. — Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity
30 
of this Act, the Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning shall convene the LUPC.
31 
Sec. 64. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days from
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1 
the effectivity of this Act, the LUPC shall promulgate the rules and regulations to
2 
implement the provisions of this Act. Said rules and regulations shall be submitted to
3 
the Congressional Oversight Committee for approval.
4 
Sec. 65. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act — There is
5 
hereby created a Congressional Oversight Committee composed of seven (7)
6 
members from the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and
7 
seven (7) members from the House of Representatives Committees on Natural
8 
Resources and Housing and Urban Development. The members from the Senate shall
9 
be appointed by the Senate President based on proportional representation of the
10 
parties or coalitions therein with at least two (2) senators representing the minority.
11 
The members from the House of Representatives shall be appointed by the Speaker
12 
also based on proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein with at
13 
least two (2) members representing the minority.
14 
The secretariat of the Oversight Committee shall be drawn from the existing
15 
secretariat personnel of the committees comprising the oversight and the funding shall
16 
be taken from the appropriations of both the House of Representatives and the
17 
Senate.
18 
Sec. 66. Appropriations. — The appropriations for the National Land Use
19 
Committee under the DEVDep under the current General Appropriations Act shall be
20 
used to carry out the initial operations of the Land Use Policy Council. Thereafter,
21 
additional sums as may be necessary for the full implementation of LUPC's functions
22 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
23 
Sec. 67. Review of Existing Land Use Rians. — Provinces, cities, and
24 
municipalities with existing land use plans shall review, revise, reconcile, and
25 
harmonize the same with the guidelines and standards set forth under this Act within
26 
one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act.
27 
Sec. 68. Non-impairment Clause. — Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to
28 
diminish, impair, or repeal rights recognized, granted, or available to marginalized or
29 
basic sectors under existing laws including but not limited to Republic Act Nos. 7279,
30 
6657, 8371, and 8550.
31 
Sec. 69. Separability Clause. — If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
44


1 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall
2 
remain in force and effect.
3 
Sec. 70. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
4 
order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this
5 
Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
6 
Sec. 71. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
7 
following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general
8 
circulation.
Approved,
45