1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
Introduced by Representative RICHARD I. GOMEZ, DPA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
At the most fundamental level, a country is made up of its land and its people. Our land 
contains the primary assets of our country; and it is a finite resource. Our archipelago is composed 
of 7,641 islands with a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers or 30 million hectares. Ninety-
two percent of our land mass is found in the 11 largest islands.  The Philippines ranks 6th in the 
world in terms of coastline length, with a total of 36,289 kilometers.  
Our land, together with the myriad geographical and hydrologic features that comprise it, 
provides the Filipino people, 116 million strong, with agricultural production areas, water supply 
for home and commercial uses, industrial production areas, urban settlement areas, coastal areas, 
tourist attractions, as well as minerals and other materials for household, commercial and industrial 
use. In a nutshell, the lands of the Philippines, is the most important capital for the Filipino people, 
socially, economically and culturally.  
It is, therefore, imperative that prudent, intelligent, appropriate, conscientious and just 
allocation and use of land be a top priority of the national and local governments, and of the 
leadership of our nation.   
At present, in terms of legislation, there are already existing laws that were proclaimed, 
declared, ordered and enacted with the goal in mind to protect, safeguard and optimize our land 
resources. In terms of governance, both the national and local governments continue to formulate 
land use plans, such as the City Land Use Plan (CLUP) and the Provincial Development and 
Physical Framework Plan (CLUP). However, due to the fragmented nature of how the land use 
August 27, 2025
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laws, environmental protection laws, planning mechanics and evaluation processes were 
developed, interspersed in a span of decades, it is inevitable that certain gaps, overlaps and 
conflicts emerge. 
This bill proposes to integrate, organize and harmonize all laws, rules and regulations 
pertaining to environmental and land resources, and streamline the planning, allocation and 
approval procedures, under the authority, guidance and management of the proposed National 
Land Use Commission, under the Office of the President.  
This bill also outlines multi-level organizational structures from the local government to 
the national government level. Moreover, this measure presents criteria for evaluation, 
classification for the various key land use aspects, such as: agricultural lands, forest and timber 
lands, protected areas, coastal zones, mineral land, energy resources, human settlements, industrial 
development, tourism and heritage areas, and infrastructure development.  
This bill is the same version as the one approved on third reading in the 19th Congress. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
RICHARD I. GOMEZ, DPA 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________________ 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative RICHARD I. GOMEZ, DPA 
AN ACT  
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
CHAPTER I  
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the “National Land Use 
Act of 2025.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. - All lands of the public domain, waters, 
minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests 
or timber, wildlife, fora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the state. With the 
exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall not be alienated.  
Pursuant to the constitutional provision or mandate, it is the policy of the State to provide 
for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, utilization, management, and development of the 
country's land to ensure their optimum use, consistent with the principle of sustainable 
development.  
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The State shall recognize the need for rational, optimal, and sustainable settlements 
development, consistent with the principles of environmental management and equitable access to 
land and security.  
 
Toward this end, the State shall institutionalize land use and physical planning as 
mechanisms for identifying, determining, and evaluating appropriate land use and allocation 
patterns that promote and ensure:  
 
a) Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources;  
 
b) Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability specifically the 
perpetual protection of permanent forests and watersheds for the attainment of food, water, and 
energy sufficiency;  
 
c) Disaster risk reduction and climate change resiliency;  
 
d) Protection of prime agricultural lands for food security in basic commodities with an 
emphasis on self-sufficiency in rice and corn;  
 
e) Water security through sustainable development and management of water 
resources; 
 
f) Settlements, transportation, and infrastructure development in support of urban, 
rural and regional development and inclusive growth; 
 
g) Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino within the 
the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social justice, and equity; 
 
h) Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights of the Indigenous 
Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) to their ancestral domains to ensure their 
economic, social, and cultural well-being as well as recognition of the applicability of customary 
laws and sustainable traditional resource use and management, knowledge, and practices in 
ancestral domains in compliance with free and prior informed consent of ICC/IPs; 
 
i) Protection of the rights of basic sectors to equitable access to the country's land; 
 
j) Protection, preservation, and development of the Filipino historical, cultural, and built 
cultural heritage and resources for a deeper understanding of our history and culture as a people; 
 


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k) Attainment of energy security and self-sufficiency; and 
 
l) A whole-of-society and whole-of-government orientation, through which thrusts and      
strategies espoused by different actors and sectors are heard and brought together to achieve 
complex and interrelated goals, is encouraged and adopted as a basic parameter in achieving 
efficiency in land use and allocation, within the framework of ecological development and equity; 
 
 
m) Promotion of the integrated approach to land use and urban transport planning to 
effectively manage growth in urban areas and ensure that the capacity of transport facilities can 
accommodate the demand for movement of passengers and goods to, from, and within the centers 
of socioeconomic activities; 
 
n) Vertical and horizontal linkages or spatial strategies and the potential for co-
management and inter-locality cooperation across territorial jurisdictions and government levels, 
highlighting the imperative for a ridge-to- reef and ecosystem-based approach to land and water 
resource management and governance; and 
 
 
o) Data and evidence-informed management and governance of land and water resources, 
in line with the place-based aspirations and shared values of the community. 
 
It is also the policy of the State to ensure that local government units (LGUs) share with 
the national government the responsibility of managing and maintaining ecological balance within 
their territorial jurisdiction as stated in the 1987 Constitution and Republic Act RA 7160, as 
amended, also known as the “Local Government Code of 1991”. Guided by the principle that the 
use of land bears a social function and that all economic agents contribute to the common good, 
landowners, land tenure holders, in the case of forestlands, be it an individual, communal, 
corporate or group, is held responsible for developing and conserving their lands, thereby making 
their lands productive and supportive of environmental stability. 
 
SEC. 3. Scope. - This Act 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 an impact on said resources. 
 
SEC. 4.  Definition of Terms. - As used in and for purposes of this Act  
 
a) “Agricultural land” refers to the land of