EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Rcgithir Session 
)
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 
8
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*19 
J U L -1  
A l i n i
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS N. PANGILINAN
AN ACT
INSTITUTING 
A 
NATIONAL 
LAND 
USE 
POLICY, 
PROVIDING 
THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The proposed National Land Use Act institutionalizes a comprehensive land use 
policy to ensure the sustainable use of our country's land and physical resources. It 
provides mechanisms for identifying, determining, and evaluating appropriate land use 
and allocation patterns that promote and ensure:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources;
Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability 
specifically the perpetual protection of permanent forests and watershed for 
the attainment of food, water and energy sufficiency;
Disaster risk-reduction and climate change resiliency;
Protection of prime agricultural lands for food security in basic commodities 
with emphasis on self-sufficiency in rice and corn;
Water security through sustainable development and management of water 
resources towards water security;
Settlements, transportation and infrastructure development in support of 
urban, rural and regional development and inclusive growth;
Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino within 
the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social justice, and 
equity;
Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights of the 
Indigenous Cultural Communities/ Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/ IPs) to their 
ancestral domains to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being as 
well as recognition of the applicability of customary laws and sustainable 
traditional resource use and management, knowledge, and practices in 
ancestral domains in compliance with free and prior informed consent of ICC/ 
IPs;
Protection of the rights of basic sectors to equitable access to the country's land; 
Protection, preservation, and development of the Filipino historical, cultural 
and built cultural heritage and resources for the deeper understanding of our 
history and culture as a people;
Attainment of energy security and self-sufficiency; and
Market orientation where the interplay of market forces and fair trade within 
the framework of ecological development and equity consideration is


encouraged and adopted as the basic parameter in achieving efficiency in land 
use and allocation.
This legislative measure integrates and harmonizes our conflicting laws, policies, 
principles and guidelines on land use anci physical planning. It seeks to strengthen and 
complement the implementation of the Climate Change Act and the Philippine Disaster 
Risk Reduction and Management Act, the ratified ASEAN Agreement on Disaster 
Management and Emergency Responses (AASMER), and other government programs to 
increase and build resilience and flexibility against natural disasters and climate chcmge.
In view of the foregoing, the urgent passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
PANGILINAN


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
Senate Bill No.
38
£>( tljp 
'rrtni'i>
■19 
J U L -1  
A ll : l l
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS N. PANGILINAN
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
3 
SECTION 1, Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "National Land Use Act
4 
of 2019."
5 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. - All lands of the public domain,
6 
waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy,
7 
fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, fora and fauna, and other natural resources are
8 
owned by the state. With the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources
9 
shall not be alienated.
10 
Pursuant to the constitutional provision or mandate, it is the policy of the State to
11 
provide for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, utilization, management, and
12 
development of the country's land to ensure their optimum use, consistent with the
13 
principle of sustainable development.
14 
The State shall recognize the need for rational, optimal and sustainable settlements
15 
development, consistent with the principles of environmental management and equitable
16 
access to land and security.


1 
Toward this end, the State shall institutionalize land use and physical planning as
2 
mechanisms for identifying, determining, and evaluating appropriate land use and
3 
allocation patterns that promote and ensure;
4 
a) 
Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources;
5 
b) 
Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability
6 
specifically the perpetual protection of permanent forests and watershed for
7 
the attainment of food, water and energy sufficiency;
8 
c) 
Disaster risk-reduction and climate change resiliency;
9 
d) 
Protection of prime agricultural lands for food security in basic commodities
10 
with emphasis on self-sufficiency in rice and corn;
11 
e) 
Water security through sustainable development and management of water
12 
resources towards water security;
13 
f) 
Settlements, transportation and infrastructure development in support of
14 
urban, rural and regional development and inclusive growth;
15 
g) 
Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino within
16 
the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social justice, and
17 
equity;
18 
h) 
Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights of the
19 
Indigenous Cultural Communities/ Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/ IPs) to their
20 
ancestral domains to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being as
21 
well as recognition of the applicability of customary laws and sustainable
22 
traditional resource use and management, knowledge, and practices in
23 
ancestral domains in compliance with free and prior informed consent of ICC/
24 
IPs;
25
i) 
Protection of the rights of basic sectors to equitable access to the country's land;


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j) 
Protection, preservation, and development of the Filipino historical, cultural 
and built cultural heritage and resources for the deeper understanding of our 
history and culture as a people;
k) 
Attainment of energy security and self-sufficiency; and
l) 
Market orientation where the interplay of market forces and fair trade within 
the framework of ecological development and equity consideration is 
encouraged and adopted as the basic parameter in achieving efficiency in land 
use and allocation.
It is also the policy of the State to ensure that local government units (LGUs) share 
with the national government the responsibility of managing and maintaining ecological 
balance within their territorial jurisdiction as stated in the 1987 Constitution and the 1991 
Local Government Code (LGC) or Republic Act 7160.
Guided by the principle that the use of land bears a social function and that all 
economic agents shall contribute to the common good, landowners, land tenure holders, 
in the case of forestlands, be it an individual, communal, corporate or group shall be held 
responsible for developing and conserving their lands thereby making their lands 
productive and supportive of environmental stability.
SEC. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply to all lands whether public, private, 
government-owned, and/or in the possession of individuals, communities, indigenous 
people, or groups of people, to provide for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, 
development and management of land including such activities that bear impact on said
resources.
CHAPTER II
DEFINITIONS
25 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in and for purposes of this Act, the following
26 
terms shall mean:


1 
a) 
"Agricultural land" shall refer to land of public domain which have been
2 
devoted to agricultural activity as defined in Republic Act No. 6657, as
3 
amended and not further classified for residential, commercial or industrial
4 
use and such other uses as may be provided by law;
5 
b) 
"Agricultural land use conversion" shall refer to the undertaking of any
6 
development activity which modifies or alters the physical characteristics of
7 
agricultural lands to render them suitable for non-agricultural purposes with
8 
an approved order of conversion issued exclusively by the Department of
9 
Agrarian Reform (DAR);
10 
c) 
"Alienable and disposable (A&D) lands" shall refer to lands of the public domain
11 
which have been delineated, classified, and certified as open and available for
12 
disposition under the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 141, otherwise
13 
known as the "Public Land Act," as amended;
14 
d) 
"Ancestral domains" shall refer to all areas generally belonging to ICCs/ IPs as
15 
defined in Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the "Indigenous Peoples
16 
Rights Act (IPRA) of 1998;"
17 
e) 
" Basic Sector" shall refer to a group of people not referring to any organized
18 
groups such as but not limited to women, youth, elderly, differently-abled,
19 
peasants and fisher folk;
20 
f) 
"Basic Shelter" shall refer to any subdivision unit, housing unit or
21 
condominium satisfying the barest minimum shelter requirements under the
22 
minimum design standards of Batas Pambansa Big. 220;
23 
g) 
"Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP)" shall refer to a document embodying a
24 
set of policies and guidelines, accompanied by official maps and similar
25 
illustrations, that serves as principal basis for determining the future land use
26 
of lands and natural resources for production and protection purpose within
27 
the territorial jurisdiction of the city or municipality. It represents the


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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 ten (10) years;
h) 
"Comprehensive land use plmming" shall refer to the act of defining the 
allocation, utilization, development and management of all lands within a 
given territory or jurisdiction according to the inherent characteristic of the 
land itself and supportive of sustainable, economic, demographic, socio­
cultural and environmental objectives as an aid to decision-making and 
legislation;
i) 
"Coastal area/ zone" shall 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;
j) 
"Critical habitats" shall refer to areas outside protected areas as defined in 
Republic Act No. 7586, otherwise known as the "National Integrated Protected 
Areas System Act of 1992", that are known habitats of threatened species and 
designated as such based on scientific data taking into consideration species


1 
endemicity and/or richness, presence of human-made pressures/ threats to
2 
the survival of wildlife living in the area, among others;
3 
k) 
"Critical watershed" shall refer to a drainage area of a river system supporting
4 
existing and proposed hydro-electric power, domestic water consumption,
5 
irrigation works, or existing water facilities needing immediate protection and
6 
rehabilitation to minimize erosion and improve water yield. It shall be closed
7 
for logging until it is fully rehabilitated;
8 
1) 
"Cultural heritage" shall refer to the totality of cultural properties preserved
9 
and developed through time and passed on for posterity;
10 
m) 
"Customary laxvs" shall refer to a body of written cuid/or unwritten rules,
11 
usages, customs and practices traditionally and continually recognized,
12 
accepted, and observed by respective ICCs/ IPs, consistent with the IPRA;
13 
n) 
"Development plan" shall refer to a document that defines the activities or
14 
measures that the national government or local government units (LGU's)
15 
intend to implement in order to achieve a defined set of development goals. It
16 
integrates the socio-economic and sectoral plans of the national government
17 
or its instrumentality or a particular LGU with land use or physical framework
18 
plans. It may include an analysis of problems and resources, definition of goals
19 
and objectives, policy guidelines, project and target achievements, and an
20 
implementation mechanism which defines the roles and contributions
21 
expected from the government and the private sector. Development plans
22 
include the national-level Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan
23 
(MTPDP) and its counterpart plans at the regional, provincial and local levels
24 
called the Medium-Term Regional Development Plan (MTRDP), the
25 
Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plan (PPFDP) and the
26 
Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP). These plans are translated into
27 
medium-term investment programs, also prepared at the national, regional


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and local levels, where programs, projects and activities derived from the 
development plans are ranked, prioritized, and matched with investment 
financing capacities;
o) 
"Ecologically-fragile lands" shall refer to lands within the critical watershed, 
brackish and freshwater wetlands, pasture lands, and croplands which require 
rehabilitation and whose continued unsustainable use would adversely affect 
the productivity of lowland agricultural areas and the stability of the upland 
ecosystem;
p) 
"Ecotourism" shall refer to sustainable tourism or travel to a given natural area 
with exotic or threatened ecosystems or a heritage area to observe wildlife or 
to help preserve nature, in the process providing for community participation, 
protection and management of natural resources, culture and indigenous 
knowledge systems and practices, environmental education and ethics, as well 
as economic benefits fostered and pursued for the enricliment of host 
communities and the satisfaction of visitors;
q) 
"Energy resource lands" shall refer to lands where naturally occurring or 
indigenous energy resources exist in sufficient quantity or quality as to be 
economically viable for exploration, development, production, utilization, and 
distribution process;
r) 
"Energy resources" shall 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;
s) 
"Etivironnie)itally critical areas" shall refer to areas declared by law as: (a) 
protected areas pursuant to Republic Act No. 7586 or the NIPAS Act of 1992; 
(b) areas for natural parks, watershed reserves, wildlife preserves, and


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V)
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sanctuaries; (c) areas set aside as aesthetic potential tourist spots; (d) areas 
which constitute the habitat of any endangered or threatened species or 
indigenous Philippine wildlife (flora and fauna); (e) areas of unique historic, 
archaeological, or scientific interests; (f) areas which are traditionally occupied 
by ICCs/ IPs; (g) areas with critical slopes; (h) areas exposed to geologic and 
hydro-meteorological hazards; (i) prime agricultural lands; (j) recharge areas 
of aquifers; (k) water bodies; (1) mangrove areas; (m) coral reefs; (n) mossy and 
old-growth forests; (o) rivers and river banks; (p) swamp forest and 
marshlands; and (q) 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 concerned 
agencies and LGUs in consultation with the concerned sectors;
"Estuary" shall refer to a wetland type where the river mouth widens into a 
marine ecosystem, the salinity of which is intermediate between salt and 
freshwater where tidal action is an important biophysical regulator; 
"Exhausted energy resource lands" shall refer to specific energy resource sites 
whose energy reserves of the desired type(s) are no longer in sufficient 
quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure for their extraction and 
utilization as certified by the Department of Energy;
"Exhausted mineral lands" shall refer to specific sites whose mineral deposits 
are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure 
for their extraction and utilization as may be determined by the latest 
technology available;
"Exhausted mineral resources" shall refer to a situation where the mineral 
resources in specific sites are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to


1 
justify additional expenditure for extraction or utilization as determined by
2 
the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and approved by the DENR;
3 
x) 
"Flood plain" shall refer to the portion of a river valley adjacent to a river
4 
channel which is covered with water when river overflows its banks at flood
5 
stages. The plain usually consists of silt deposited by the stream;
6 
y) 
"Flood-prone areas" shall refer to low lying areas usually adjacent to large or
7 
active water bodies and therefore experience regular or seasonal inundation
8 
as a result of changes in the mean water level of these bodies or because of
9 
land reclamation and other artificial interference with the natural processes;
10 
z) 
"Food security" shall refer to the policy objective of meeting the food
11 
availability, accessibility, quality and affordability requirements of the present
12 
and future generations of Filipinos in a sustainable manner, through local
13 
production or importation, only when there is shortage established based on
14 
a micro level situation, or both, based on the country's existing and potential
15 
resource endowments and related production advantages, and consistent with
16 
the overall national development objectives and policies;
17 
aa) 
"Food self-sufficiency" shall refer to the policy objective of meeting the food
18 
requirements through intensive local food production in a sustainable manner
19 
based on the country's existing and potential resource endowments and
20 
related production advantages;
21 
bb) 
"Forestlands" shall refer to lands of the public domain classified and/or
22 
determined as needed. They include all permanent forests or forest reserves,
23 
forest reservations and all remaining unclassified lands of the public domain;
24 
cc) 
" Foreshore land" shall refer to the part of the shore which is alternately covered
25 
and uncovered by the ebb and flow of the tide;
26 
dd) 
"Free and Prior Informed Consent" refers to consensus of all members of the
27 
ICCs/ IPs to be determined in accordance with their respective customary


1 
laws and practices, free from any external manipulation, interference and
2 
coercion, and obtained after fully disclosing the intent and scope of the
3 
activity, in a language and process understandable to the community;
4 
ee) 
"Geo-hazards" shall refer to natural and human-induced geological processes
5 
that have potential to cause destruction and pose a threat or risk to human life
6 
and property;
7 
ff) 
"Geo-hazard protte areas" shall refer to areas frequently visited and/or
8 
vulnerable or prone to experience weather/ climatic, hydrologic, geologic, and
9 
other natural calamities;
10 
gg) 
"Heritage Zones" refer to historical, anthropological, archaeological and artistic
11 
geographical areas and settings that are culturally significant to the country as
12 
declared by the National Museum and/or National Historical Commission of
13 
the Philippines, pursuant to R.A. No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage
14 
Act of 2009;
15 
hh) 
"Illegal agricultural land conversion" shall refer to any activity that modifies or
16 
alters the physical characteristics of agricultural lands to render them suitable
17 
for non-agricultural purposes without an approved order of conversion from
18 
the DAR Secretary;
19 
ii) 
ii) "Iniprovenients" shall refer to all types of buildings and residential units,
20 
walls, fences, structures or construction of all kinds of fixed character or are
21 
adhered to the soil but shall not include trees, plants, growing fruits, and other
22 
fixtures that are mere super impositions on the land, and the value of
23 
improvements shall not be less than fifty percent (50%) of tlie assessed value
24 
of the property;
25 
jj) 
"Inclusive growth" refers to ensuring that the economic opportunities created
26 
by growth are available to all, particularly the poor, to the maximum possible
27 
extent;
10


1 
kk) 
"Indigenous Cultural Coniniunilies/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs)" shall refer to
2 
groups of people or homogenous societies identified under Republic Act No.
3 
8371 or the "Indigenous People's Rights Act (IPRA)";
4 
11) 
"Indigenous energy resources" shall refer to energy resources, which originate or
5 
occur naturally in the Philippines;
6 
mm) 
"Inlaiid waters" shall refer to waters, which are not coastal and marine waters
7 
not subject to acquisitive prescription 
consistent with the provisions of
8 
Presidential Decree No. 1067, otherwise known as the "Water Code of the
9 
Philippines";
10 
nn) 
"Inter-tidal sand flat" shall refer to a juvenile fish-feeding area and habitat for
11 
crustaceans. The littoral gravel and sand biotopes are also used by important
12 
wintering ground and roosting/ feeding grounds of indigenous migratory
13 
birds;
14 
oo) 
"Integrated watershed management" shall refer to a planning strategy or program
15 
for watershed areas that complement environmentally-sound soil and water
16 
management practices with mechanisms for ensuring greater responsibility,
17 
involvement, or participation of individuals, groups, communities and other
18 
stakeholders benefiting from these areas and water-related infrastructure;
19 
pp) 
"fCcy biodiversity areas" shall refer to sites that are nationally and globally
20 
significant for biodiversity conservation 
primarily containing species that
21 
require site-scale conservation to prevent extinction in the short-term and
22 
medium-term. Such species may be nationally and globally threatened,
23 
restricted-range and/or nationally and globally significant congregations of
24 
species;
25 
qq) 
"Lagoon" shall refer to a semi-enclosed coastal basin with limited freshwater
26 
input, high salinity and restricted circulation which often lies behind sand
27 
dunes. It is often highly productive and habitat for variety of plants and
11


1 
animal, serves as nurseries of prawns and shrimps and also site for harbor,
2 
aquaculture, industry and recreation;
3 
rr) 
"Land" shall refer to resources, both natural and man-made, found on the
4 
surface, below, and above the ground including inland waters and the air
5 
therein;
6 
ss) 
"Land use" shall refer to the manner of utilization of land, including its
7 
allocation, development, and management;
8 
tt) 
"Land use classification" shall refer to the act of delineating or allocating lands
9 
according to protection land use, production land use, settlements
10 
development, and infrastructure development as defined and provided for in
11 
this Act;
12 
uu) 
"Land sub-classification" shall refer to the act of determining and assigning
13 
specific uses of classified lands of the public domain, such as forest or timber
14 
lands, alienable or disposable agricultural lands, national parks, and mineral
15 
lands in accordance with existing laws and this Act;
16 
vv) 
"Mandatory public hearings/ consultations" shall refer to the mechanism to
17 
ensure the active participation of concerned sectors in all affected areas in land
18 
use planning from the local to the national level. It involves giving effective
19 
notice of hearing/ consultation to concerned sectors within an affected area
20 
through direct written invitations, using regular mail or electronic means, and
21 
publication/ posting in conspicuous places, conduct of a reasonable number
22 
of hearings in or proximate to the specific area affected, and solicitation of
23 
positions and the public presentation and public confirmation of the planning
24 
results in the specific area affected before the final adoption of the plans;
25 
ww) 
"Minerals" shall refer to all naturally occurring inorganic substance in solid,
26 
gas, liquid or intermediate state excluding energy materials such as coal,
27 
petroleum, natural gas, radioactive materials and geothermal energy;
12


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xx) 
"Mineral exploration" shall refer to the systematic searching or prospecting for 
mineral resources;
yy) 
"Mineral lands" shall refer to lands where mineral resources are found; 
zz) 
"Mineral resources" shall refer to any concentration of minerals/ rocks with 
potential economic value;
aaa) 
"Mudflat" shall refer to a wetland type that is usually an unvegetated area, 
dominated by muddy substrate which provides rich feeding grounds for 
vertebrates such as fish and water birds and also important in preventing soil 
erosion;
bbb) 
"National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS)" shall refer to the 
classification and administration of all designated protected areas to maintain 
essential ecological processes and life-support systems, to preserve genetics 
diversity, to ensure sustainable use of resources found therein, and to maintain 
their natural conditions to the greatest extent possible; 
ccc) 
"National Land Use Commission (NLUC)" shall refer to the highest land use 
policy making body created under Section 14 of this Act; 
ddd) 
"National Parks" shall refer to a forest reservation essentially of natural 
wilderness character which has been withdrawn from settlement, occupancy 
or any form of exploitation except in conformity with approved management 
plan and set aside as such exclusively to conserve the area or preserve the 
scenery, the natural and historic objects, wild animals and plants therein and 
to provide enjoyment of these features in such areas; 
eee) 
"National physical framework plan" shall refer to an indicative plan containing 
the policy areas promoting the most appropriate and rational use of land and 
other physical resources such as but not limited to protection, production, 
settlement and infrastructure land use. It provides policy guidelines for all 
decisions relating to land use and environmental management, to prevent and
13


1 
mitigate the adverse effects of inappropriate resource utilization on the
2 
country's food security and food self-sufficiency on rice and corn, the people's
3 
welfare and their environment. It embodies both policies and strategies
4 
necessary to carry out goals and objectives of this Act;
5 
fff) 
"Network 
of 
Protected 
Arens 
for 
Agriculture 
and 
Agro-industrial
6 
Development (NPAAAD)" shall refer to agricultural areas identified by the
7 
Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Soils and Water
8 
Management (BSWM) in coordination with the National Mapping and
9 
Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) in order to ensure the efficient
10 
utilization of land for agriculture and agro-industrial development and
11 
promote sustainable growth. The NPAAAD covers all irrigated areas, all
12 
irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects with firm funding
13 
commitments, all alluvial plains, land highly suitable for agriculture whether
14 
irrigated or not, agro-industrial croplands or lands planted to industrial crops
15 
that support the validity of existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based
16 
enterprises, highlands or areas located at an elevation of five hundred (500)
17 
meters or above and have the potential for growing semi-temperate and high
18 
value crops, all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile the conversion
19 
of which will result in serious environmental degradation, and all
20 
mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries;
21 
ggg) 
"Non-agriculturnl land use conversion" shall refer to the act of changing the
22 
current use of a piece of non-agricultural land into some other uses;
23 
hhh) 
"Non-government organization" shall refer to a private and non-profit voluntary
24 
organization which is committed to the task of political, socio-economic,
25 
physical, cultural and environmental development and established primarily
26 
to provide service to marginalized sectors in these areas;
14


1 
iii) 
" Patrimonial properties" refer to all the properties belonging to the State that are
2 
not intended for public use or for public service for the development of
3 
national wealth;
4 
jjj) 
"People's organization" shall refer to a private, non-profit, voluntary and
5 
community-based organization with membership constituency established
6 
primarily to provide service to its members and the community in general;
7 
kkk) 
"Physical framework plans" shall refer to indicative plans based on
8 
comprehensive land use plans (CLUPs) and national policies whether
9 
national, regional, or provincial which provide policy guidelines for all
10 
decisions relating to land use and environmental management to prevent or
11 
mitigate the adverse effects of inappropriate resource utilization on food
12 
security, the people's welfare and their environment, it embodies both policies
13 
and strategies necessary to carry out development goals and objectives;
14 
111) 
"Premature or illegal conversion of agricultural lands" shall refer to any activity
15 
that modifies or alters the physical characteristics of agricultural lands to
16 
render them suitable for non-agricultural purposes without an approved order
17 
of conversion from the DAR Secretary;
18 
mmm) "Prime agricultural lands" shall refer to all irrigated areas; all irrigable lands
19 
already covered by irrigation projects with firm funding commitments; all
20 
rainfed areas planted to rice and other crops; all alluvial plain lands highly
21 
suitable for agriculture whether irrigated or not, agro-industrial croplands or
22 
lands presently planted to industrial crops that support the viability of existing
23 
agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises, highlands, or areas
24 
located at elevation of 500 meters or above and have the potential for growing
25 
semi-temperate and high value crops; all agricultural lands that are
26 
ecologically fragile, the conversion of which will result in serious
27 
environmental degradation, and mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries;
15


1 
nnn) 
"Production land use" shall refer to the direct and indirect utilization of land to
2 
generate outputs resulting from the following activities, but not limited to:
3 
agricultural, fish, farming or aquaculture, timber production, agro-forestry,
4 
grazing and pasture, mining, indigenous energy resource development,
5 
industry, and tourism;
6 
ooo) 
"Protected areas" shall refer to portions of land set aside by reason of their
7 
unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological
8 
diversity, and protected against destructive human exploitation. For purposes
9 
of this Act, it shall include agricultural lands identified and delineated under
10 
Section 29 hereof;
11 
PPP) 
"Protection land use" shall refer to the utilization of land primarily for food,
12 
water and energy security, rehabilitation, conservation, and protection
13 
purposes for the promotion of the country's ecological and life-support
14 
systems;
15 
"Public domain" shall refer to lands that belong to the State which may be any
16 
of the following: agricultural, forest or timber, mineral, or national park as
17 
provided for in the Constitution;
18 
rrr) 
"Public lands" shall refer to lands which have not been subject to private
19 
property rights or subject to sale or other modes of acquisition or concession
20 
under the general laws, and are devoted to public use;
21 
sss) 
"Reclassification of agricultural lands" shall refer to the act of specifying how
22 
agricultural lands shall be utilized for non-agricultural uses such as
23 
residential, industrial, or commercial purposes through the local planning and
24 
zoning processes pursuant to Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government
25 
Code of 1991 and subject to the requirements and procedure for conversion. It
26 
is equivalent to land sub-classification, as defined in this Act for classified
16


1 
lands of the public domain and also includes the reversion of non-agricultural
2 
lands to agricultural use;
3 
ttt) 
"Resettlement sites" shall refer to areas identified by the appropriate national
4 
agency or by the local government unit, with respect to areas within its
5 
jurisdiction which shall be used for the relocation of the underprivileged and
6 
homeless, as defined under Republic Act No. 7279 or the "Urban Development
7 
and Housing Act (UDHA)";
8 
uuu) 
"River basin" shall refer to the portion of land drained by a river and its
9 
tributaries. It encompasses the entire land surface dissected and drained by
10 
many streams and creeks that flow downhill into one another, and eventually
11 
into one river. The final destination is an estuary or an ocean;
12 
vvv) 
"Settlements" shall refer to formal and informal communities or built-up
13 
residential areas where people prefer to live in land areas classified, zoned, or
14 
converted for current or future residential or housing development purposes,
15 
including socialized housing zones for the homeless and underprivileged
16 
citizens;
17 
www) "Settlements development" shall refer to any improvement on existing formal or
18 
informal residential or housing settlements or any proposed development of
19 
certain areas for residential or mass housing settlement purposes. It also
20 
involves the spatial distribution of population, identification of the roles and
21 
functions of key urban centers, determination of relationships among
22 
settlement areas, and the provision of basic services and facilities of identified
23 
major residential or housing settlement areas or growth centers. It is also
24 
concerned with the interrelationship of settlements as they develop and
25 
establish functional linkages based on their respective resource endowments
26 
and comparative advantages;
27 
xxx) 
"Shoreline" shall refer to the line where shore and water meet;
17


1 
yyy) 
"Significant caves" shall refer to caves which contain materials or possess
2 
features that have archaeological, cultural, ecological, historical or scientific
3 
value as determined by the Department of Environment and Natural
4 
Resources (DENR) in coordination with the scientific community and the
5 
academe;
6 
zzz) 
"Socialized honsifig" shall refer to housing programs and projects undertaken
7 
by the government or the private sector for the underprivileged and homeless
8 
citizens which shall include sites and services development, long-term
9 
financing, liberalized terms on interest payments, and such other benefits in
10 
accordance with the UDHA;
11 
aaaa) 
"Socialized housing zones" shall refer to lands identified and designated by local
12 
government units as sites for socialized housing, pursuant to Article IV of
13 
Republic Act No. 7279 or the UDHA, and its implementing guidelines. It shall
14 
include areas that are presently occupied by the urban poor, as well as those
15 
identified as resettlement areas as defined herein;
16 
bbbb) 
"Sustainable development" shall refer to the development objective of meeting
17 
the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future
18 
generations to meet their own needs consistent with the principles of social
19 
equity, efficiency, and environmental integrity;
20 
cccc) 
"Stakeholder" shall refer to an individual, social group or organization that has
21 
a direct or indirect interest in an activity, project, resources, or decision;
22 
dddd) "Tourism development areas" shall refer to specific sites for tourism
23 
development located in areas identified as priorities in the national, regional,
24 
and inter-regional area specific tourism master plans and other sector plans
25 
such as eco-tourism and agri-tourism sites, including those designated
26 
through legislative and executive issuances such as tourist spots, tourist zones
27 
and tourism ecozones which can be developed into tourism estates or
18


1 
integrated resort, leisure, and recreation complexes, and other tourism related
2 
facilities;
3 
eeee) 
"Tourism Eiiterprise Zone" refers to an area designated as tourism enterprise
4 
zone by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority pursuant
5 
to the provisions of RA 9593 otherwise known as the Tourism Act of 2009;
6 
ffff) 
"Tourism estates" shall refer to large tracts of land with well-defined
7 
boundaries in any area identified in the Philippine tourism master plan and
8 
regional tourism master plan, by proclamation of the President and/or by an
9 
act of Congress including local legislation. Such land shall be suitable for the
10 
development of an integrated tourism and resort complex including but not
11 
limited to accommodation facilities, food and beverage outlets, convention
12 
and meeting areas, sports, recreational and leisure centers and commercial
13 
outlets among others. It shall be provided with roads, water supply facilities,
14 
power and utilities like potable water, drainage sewerage disposal, solid waste
15 
disposal system and other necessary infrastructure. The estate shall be under
16 
one unified and continuous management;
17 
gggg) "Tourist spot" shall refer to a particular area/site/ spot, human-made or
18 
natural, known for its unique tourist/ visitor-drawing attributes and activities.
19 
It may be classified according to its social, cultural, natural, historical,
20 
scientific, religious, and recreational significance;
21 
hhhh) "Tourist zone" shall refer to a geographic area with well-defined boundaries
22 
proclaimed as such by the President of the Philippines and/or by acts of
23 
Congress. No development projects for any purpose shall be initiated and
24 
introduced within the zone prior to the formulation of a tourism master
25 
development plan which shall be undertaken in coordination with the
26 
Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise
27 
Zone Authority (TIEZA). A tourist zone is established for the enhancement
19


1 
and/or the conservation of cultural and historical heritage and for the
2 
appreciation and enjoyment of the local population and its visitors;
3 
iiii) 
" Urban areas" shall refer to all cities regardless of their population density and
4 
to municipalities with population density of at least Five hundred (500)
5 
persons per square kilometer;
6 
jjjj) 
"Urbanizahle areas" shall refer to sites and lands which, considering present
7 
characteristics and prevailing conditions, display marked and great potential
8 
of becoming urban areas within a period of five (5) years;
9 
kkkk) "Urban forestry or Green Space" shall refer to the establishment and
10 
management of forest in urban environment for the physiological and
11 
psychological well-being of the people;
12 
nil) 
"Water security" shall refer to the sufficient access throughout the year to the
13 
minimum daily requirement of clean water to maintain a healthy life;
14 
mmmm) "Water use" shall refer to the appropriation of water for domestic,
15 
municipal, irrigation, power generation, inland fisheries, poultry and livestock
16 
raising, industrial and commercial, environmental, and recreational use and
17 
other purposes;
18 
nnnn) "Watershed" shall refer to a land area drained by a stream or fixed body of
19 
water and its tributaries having a common outlet for surface runoff;
20 
oooo) "Zoning" shall refer to the process of delineating the specific uses of lands in
21 
accordance with the approved Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) within
22 
the territorial jurisdiction of a city/ municipality and specifying the conditions
23 
for their regulation; subject to the limitations imposed by law and competent
24 
authority; and,
25 
PPPP) "Zoning ordinance or ZO" shall refer to a local law passed by the Sangguniang
26 
Bayan or Panglunsod approving the development control/ zoning plan in
27 
accordance with an approved or adopted CLUP for the city/ municipality, and
20


1 
providing for the regulations and other conditions on the uses of land
2 
including the limitation on the infrastructure that may be placed thereon
3 
within the territorial jurisdiction of a city or municipality. It incorporates the
4 
protected areas under Section 13(a) and the protected agricultural lands under
5 
Section 29 of this Act.
6 
CHAPTER III
7 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLANS
8 
SEC. 5. National Land Use Planning Process. - The land use and physical planning
9 
process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down approach.
10 
The National Land Use Commission (NLUC) shall draft the National Physical
11 
Framework Plan (NPFP) which shall have a timeframe of thirty (30) years, with regular
12 
review and updating every ten (10) years. The NPFP, which guides the planning and
13 
management of the country's land and other physical resources at the national and sub-
14 
national levels, shall indicate broad spatial directions and policy guidelines on
15 
settlements development, production land use, protection land use, social services and
16 
utilities, and transportation and communication. The Regional Physical Framework Plans
17 
(RPFPs), Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plans (PPFDPs), and
18 
Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs), which shall also have a 30-year timeframe and
19 
cover the physical development of their respective territories, shall be consistent with the
20 
national physical framework plan; Provided, That the integration and harmonization of
21 
the physical framework plans at all levels shall be iterative to ensure that the concerns of
22 
both top and bottom levels of government are considered. The physical and land use
23 
plans prepared at all levels shall have internal consistency specifically on, but not limited
24 
to, the development, management and conservation of forestlands found within a given
25 
territory and the linkages of the major land use categories to ensure their
26 
complementation in the utilization, development and management of resources.
21


1 
The NLUC shall issue procedural guidelines which shall guide the formulation and
2 
integration/ harmonization process: Provided, That NED A, HLURB, DILG and other
3 
agencies will continue to issue guidelines on the content of the plans consistent with their
4 
respective agency mandates.
5 
SEC. 6. City and Municipal Land Use Plans. - The City/ Municipal Planning and
6 
Development Office (C/MPDO), in consultation with concerned sectors through
7 
mandatory conduct of public hearings, shall prepare the CLUP to determine the specific
8 
uses of land and other physical resources therein including areas co-managed with the
9 
national government and, as appropriate, the ancestral domain areas. The CLUP shall be
10 
consistent with the PPFDP and shall define the city/ municipal development vision,
11 
appropriate economic, environmental and social development policies, densities and
12 
transportation system.
13 
The CLUP may be formulated as a component of a Comprehensive Land Use and
14 
Development Plan (CLUDP), which merges the traditionally separate CLUP and
15 
comprehensive development plan to address the disconnect between spatial and sectoral
16 
factors and to ensure the complementation between the medium-and long-term concerns.
17 
The 
CLUP 
shall 
be 
translated 
into 
a 
zoning 
ordinance 
by 
the
18 
concerned Snnggiininn to regulate the uses of land, including the limitations on height,
19 
density and bulk of buildings and other infrastructure that may be placed thereon.
20 
SEC. 7. Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plans (PPFDP). - In
21 
consultation with concerned sectors, the Provincial Planning and Development Office
22 
(PPDO) shall prepare a Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plan (PPFDP)
23 
which shall define the province's development vision, economic and social development
24 
policies, general land uses, and inter-city/ municipal transportation system. The PPFDP
25 
shall harmonize the land use plans of component cities and municipalities, taking into
26 
consideration shared resources and planning concerns, and define the uses of land and
27 
other resources within the province consistent with the policies in the regional physical
22


1 
framework plan. The programs, projects and activities prescribed in the PPFDP shall be
2 
integrated into the provincial development investment program. The PPDO shall submit
3 
the PPFDP to the Provincial Land Use Policy Council (PLUPC), created under Section 20
4 
of this Act, for review and endorsement to Snnggiiniang Panlnlawigan, which shall adopt
5 
the same pursuant to Section 468 (2) (vii) of RA 7160 or the Local Government Code.
6 
SEC. 8. Regional Physical Pramcivork Plans. - In consultation with concerned
7 
sectors, the Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC) shall define the desired spatial
8 
arrangement of land-using activities in the entire region, consolidating and harmonizing
9 
the provincial physical framework plans of provinces and independent cities within the
10 
territorial jurisdiction of the region. The regional physical framework plan, which depicts
11 
an end-state scenario toward which efforts and activities are directed, shall consist of
12 
spatially-based and area-focused policies, consistent with those in the national
13 
framework for physical planning, to guide detailed physical, socio-economic, sectoral
14 
and investment planning.
15 
SEC. 9. National Physical Framework Plan. - The National Land Use Commission
16 
(NLUC) created in Section 14 herein, in consultation with the concerned sectors through
17 
the mandatory conduct of public hearings, shall formulate, periodically update and
18 
ensure the implementation of a national physical framework plan that shall prescribe and
19 
influence the country's land use and physical development. The NPFP shall
20 
operationalize the policies provided in this act and will be the basis for adopting land use
21 
and physical planning-related guidelines and standards, including zoning and other land
22 
use control standards that will guide the formulation of city/ municipal zoning
23 
ordinances.
24 
The policies prescribed in the NPFP shall be integrated into the MTPDP and
25 
Medium-Term Philippine Investment Program.
26 
CHAPTER IV
27
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING
23


1 
SEC. 10. Priorities in Land Use Allocation and Planning. - In projecting spatial
2 
allocation for different land uses, the LGUs shall first exclude areas under protection land
3 
use of Section 13(a) hereof, national parks, energy resource lands, and prime agricultural
4 
lands to ensure ecological integrity, energy supply, and promote food security. Areas
5 
with prior rights and those with site-specific resources for basic services, such as but not
6 
limited to, water and indigenous energy resources, shall also be excluded. Spatial
7 
allocation and planning shall then proceed in accordance with Sections 12 and 13 hereof
8 
with priorities given to integrated watershed management areas, socialized housing sites,
9 
fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas, and waste disposal sites.
10 
SEC. 11. Adoption of Multiple Uses of Land Resources. - The primary and
11 
alternative uses of a specific land resource shall be determined and evaluated prior to any
12 
decision for the assignment of its use. Areas feasible for sustainable land resource use
13 
may be considered multiple-use zones wherein settlements, tourism, agriculture,
14 
forestry, agro-forestry and extraction activities and other income-generating or livelihood
15 
activities may be allowed: Provided, That multiple uses of land resources shall be excluded
16 
in areas identified as protection land use: Provided, further, That such land resources shall
17 
be in accordance with priorities in land use allocation and planning and that no
18 
reclassification shall be allowed.
19 
SEC. 12. Basic Land Use Planning Considerations. - In determining the various
20 
land uses, the people and their productive activities and the need for functional open
21 
spaces and preservation areas as well as the various interrelationships of the physical
22 
characteristics of the land and other elements therein shall be considered, among others,
23 
the following:
24 
a) 
Availability of natural resources including indigenous energy resources for
25 
energy security and self-sufficiency;
26 
b) 
Geology, geomorphology, geologic hazard, climate, soil, vegetative cover,
27 
demography and slope;
24


1 
c) 
Economic, environmental, cultural, social and related development activities;
2 
d) 
Existing government policies on land anci natural resources allocation,
3 
utilization, management and disposition;
4 
e) 
Technological changes/ advancement;
5 
f) 
Existing customary rights for the protection of indigenous peoples and
6 
vulnerable groups including women and urban poor; and
7 
g) 
Inventory of prior and existing rights, to harmonize determination of land use.
8 
SEC. 13. Categories of Land Uses for Planning Purposes. - In determining and
9 
defining the national, regional and provincial framework plans, and CLUPs, land uses
10 
shall be grouped into four major functional uses as follows;
11 
a) 
Protection Land Use shall refer to the use of land primarily for food, water and
12 
energy security, rehabilitation, conservation, and protection purposes for the
13 
promotion of the country's ecological and life-support systems. Planning for
14 
protection land use intends to acliieve food self-sufficiency in rice and corn,
15 
water and energy security, environmental stability and ecological integrity,
16 
ensure a balance between resource use and the preservation of some areas with
17 
environmental, aesthetic, educational, cultural, heritage and historical
18 
significance, and protect people and human-made structures from the ill-
19 
effects of natural hazards. All lands, either public or private, under protection
20 
land use shall be permanently conserved, preserved, rehabilitated and
21 
protected from all other land uses, disposition, intrusion, utilization and
22 
development that is not consistent from its existing uses. Areas under this
23 
category also include those covered by Republic Act No. 7586 or the NIP AS
24 
Law and other coastal and marine protected areas, those areas outside NIP AS
25 
but nonetheless require protection because of their outstanding physical and
26 
aesthetic features, anthropological significance, and biological diversity, and
25


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
those areas prone to natural hazards. Areas outside the coverage of the NIP AS
law include, but are not limited to the following:
a.l. 
Old-growth forests and mossy;
a.2. 
Areas with more than 50% in slope gradient;
a.3. 
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"; 
a.4. 
Buffer zones or strips/ easements, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 
705, amending Presidential Decree No. 389, otherwise known as the 
"Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines" and Presidential Decree No. 
1067 or the "Water Code of the Philippines"; 
a.5. 
Salvage zones along foreshore areas, freshwater swamps and marshes, 
plazas and heritage/ historic sites, pursuant to Presidential Decree 
No. 2146;
a.6. 
Watersheds supporting domestic water supply; 
a.7. 
Utility easement like transmission lines of power companies, oil and
gas facilities, cell sites, and domestic water lines; 
a.8. 
Amenity areas or those with high aesthetic values, pursuant to
Presidential Decree No. 2146;
a.9. 
Natural and human-made areas/ sites of cultural, historical and
anthropological significance, which are declared as such by 
internationally recognized organizations and concerned national 
agencies;
a.10. 
Critical habitats as provided in Republic Act No. 9147 or the "Wildlife
Resources Conservation and Protection Act"; 
a.11. 
Significant caves under Republic Act 9072 or the "National Caves and
Cave Resources Management and Protection Act"; or
26


1 
a.l2. 
Key biodiversity areas under Executive Order 578 Series of 2006 or the
2 
"National Biodiversity Policy".
3 
b) 
Production Land Use shall refer to the direct and indirect utilization of land
4 
resources for crop, fishery, livestock and poultry production, forestry,
5 
agroforestry, mining, industry, energy development, indigenous energy
6 
exploration and development, and tourism. Plaiining for production land shall
7 
determine the most efficient, sustainable, and equitable manner of utilizing,
8 
developing and managing land for productive purposes. Areas included in
9 
this category are agricultural lands, fishing grounds, coastal and marine zones,
10 
production forest which comprise lands 18% to 50% in slope gradient such as:
11 
residual dipterocarps, rangelands for grazing purposes, industrial tree
12 
plantation/ integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA), community
13 
based forest management areas and other reforestation projects, mineral lands
14 
or mining areas and reservations, energy resource lands, industrial
15 
development areas, and tourism development areas where productive
16 
activities could be undertaken to meet the country's requirements for food
17 
security, economic growth and development.
18 
c) 
Settlements Developnumt shall refer to any improvement on existing settlements
19 
in urban and rural areas or any proposed development of certain areas for
20 
settlement purposes involving the spatial distribution of population,
21 
identification of the roles and functions of key urban centers, determination of
22 
relationships among settlement areas, and the provision of basic services and
23 
facilities to such settlement. The settlements development plan ensures for the
24 
present and future generation the following: i) effective integration of
25 
activities within and among settlements, allowing efficient movement of
26 
people and production of commodities through the provision of appropriate
27 
land, infrastructure, and facilities; and ii) access of the population to housing.
27


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
1
education, health care, recreation, transportation and communication, 
sanitation, and basic utilities such as water, power, waste disposal, and other
d)
services.
hifrastmctiire Devdopnieiit shall refer to the availability or supply of basic 
services and fostering of economic emd other forms of integration necessary 
for producing or obtaining the material requirements of Filipinos, in an 
efficient, responsive, safe and ecologically friendly built environment. It covers 
sub-sectors of transportation, communications, water resources, and social 
infrastructure: Provided, That the determination of functional uses of lands 
within ancestral domains shall consider traditional resource and management 
systems that do not endanger the lives of the people and property of the local 
community and neighboring areas or increase the vulnerability of the natural 
environment to the effects of natural and human-induced geological
processes.
CHAPTER V
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISMS
Article I
National Land Use Commission
SEC. 14. Creation of the National Land Use Commission (NLLIC). - The National 
Land Use Commission, hereinafter referred to as NLUC, is hereby created as a 
Commission under the Office of the President. It shall exercise the powers and 
responsibilities of the current National Land Use Committee which is hereby abolished. 
The NLUC shall act as the highest policy making body on land use and resolve land use 
policy conflicts between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government. It shall 
integrate efforts, monitor developments relating to land use and the evolution of policies. 
It may also establish Regional Offices.
28


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
1
SEC. 15. Composition of the NLUC. - The NLUC shall be composed of the 
following.
a) 
The President of the Republic of the Philippines as Chairperson;
b) 
The Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority 
(NEDA) and Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources as Vice-Chairpersons;
The President may designate from among the two Vice-Chairpersons a 
Chief Executive Officer who shall supervise the day-to-day affairs of the 
NLUC.
The members shall be:
c) 
The Chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating 
Council (HUDCC), the Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the 
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Trade and Industry 
(DTI), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the 
Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the 
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of 
Justice (DOJ), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the 
Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the 
Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP);
The Department Secretaries and the Chairperson of the NCIP may 
designate a representative with a rank not lower than Assistant Secretary and 
Commissioner, respectively: Provided, That the designated representative shall 
be on a permanent basis.
d) 
A representative each from the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and 
Municipalities;
e) 
A representative each from four (4) basic sectors directly involved in land use, 
namely: urban poor, farmer-peasants, fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who
29


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
1
f)
g)
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 (2) sectoral representatives shall be 
women;
Two (2) representatives from private subdivisions, and housing developers; 
and
Two (2) representatives from the accredited association of professionals 
dealing on land use such as but not limited to urban and regional planners, 
environmental plaimers, architects, geologists and geodetic engineers.
A consultative body shall likewise be convened by the UC 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 
NLUC, and from non-government sectors such as the private sector, non-government 
organizations (NGOs) and people's organizations (POs), and the academic community.
SEC. 16. Powers and Functions. - The NLUC shall have the following powers and 
functions:
a) 
Advise the President of the Philippines and the NEDA Board on all matters 
concerning land use and physical planning;
b) 
Integrate and harmonize all laws, guidelines and policies relevant to land use 
and physical planning to come up with a rational, cohesive, and 
comprehensive national land use framework;
c) 
Formulate policies and endorse land use and physical planning-related 
policies that may be formulated by the Regional Land Use Policy Council 
(RLUPC), created under Section 21 of this Act, and concerned agencies as well 
as promulgate zoning and other land use control standards and guidelines 
which shall guide the formulation of land use plans and zoning ordinances by 
local governments;
30


1 
d) 
Prepare, periodically review and if necessary, update the national framework
2 
for physical planning to provide the general framework for the spatial
3 
development directions for the entire country and sub-national levels;
4 
e) 
Review and endorse all land use and physical planning related guidelines;
5 
f) 
Monitor and coordinate the gathering of data, the conduct of studies
6 
pertaining to land use planning including studies on the management of
7 
identified land uses and such other studies not undertaken by other
8 
government agencies;
9 
g) 
Recommend to the President of the Philippines the adoption, passage, or
10 
amendment of laws to ensure that sectoral programs, plans, projects, and
11 
activities, iiicluding local government initiatives affecting land use are
12 
consistent with national development objectives;
13 
h) 
Coordinate with and assist other government agencies and LGUs in planning,
14 
developing, and implementing their land use classification programs, and
15 
provide, to the extent possible, technical assistance and guidance;
16 
i) 
Monitor and coordinate the activities of concerned agencies and entities of the
17 
government, as well as LGUs, in the enforcement and implementation of
18 
policies and regulations relating to land use and resource management and
19 
development;
20 
j) 
Monitor and coordinate activities in the establishment of a national land
21 
resource information and management system of concerned agencies that
22 
shall integrate and process information on land use and allocation generated
23 
by the various national government agencies; define information
24 
requirements at various levels; and standardize information inputs and
25 
outputs including scales and symbols used in territorial and sectoral maps;
26 
k) 
Be the repository of all RPFPs, PPFDPs and CLUPs and all data and
27 
information pertaining to land and land use;
31


1 
1) 
Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the
2 
government, and or private entities and organization for cooperation, support,
3 
and assistance in the performance of its functions;
4 
m) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts and territorial jurisdiction on land use
5 
between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government and act on
6 
unresolved land use policy conflicts at the regional level elevated by the
7 
Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC);
8 
n) 
Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of meetings
9 
and other business of the Council; and
10 
o) 
Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers as may
11 
be necessarily implied, inherent, incident, or related to the foregoing.
12 
SEC. 17. NLUC Technical Secretariat (NLUC-TS). - A Technical Secretariat shall be
13 
created to provide technical support to the NLUC. It shall be headed by an Executive
14 
Director and composed of:
15 
a) 
Representatives of the member agencies/ institutions of the NLUC, who shall
16 
have a rank not lower than Director level; and
17 
b) 
The representatives of NLUC members as enumerated in Section 16 (d), (e) and
18 
(g) of this Act.
19 
SEC. 18. The NLUC Technical Secretariat Executive Director. - The Executive
20 
Director shall supervise the operations of the NLUC Technical Secretariat and assist the
21 
NLUC Chairperson or his/her designated CEO.
22 
In the absence of the CEO, he shall preside over the meetings of the NLUC-TS.
23 
He shall also perform such other functions as may be tasked by the Chairperson or
24 
CEO-Vice Chairperson.
25 
SEC. 19. Offices, Units and Staff Support. - The Policy and Planning Unit of the
26 
HLURB shall be the core secretariat of the NLUC. The Staff in the HLURB Policy and
27 
Planning Unit and NEDA Regional Development Office who opted to transfer to the
32


1 
NLUC shall be given priority without diminution in rank and remuneration. The staffing
2 
pattern shall be drafted by the NLUC in coordination with the DBM and Civil Service
3 
Commission. Other government agencies may also be called upon for staff support.
4 
Article 2
5 
Local Development Councils as Local Land Use Policy Councils
6 
SEC. 20. City/Municipal Land Use Policy Council (C/MLUPC). - The City/
7 
Municipal Development Council (C/MDC), created under Section 106 of the Local
8 
Government Code, shall act as the City/ Municipal Land Use Policy Council (C/MLUPC)
9 
that will tackle land use concerns whenever necessary. A duly authorized representative
10 
from the DAR, the DENR and the DA shall be included in the composition of the
11 
C/MLUPC.
12 
In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 109 of the LGC, the C/MLUP
13 
shall:
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
a)
b)
c)
Advise the Smigguniang Bayan or Sanggiiniang Panlnngsod on all matters 
pertaining to land use and physical planning;
Review and endorse to the Sanggiiniang Bayan or Sanggiiniang Panlnngsod for 
adoption, the CLUP prepared and periodically updated by the City/ 
Municipal Planning and Development Office and other land use and physical 
planning-related policies; and
Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification, and 
allocation that may arise between and among barangays and any unresolved 
land use conflict at the barangay level regarding the violation of zoning 
ordinances including opposition to applications for locational clearances, 
permits or certificates.
For purposes of this Act, the City/ Municipal Planning and Development
26 
Coordinator (C/MPDC) shall: (a) act on all applications for locational clearances for all
27 
projects except those of vital and national economic or environmental significance; and
33


1 
(b) monitor ongoing/ existing projects within their respective jurisdictions and issue
2 
notices of violation to owners, developers, or managers of projects that are violative of
3 
zoning ordinances.
4 
The C/MLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as C/MPDC, City/
5 
Municipal Agriculturist, City/ Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer,
6 
City/ Municipal Engineer, City/ Municipal Assessor, or any official of national agencies
7 
during discussions on land use and physical planning concerns.
8 
Local government units without operational C/MDC as mandated by the 1991 LGC
9 
shall activate their respective Councils within six (6) months from the effectivity of this
10 
Act.
11 
SEC. 21. Provincial Land Use Policy Council (PLUPC). - The Provincial
12 
Development Council (PDC), created under Section 106 of the LGC, shall act as the
13 
Provincial Land Use Policy Council that will tackle land use concerns whenever
14 
necessary. A duly authorized representative from the DENR, DAR and the DA shall be
15 
included in the composition of the PLUPC.
16 
In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 109 of the LGC, the PLUPC shall:
17 
a) 
Advise the Snnggiiniang Paidahnoignn on all matters pertaining to land use and
18 
physical planning;
19 
b) 
Review and endorse to the Sangguninng PanlaUnvigan for adoption, the
20 
provincial physical framework plans, prepared and periodically updated by
21 
the Provincial Planning and Development Office and other land use and
22 
physical planning-related policies;
23 
c) 
Assist the Sangguninng Pnnlnlnwignn in reviewing the CLUPs of component
24 
cities/ municipalities to ensure consistency with the provincial physical
25 
framework plans and compliance with the limits prescribed under the 1991
26 
LGC for reclassifying agricultural lands; and
34


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
1
d) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification, and, 
allocation that may arise between or among cities/ municipalities and any 
unresolved land use conflicts at the city/ municipal level.
The PLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as Provincial Planning 
and Development Coordinator, Provincial Agriculturist, Provincial Environment and 
Natural Resources Officer, Provincial Engineer, Provincial Assessor, or any official of 
national agencies and other relevant agencies during discussions on land use and 
physical planning concerns.
SEC. 22. Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC). - At the regional level, the 
Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC) shall be institutionalized, replicating the 
NLUC structure and composition which shall include a duly authorized representative 
from the NEDA, the DENR, DA and the DAR. The RLUPC shall have the following 
functions:
a) 
Formulate and adopt regional policies on land use and physical planning;
b) 
Prepare and periodically update a regional physical framework plan, taking 
into consideration national polices and lower level plans;
c) 
Assist the provinces in preparing and periodically updating its physical 
framework plans to ensure consistency witli the regional and national plans 
and policies and to facilitate its integration to the regional plans;
d) 
Review, prior to adoption by respective Snnggtuiians, the provincial physical 
framework plan and CLUPs of highly urbanized and independent component 
cities to ensure consistency with the regional physical framework plan and 
national policies set fortli by LUPC and compliance with limits prescribed 
under the 1991 LGC for reclassifying agricultural lands;
e) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification, and 
allocation that may arise between or among regional line agencies, provinces 
and cities/ municipalities;
35


1 
£) 
Monitor changes in land use and other physical resources in the region;
2 
g) 
Evaluate consistency of major programs and projects with the regional
3 
physical framework plans and their impact on land use and the environment;
4 
h) 
Undertake the gathering of regional data for the Land Resource Information
5 
and Management System; and
6 
i) 
Perform other related functions as may be directed by the LUPC.
7 
Article 3
8 
Adoption, Approval, and Review of Land Use Plans
9 
SEC. 
23. Component Cities and Municipalities. - Component cities and
10 
municipalities shall have the power and authority to adopt and approve their respective
11 
CLUPs and ZOs through their respective Sanggunians subject to the power of review of
12 
their respective provinces only with respect to the consistency of the CLUPs and ZOs
13 
with Section 8 hereof on the preparation of the provincial physical framework plan. Upon
14 
adoption and approval of the CLUP and ZO by the Sanggunimi, all land areas zoned for
15 
residential purposes or for settlements development shall cease to be covered by the
16 
CARP and therefore, shall not be required to secure further order of land conversion or
17 
exemption 
certificates from the DAR, except for the payment of disturbance
18 
compensation if applicable, as well as the requirements pertaining to the issuance of
19 
environmental compliance certificate (ECC) by the DENR.
20 
SEC. 24. Provinces and Independent and Highly Urbanized Cities. - Provinces and
21 
independent and highly urbanized cities shall have the power and authority to adopt and
22 
approve their respective CLUPs, ZOs or provincial physical framework plan, as the case
23 
may be, through their respective Stmggiuiinn but subject to the review of the RLUPC as
24 
provided in Section 22 of this Act.
Article 4
25
26
Responsibilities of the National Government Agencies and LGUs
36


1 
SEC. 25. National Base Mapping Program. - A national mapping program shall be
2 
implemented, coordinated, and monitored through the creation of an Inter-agency
3 
Technical Committee (ITC) composed of the National Mapping and Resource
4 
Information Authority (NAMRIA), as the lead agency, the Bureau of Soils and Water
5 
Management (BSWM), the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the Land Management
6 
Bureau (LMB), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), the Mines and
7 
Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
8 
(PHIVOLCS), DAR, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), DOE, NEDA and
9 
other concerned government agencies/ bureaus. The ITC shall be constituted, and the
10 
mapping program shall be initiated, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this
11 
Act. The agencies mentioned in this Section shall endeavor to finish their base mapping
12 
program within two (2) years upon the effectivity of this Act.
13 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, to be assisted by the
14 
appropriate agencies of the national government, shall likewise prepare their respective
15 
territorial maps using scales, symbols, and other indicators to be prescribed in accordance
16 
with this Act. The completed maps shall be integrated in the national physical framework
17 
plan pursuant to Section 5 of this Act.
18 
SEC. 26. National Geo-hazard Mapping Program. - Within thirty (30) days from
19 
the effectivity of this Act, a nationwide geo-hazard mapping program shall be initiated
20 
jointly thru the NLUC by the PHIVOLCS, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
21 
Astronomical Services Administration (PAG AS A), the NAMRIA, the Mines and
22 
Geosciences Bureau (MGB), BSWM, and DOE, in coordination with the National Disaster
23 
Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), tlie Regional Disaster Risk
24 
Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), and other concerned government
25 
agencies. The program shall include the generation of indicative geo-hazard zoning maps
26 
that will outline areas in the Philippines which are prone to liquefaction, landslides.
37


1 
severe flooding, lahar, ground rupturing, tsunami, river erosion, coastal erosion, sinkhole
2 
collapse, earthquake, lava flow, pyroclastic flow, base surge, and other natural hazards.
3 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop a safe-built
4 
environment, the LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the generated geo-
5 
hazard zoning maps in their respective CLUPs. Said geo-hazard maps shall serve as
6 
guide for all the LGUs in the preparation of their own hazards-constrained development
7 
plans. The national framework physical planning, pursuant to Section 5 hereof, shall
8 
incorporate these geo-hazard maps.
9 
All infrastructure activities including real estates and subdivision projects and the
10 
development of tourist spots recjuiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)
11 
shall be required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard Assessment
12 
Report (EGGAR).
13 
SEC. 27. Scope and Nature of Responsibilities of Other National Government
14 
Agencies. - All concerned national government agencies/ bodies shall periodically report
15 
to the NLUC on the various activities and accomplishments relative to land use. Likewise,
16 
they shall provide their respective sectoral/ development plans and render technical and
17 
administrative support if called upon by the NLUC relative to the implementation of the
18 
provisions of this Act.
19 
SEC. 28. Submission of Annual Report on the Implementation of CLUPs. - The
20 
C/MLUPC shall submit an annual report on the implementation of their land use plans
21 
to the PLUPC, which shall integrate the same for submission to tlie RLUPC, which shall
22 
in turn integrate the provincial reports for submission to the NLUC.
23 
CHAPTER VI
24
25
26
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN
Article 1
Agricultural Lands
38


1 
SEC. 29. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development. - Priority areas for
2 
agricultural development shall be those agricultural areas covered under Republic Act
3 
No. 6657 or the CARP, as amended, and those covered under Network of Protected Areas
4 
for Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAD), defined in Section 4 of this
5 
Act and in R.A. No. 8435 or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act."
6 
SEC. 30. Conversion of Agricultural Lands. - Agricultural lands are deemed
7 
converted to non-agricultural uses upon approval by the DAR of the application for
8 
conversion. Prime agricultural lands and specific types of lands to the extent necessary
9 
for attaining food self-sufficiency in rice and corn and food security on other basic
10 
commodities, as determined by the DA, subject to mandatory consultation with the
11 
LGUs, the private sector, the NGOs, and the POs, shall be protected from conversion,
12 
which shall include but not limited to areas under the NPAAD; Provided, That all
13 
irrigated and irrigable lands, all lands developed or possessing the potential for
14 
development of high value crops, and all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile
15 
and whose conversion will result in serious environmental problems shall be given full
16 
protection from conversion, the areas under which are subject to review every seven (7)
17 
years by the DA, with the mandatory public consultations; Provided, further. That
18 
consistent with the State policy on giving priority to the completion of the CARP, all lands
19 
subject to CARP including those lands covered under the notice of compulsory
20 
acquisition/voluntary offer to sell, production or profit-sharing, or commercial farm
21 
deferment shall also be protected from conversion pending the distribution and
22 
installation of the farmer beneficiaries, but thereafter. Section 22 of R.A. No. 9700 or CARP
23 
extension shall apply; Provided, furtheniiore. That the conversion of agricultural lands for
24 
use of priority government projects for basic services such as, but not limited to, irrigation
25 
and power shall be allowed only upon the recommendation of the Secretaries of the DA
26 
and the DAR; Provided, finally. That the mapping of the NPAAD under the AFMA shall
27 
be completed within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act.
39


1 
Lands defined under Section 10 of R.A. No. 6657 shall remain exempted and
2 
excluded from the coverage of the CARP.
3 
SEC. 31. Sub-classification or Re-classification of Agricultural Lands by LGUs. -
4 
Sub-classification or re-classification of agricultural lands to other uses under Section 20
5 
of the Local Government Code of 1991 shall exclude the protected agricultural lands as
6 
stated in the preceding section. Moreover, such sub-classification/reclassification is not
7 
synonymous to conversion. The DA and the DAR shall provide the LGUs with complete
8 
list and maps of protected agricultural lands within their territorial jurisdictions.
9 
Article 2
10 
Forest Lands and Watershed Management
11 
SEC. 32. Reversion of Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands. - Upon the
12 
recommendation of the Secretary of the DENR, duly reviewed and endorsed by the
13 
NLUC, and after due consultations with the concerned LGUs and affected parties,
14 
Congress may authorize the reversion of alienable and disposable lands of the public
15 
domain or portion thereof to forestlands. Thereafter, said lands shall be included in the
16 
preparation of land use plans within forestlands.
17 
SEC. 33. Critical Watershed Areas. - The DENR, in coordination with the DA,
18 
LGUs, and other government agencies, including government-owned and-controlled
19 
corporations, and with mandatory public consultations, shall identify and delineate
20 
critical watershed areas that need to be protected, rehabilitated, enhanced, and/or
21 
withdrawn from uses that contribute to their further degradation.
22 
SEC. 34. Fonnulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed Management
23 
Plans. - In the absence of a law on the protection and sustainable management of our
24 
forests, the LGUs through their local and land use committees and upon mandatory
25 
consultations with the concerned sectors, and with the assistance of the DENR, shall
26 
prepare their watershed management plans which shall be integrated with their
27 
respective CLUPs. The formulation and integration of the plan shall be guided, among
40


2
3
4
5
6
1
Others, by the principle that the management and development of inland water resources 
shall be at the watershed level. A nationwide mapping of watersheds in the country shall 
be implemented.
In cases where the watershed areas transcend the boundaries of a particular 
municipality, an inter-LGU committee composed of representatives from local land use 
committees of the LGUs where the watershed area is located shall be formed. With the
7 
assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory consultations with the concerned sectors,
8 
the inter-LGU committee shall formulate the watershed management plan for the said
9 
watershed area.
10 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the watershed
11 
management plan subject to regular consultations with and involvement of the
12 
community and other stakeholders in the implementation of the plan.
13 
The preparation of forest land use plans shall make use of the watershed as the basic
14 
planning unit.
15 
Article 3
16 
Coastal Zone
17 
SEC. 35. Criteria on the Allocation and Utilization of Lands within the Coastal
18 
Zones. - The allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zones shall be guided
19 
by the following:
20 
a) 
Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be preserved for mangrove
21 
production and shall not be converted to other uses;
22 
b) 
Areas which meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil depth,
23 
topography, supply for successful fishpond development, are not identified as
24 
mangrove protected areas, shall be utilized for aquaculture purposes;
25 
c) 
Areas sub-classified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or due to
26 
environmental conditions need to be preserved as mangrove but is devoid of
41


1 
mangrove stands shall not be converted to other uses. The DENR shall ensure
2 
that these lands shall be reforested within a given period of time;
3 
d) 
Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and housing
4 
shall be allocated to traditional fisherfolk who are inhabitants of the coastal
5 
communities and members of legitimate fisherfolk organizations and/or
6 
holders of stewardship lease contracts or titled to ancestral domains or any
7 
form of property right arrangements who participate in coastal resource
8 
management initiatives, subject to the usual census procedure of the HUDCC.
9 
e) 
Areas which are neither sub-classified as mangrove, fisherfolk settlement nor
10 
fishpond may be devoted to recreational or tourism purposes: Provided, That
11 
such undertaking will not result in environmental degradation and
12 
displacement of small fishers;
13 
f) 
Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used
14 
primarily for such purpose;
15 
g) 
Areas which have been allocated for small infrastructure needed by fisherfolk
16 
shall be allowed; and
17 
h) 
Areas which form part of foreshore lands as defined in this Act including those
18 
which are under lease agreements or arrangements shall undergo zoning and
19 
evaluation to determine their boundaries and actual sizes and corresponding
20 
uses.
21 
SEC. 36. Coastal Land Zone Snb-classification. - All public lands in the coastal
22 
zones shall be sub-classified into any of the following: estuaries, lagoons, inter-tidal flats,
23 
mudflats, fishponds, mangroves, protection from tidal surge, for preservation of
24 
biodiversity, habitats and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife, fisherfolk settlement, or
25 
recreational/tourism areas. No sub-classification of coastal cones to different uses shall
26 
be done without the following:
42


2
3
4
5
6
1
26
a) 
Conduct of a comprehensive resource and environmental assessment by the 
DENR and respective LGUs and accredited NGOs and POs within their 
jurisdiction; and
b) 
Prior consultation with the Local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management 
Councils (FARMCs) formed under Republic Act No. 8550 or the Philippine 
Fisheries Code.
7 
SEC. 37. Zoning of Foreshore Areas. - Local government units, in coordination with
8 
the DENR, shall conduct zoning of their respective foreshore areas to assist government
9 
and community fishers identify priority areas for conservation and development, and to
10 
enable them to set targets for mangrove reforestation and rehabilitation.
11 
SEC. 38. Protection of Watenvays Easement and Flood Plains. - Structures of any
12 
kind shall not be built in waterways easements. Pursuant to PD 1067 or the Water Code,
13 
the banks or rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their
14 
entire length and within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in
15 
agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins, are subject to
16 
the easement of public use only in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing
17 
and salvage.
18 
The protection of flood plains shall adopt a river basin management approach in
19 
order to come up with integrated flood mitigation interventions. Development within
20 
flood plains and other flood-prone areas must be controlled or, if allowed, must be so
21 
sited, constructed and serviced that life of occupants are not put at risk and that
22 
disruptions during floods are minimal. The identification and characterization of flood-
23 
prone areas and flood plains shall be an integral part of CLUP preparation. Through the
24 
CLUPs and zoning ordinances, LGUs shall establish land use regulations to mitigate
25 
flood risks.
The DPWH, in coordination with DOST and DENR, shall declare flood control
27 
areas, as necessary, and prohibit or control activities that could damage or cause
43


1 
deterioration of lakes and dikes, obstruct the flow of water, change the natural flow of
2 
rivers, increase flood losses or aggravate flood problems pursuant to PD 1067.
3 
Article 4
4 
Mineral Lands 
SEC. 39. Criteria for the Utilization and Allocation of Land for Mining Pnrposes. -
Consistent with Section 6 of this Act and the provisions of Republic Act No. 7942 or the 
Mining Act of 1995, and to ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance 
and maximizing economic returns to mining operations are realized, the allocation and 
utilization of lands for mining purposes shall be guided by the following:
a) 
The principles of sustainable development and responsible mining;
b) 
In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards shall be 
instituted by the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent environmental 
degradation of the mining sites and adjacent areas;
c) 
Mineral reservations which have become non-operational for more than five 
(5) years as determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) shall be 
placed under appropriate surface management by the DENR; and
d) 
Consistent with the Mining Act of 1995, areas closed to mining operations shall 
be periodically reviewed through mineral exploration to be undertaken by the 
DENR for the purpose of determining whether or not their continued closure 
is consistent with the national interest and, if warranted, recommend their
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
reclassification as mineral lands.
e) 
Protection forestlands and agricultural lands shall be exempt from mining 
activities to minimize the effect of natural calamities and to protect food 
security respectively. The small to large scale mining operations shall yield 
from and recognize the tenurial instrument given by the government such as 
original certificate of title (TCT), certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT),
44


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
1
emancipation patent-certificate of land ownership award (EP-CLOA) and 
other instruments. If these be present, no mining activity shall be conducted.
SEC. 40. Reversion of Mineral Lands. - All mineral lands with exhausted mineral 
resources, as determined by the MGB upon the recommendation of the DENR, shall 
revert to its original land classification, that is, as forestland or agricultural land. In the 
case of forestlands, the DENR may classify such areas for other purposes in consultation 
with concerned LGUs, the Department of Tourism (DOT), and other national government
agencies.
Article 5
10 
Energif Resource Lands
11 
SEC. 41. Guidelines for the Utilization and Allocation of Lands for Energy
12 
Resource Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution
13 
Purposes. - To ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and
14 
maximizing the power potential from indigenous energy resources in the most
15 
economical and environmentally acceptable means are realized, the allocation and
16 
utilization of lands for said purposes shall be guided by the following consistent with
17 
existing regulations and laws on energy resources:
18 
a) 
Indigenous energy resource exploration and development for the purpose of
19 
a National Energy Resource Inventory and Data Base as well as Energy
20 
Resource Block Map shall be allowed subject to the implementation of
21 
complementary watershed and other land management plans;
22 
b) 
Indigenous 
energy 
resource 
exploration, 
development, 
production,
23 
utilization, and distribution shall be subject to the appropriate requirements
24 
and processes of the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) system.
25 
Each project shall secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)
26 
prior to project implementation to ensure adequate and appropriate
45


1 
environmental management measures and optimum methods for resource
2 
access and recovery are utilized; and
3 
c) 
Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been
4 
established to be non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used for
5 
energy purposes shall be released to give way to other land uses, subject to
6 
existing laws covering energy reservations.
7 
SEC. 42, Reversion of Energy Resource Lands. - All exhausted indigenous energy
8 
resource lands not covered by proclamations shall automatically revert to the category of
9 
forestlands or agricultural lands open to disposition, whichever is appropriate.
10 
Exhausted energy resource lands shall refer to specific energy resource sites whose
11 
energy reserves of the desired type/s are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to
12 
justify additional expenditure for their extraction and utilization.
13 
CHAPTER VII
14 
SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT
15 
SEC. 43. Town, City, and Settlements Development. - The development of town,
16 
city, and settlements through the zoning ordinances of cities and municipalities shall be
17 
guided by the CLUPs and urban zoning stantiards designed to maximize existing urban
18 
spaces. Socialized housing and settlement areas shall be established only on alienable and
19 
disposable lands in order to avoid further degradation of forestlands.
20 
SEC. 44. Settlements ivithin Geo-hazard Areas. - Settlements, in particular housing
21 
or residential developments, within geo-hazed areas may be allowed provided that
22 
mitigating and/or protective measures are adopted to address the potential danger or
23 
risk to lives and property within such settlements. In coordination with the concerned
24 
agencies of the government, the LUPC shall provide assistance to concerned LGUs and
25 
settlers in instituting safety and corrective measures to address the potential danger or
26 
risk.
46


1 
Residential zones as designated in the CLUP shall be considered as outside geo-
2 
hazard areas. For this purpose, housing projects within such areas shall be exempt from
3 
the ECC as well as the Engineering Geological and Geohazard Assessment Report
4 
(EGGAR) and may be implemented without the need for any further certificate of
5 
exemption from the DENR or any other government regulatory agency.
6 
SEC. 45. Designation of Sanitary Landfill. - Each city or municipality shall identify,
7 
designate and allocate an area within their territorial jurisdiction to serve as sanitary
8 
landfill within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. The LGUs, in coordination
9 
with the DENR or any other competent authority, shall icientify sanitary landfill in order
10 
to fast track the conduct of environmental impact assessment study and to facilitate
11 
processing of the environmental compliance certificate. The site or area shall be identified
12 
in the city or municipality's CLUP. For this purpose, cities and municipalities shall
13 
establish their solid waste management program, pursuant to R.A. No. 9003, otherwise
14 
known as the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000." Likewise, as provided
15 
under Section 33 of the LGC, cities and municipalities may, through appropriate
16 
ordinances, bind themselves towards the establishment of a common solid waste
17 
management program."
18 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR, in coordination
19 
with concerned agencies, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines and standards for
20 
the formulation and establisliment of solid waste management programs by cities and
21 
municipalities, and shall submit the same to the LUPC for review and approval.
22 
SEC. 46. Designation and Zoning of Socialized Housing Zones. - Each city or
23 
municipality in urban, urbanizable and rural areas shall designate through the CLUP
24 
adequate lands for housing or residential purposes, including socialized housing and
25 
resettlement areas for the immediate and future needs of the local population as well as
26 
the underprivileged and homeless in their territory, pursuant to existing laws and
27 
regulations. In order to ensure adequate availability of land for the housing needs of the
47


1 
local population, the CLUP shall be updated, at maximum, every ten (10) years for
2 
provinces, cities and municipalities.
3 
The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential zones, and
4 
shall be zoned as socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city or municipality's
5 
zoning ordinance, pursuant to existing laws and regulations.
6 
Fisherfolk settlements and housing in coastal municipalities shall be zoned near the
7 
sea for easy access to their livelihood as provided under Section 36(b) of this Act.
8 
The housing or residential lands designated in the CLUPs and ZOs of cities and
9 
municipalities shall, on one hand, not be subject to further land reclassification by the
10 
LGU or land conversion procedure under DAR. On the other hand, agricultural lands as
11 
designated in the CLUP which are no longer economically feasible for agricultural use
12 
may be subject to land reclassification or conversion to housing/residential purposes and
13 
such conversion, as the case may be, shall be exempt from the coverage of any
14 
moratorium on land conversion.
15 
SEC. 47, Urban Forest or Green Space. - Each city or highly urbanized municipality
16 
shall identify, designate and allocate lands owned by the city or municipality as urban
17 
forest or green space based on the guidelines and standards to be issued by the DENR
18 
and approved by the NLUC.
19 
CHAPTER VIII
20 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS
21 
SEC. 48. Criteria for Designating Industrial Development Areas. - The
22 
identification and establishment of industrial development areas shall conform with the
23 
provisions of R.A. No. 7916, or the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Act, R.A.
24 
No. 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Act, as amended by
25 
R.A. No. 9700 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and
26 
Reforms Act (CARPER), R.A. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), R.A. No.
27 
7279 or tlae Urban Development Housing Act (UHDA), and R.A. No. 8435 or the
48


1 
Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), taking into consideration the
2 
following:
3 
a) 
Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected
4 
agricultural areas pursuant to the AFMA;
5 
b) 
National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based
6 
industrial development;
7 
c) 
Identified growth areas and corridors in the National Development Plan;
8 
d) 
National Protected Areas Systems (NIPAS) and non-NIPAS areas that require
9 
protection;
10 
e) 
National and Urban Development and Housing Framework;
11 
f) 
Identified Socialized Housing Zones; and
12 
g) 
National Framework for physical planning and other existing national
13 
programs and policies.
14 
The designated industrial development areas shall become an integral part of the
15 
land use plan and zoning ordinance of the city or municipality were these areas are
16 
located.
17 
CHAPTER IX
18 
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND HERITAGE AREAS
19 
SEC. 49. Designating Tourism Development Areas. - The identification, selection,
20 
and development of tourism development areas, tourism estates and tourism enterprise
21 
zones (TEZs) shall be done in consultation and coordination with the concerned national
22 
government agencies, the private sector, and the affected communities, subject to the
23 
provisions of R.A. No. 9593 or Tourism Act of 2009. Tourism development areas shall
24 
likewise include those covered by legislative and executive issuances as tourist spots,
25 
tourist zones and tourism ecozones which can be developed into tourism estates or
26 
integrated resort, leisure and recreation complexes and other tourism-related facilities as
27 
well as those identified in the national, regional and inter-regional tourism, and area
49


1 
specific tourism master plans and other sector plans such as ecotourism and agri-tourism
2 
sites.
3 
Designated areas for tourism development shall become part of the CLUPs of the
4 
cities or municipalities where these are located.
5 
Lands identified as part of a TEZ shall qualify for exemption from the coverage of
6 
RAs 7279 and 6657 subject to rules and regulations to be crafter by the TIEZA, HUDCC
7 
and DAR: Provided, That a certificate shall be obtained from the DA that said lands are no
8 
longer economically feasible and sound for agricultural purposes, consistent with Section
9 
46(c) of this Act.
10 
SEC. 50. Identification and Declaration of Areas for Protection, Consenmtion and
11 
Preservation of Cultural Heritage. - Pursuant to R.A. No. 10066, the National Historical
12 
Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and/or the National Museum in coordination
13 
with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, HLURB and other concerned
14 
agencies, local communities, and the private sector, shall identify declared areas and
15 
structures which shall be protected and/or preserved as part of the Philippine cultural
16 
heritage.
17 
The LGUs in coordination with the NHCP, the National Commission for Culture
18 
and Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) shall designate
19 
historical zones to protect the historical integrity of said geographical areas and cultural
20 
space of intangible cultural properties.
21 
CHAPTER X
22 
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
23 
SEC. 51. Allocation and Use of Land for Infrastructure Development. - Land,
24 
whether public or private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure
25 
projects that are supportive of national or local development objectives. The NEDA, in
26 
consultation with the concerned national government agencies, Gus, and the private
27 
sector shall identify and periodically review, update and/or revise the list of priority
50


1 
infrastructure projects subject to Sections 6 and 30 of this Act, and Section 47 of R.A. No.
2 
8435 or AFMA. In determining and evaluating the list of priority infrastructure projects,
3 
consideration shall be given to those that;
4 
a) 
Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national economy with
5 
priority on improving rural infrastructure and the development of the
6 
agriculture and fisheries sectors;
7 
b) 
Upgrade existing facilities to international standards;
8 
c) 
Address the need for sustainable settlements development; and,
9 
d) 
Help mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing phenomena or
10 
those that shall serve as alternatives to existing infrastructures found in natural
11 
hazard-prone areas: Provided, That the provision and implementation of
12 
infrastructure support shall be made compatible with existing environmental
13 
conditions and the physical, whether natural or human-made, and cultural
14 
character of the area. Mandatory public consultations pursuant to existing
15 
laws and regulations shall be held prior to the conduct of all infrastructure
16 
projects that will necessarily involve dislocation or displacement of people in
17 
the area: Provided, further, That the proponent of the infrastructure project shall
18 
follow the rules on just and humane eviction or demolition under Section 28
19 
of R.A. No. 7279 or the Urban Development Housing Act (UDHA)
20 
notwithstanding the provisions of Republic Act No. 8975, prohibiting lower
21 
courts from issuing temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, or
22 
preliminary mandatory injunctions, and proponent shall follow IPRA:
23 
Provided, finnlhj. That national government infrastructure projects shall allocate
24 
budget for the adequate relocation of displaced communities.
25 
SEC. 52. Infrastructure Projects within Geo-hazard Areas. - Construction of
26 
priority infrastructure projects within hazard-prone areas shall be allowed: Provided, That
27 
mitigating and/or preventive measures are adopted to address the potential adverse
51


1 
economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts that will emanate from these
2 
infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and recommendations of a feasibility
3 
study/environmental impact assessment in accordance with Presidential Decree No.
4 
1586, Establishing An Enviromnent Impact Statement System, Including Other
5 
Environmental Management Related Measures, and R.A. No. 4846 or the Cultural
6 
Properties Preservation and Protection Act, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 374.
7 
Existing projects that did not go through the process of an environmental impact
8 
assessment and pose threats to the environment, integrity of historic, archeological, or
9 
scientifically significant areas; or are impinging on critical ecosystems, may be: (a)
10 
terminated immediately, (b) required to implement an Environmental Management Plan;
11 
(c) gradually phased-out and relocated, or (d) maintained up to their lifespan, subject,
12 
however, to mitigating measures: Provided, That the rules on mandatory public
13 
consultations and just and humane eviction or demolition shall also be observed prior to
14 
the termination, gradual phase-out, or relocation of projects that will necessarily involve
15 
dislocation or displacement of people in the area.
16 
CHAPTER XI
17 
TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND VALUE FORMATION
18 
SEC, 53. Value Formation. - In order to create a well-informed, responsible and
19 
committed citizenry who values the protection, conservation and development of the
20 
country's limited land, and other physical resources, the State shall mandate the inclusion
21 
of sustainable land use education or any subject related thereto in the curricula of
22 
primary, secondary and tertiary education.
23 
SEC. 54. Information and Education Campaign. - The NLUC shall undertake a
24 
nationwide education information campaign in and use and physical planning to be
25 
implemented by local and national government officials, community leaders, NGOs,
26 
POs, religious sector, and the general public: Provided, That it shall be mandatory for local
27 
government officials involved in the preparation of CLUPS and PPFDP, including the
52


1 
municipal, city and provincial development officer to attend the Land Use Management
2 
Capability-Building Program.
3 
CHAPTER XII
4
5
17
18
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES
Article 1
6 
Incentives and Au'ards
7 
SEC. 55. Formulation of a System of Incentives and Aumrds. - The NLUC shall
8 
come out with a system of incentives and awards to LGUs that regularly update their
9 
CLUPS within the prescribed period, as follows:
10 
a) 
Provinces, Highly Urbanized Cities, and Independent Component Cities once
11 
every nine (9) years; and
12 
b) 
Component cities and municipalities once every nine (9) years.
13 
SEC. 56. Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs. - In providing teclmical
14 
assistance and other forms of support related to land use management and the
15 
implementation of development plans, the national government agencies shall give
16 
priority to cities and municipalities with approved CLUPs.
Article 2
Sanctions and Penalties
19 
SEC. 57. Fine for Non-Completion and Non-Commencement of Development of
20 
Agricultural Lands with Approved Order of Conversion. - A landowner and his/her
21 
designated developer or duly authorized representative who fails to commence and/or
22 
complete the development of agricultural lands witli approved order of conversion shall
23 
be penalized, jointly or severally, with any of the following fines based on the zonal value
24 
of the land at the time the fine is imposed:
25 
a) 
On failure to commence within one (1) year from the date of the conversion
26 
order:
53


1 
a.l 
Six percent (6%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the first three
2 
(3) hectares;
3 
b.l 
Fifteen percent (15%) of the zonal vale of the subject land for the next
4 
three (3) hectares; and
5 
c.l 
Thirty percent (30%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the
6 
remaining area: Provided, That the order of conversion shall be deemed
7 
revoked automatically and the land shall revert to its original
8 
agricultural use and 
covered by the DAR through compulsory
9 
acquisition for distribution to qualified beneficiaries.
10 
b) 
On failure to complete fifty percent (50%) of the approved conversion plan
11 
within a specified time frame. Fifty percent (50%) of the zonal value of the
12 
subject land and the revocation of the conversion plan on the undeveloped
13 
portion which shall automatically revert to its original use as agricultural land.
14 
The same shall be covered under the CARP and processed for land distribution
15 
as soon as possible.
16 
SEC. 58. Authority to Impose Fine. - The DAR shall impose the penalty provided
17 
for under the preceding section.
18 
SEC. 59. Withdrawal of Local Developt)ieiit Permits or Licenses. - Upon receipt of
19 
notice from the DAR, the concerned agencies and the city or municipality shall withdraw
20 
or revoke any development permit and other licenses that may be necessary to develop
21 
the agricultural land subject of conversion.
22 
SEC. 60. Utilization of Fines. - The fines collected under Sections 57, 62 and 63
23 
hereof shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund consistent with the
24 
provisions of the CARP, as amended.
25 
SEC. 61. Failure to Fortnnlate, Enforce, and/or Implement the CLLlPs. - Consistent
26 
with due process, the DILG shall investigate, review, and impose appropriate action
27 
regarding local chief executives and other local officials and employees responsible for
54


1 
the formulation, enforcement, and/or implementation of the CLUPs in case of any of the
2 
following:
3 
a) 
Failure to implement and enforce the CLUP due to negligence of duty;
4 
b) 
Failure to provide appropriate budgetary allocation to effect 
its
5 
implementation; and
6 
c) 
Failure to complete the preparation of the CLUP despite the availability of
7 
funds, resources, and support by the Snnggiinian concerned.
8 
Any public official or employees, regardless of whether elected or appointed or
9 
holding office or employment in a casual, temporary, holdover, permanent, or regular
10 
capacity, found to be responsible for any of the foregoing acts, after due notice and
11 
hearing by the appropriate body or agency, shall be punished with forfeiture of salaries
12 
and allowances and suspension from:
13 
a) 
Six (6) to nine (9) months, in case of non-implementation of CLUP; or
14 
b) 
Three (3) to Six (6) months, in case of non-completion of the CLUP.
15 
SEC. 62. Person(s) Abetting Illegal Conversion. - Any person initiating, causing,
16 
inducing, or abetting illegal conversion shall, upon conviction, be imprisoneci from seven
17 
(7) to twelve (12) years and imposed a fine of not less than One Flundred Thousand Pesos
18 
(PI00,000.00) or both at the discretion of the court: Provided, That if the offender is a public
19 
official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the penalty shall, in addition thereto,
20 
include dismissal through permanent separation from the service and forfeiture of all
21 
benefits and entitlements accruing to the public position and perpetual disqualification
22 
to run or apply for any elective or appointive public office: Provided, further, That if the
23 
offender is a juridical person, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on the
24 
president, chief executive officer, manager, chairperson and all the members of the board,
25 
and other responsible officer thereof, and the fine shall be equivalent to the zonal value
26 
of the land or forty percent (40%) of the shareholders equity, as determined at the time of
27 
judgment, whichever is higher, plus forfeiture of the lad in favor of the State for sale
55


1 
through public auction, the proceeds of which shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian
2 
Reform Fund as provided for in Section 58 of this Act.
3 
SEC. 63. Penalty for Reclassification of Protected Agricultural Lands and
4 
Exceeding the Limit of Areas Allowed for Reclassification. - Any person initiating,
5 
causing, inducting, or abetting the reclassification of protected agricultural areas into
6 
non-agricultural uses and exceeding the limits set forth under Section 20 of the LGC of
7 
1991, shall be penalized with imprisonment of twelve (12) years and a fine of not less than
8 
One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both at the discretion of the Court:
9 
Provided, That if the offender is a public official or employee, the penalty shall, in addition
10 
thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation from the service, whether
11 
elected or appointed, and forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the public position:
12 
Provided, fiirtlier, That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed on
13 
the president, chief executive officer, manager, chairperson and all the members of the
14 
board, and other responsible officers thereof.
15 
SEC. 64. Payment of Disturbance Compensation. - Following the order of priority
16 
as enumerated in Section 22 of the CARP, as amended, qualified beneficiaries such as
17 
agricultural lessees and tenants, regular farm workers, seasonal farm workers, other farm
18 
workers, actual tillers or occupants of public lands, collective, or cooperative of the above-
19 
mentioned beneficiaries, and others directly working on the land affected by agricultural
20 
land use conversion shall be entitled to the payment of disturbance compensation
21 
equivalent to five (5) times the average of the gross harvests on the landholding during
22 
the last five (5) preceding calendar years or a certain percentage of the converted land,
23 
whichever is higher, as determined by the DAR.
CHAPTER XIII
24
25
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS
26 
SEC. 65. Convening of the NLUC. - Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of
27 
this Act, the President shall convene the NLUC.
56


1 
SEC. 66. Implementing Rides and Regulations. - Within six (6) months from the
2 
effectivity of this Act, the NLUC shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the
3 
provisions of this Act. Said rules and regulations shall be submitted to the Congressional
4 
Oversight Committee for approval.
5 
SEC. 67. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act. - There is
6 
hereby created a Congressional Oversight Committee which shall monitor the
7 
implementation of this Act. It shall be composed of seven (7) members from the Senate
8 
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and seven (7) members from the
9 
House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. The Chairpersons of the
10 
Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and the House of
11 
Representatives Committee on Natural Resources shall be the Chair and Co-Chair of the
12 
Congressional Oversight Committee, respectively. The other members of the Senate shall
13 
be appointed by the Senate President bases on proportional representation of the parties
14 
or coalitions therein with at least one (1) member representing the minority.
15 
The secretariat of the Oversight Committee shall be drawn from the existing
16 
secretariat personnel of the committees comprising the oversight and the funding shall
17 
be taken from the appropriations of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
18 
SEC. 68. Appropriations. - The appropriations for the National Land Use
19 
Commission shall be taken from the budget of the Office of the President in the General
20 
Appropriations Act in the year following the effectivity of this Act and shall be used to
21 
carry out the initial operations of the National Land Use Commission. Thereafter,
22 
additional sums as may be necessary for the full implementation of the NLUC's functions
23 
shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
24 
SEC. 69. Review of Existing Land Use Plans. - Provinces, cities, and municipalities
25 
with existing land use plans shall review, revise, reconcile, and harmonize the same with
26 
the guidelines set forth under this Act witliin three (3) years from tire effectivity of this
27 
Act.
57


1 
SEC. 70. Repealing Clause. - All republic acts, executive orders, rules and
2 
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with the
3 
provisions of this Republic Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
4 
SEC. 71. Non-Impairment Clause. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to
5 
diminish, impair, or repeal rights recognized, granted, or available to marginalized or
6 
basic sectors under existing laws, including but not limited to Republic Act Nos. 7279,
7 
6657,8371, and 8550.
8 
SEC. 72. Separability Clause. - If for any reason or reasons, any part or provision
9 
of this Act shall be declared or held to be unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or
10 
provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and
11 
effect.
12 
SEC. 73. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
13 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general
14 
circulation.
Approved,
58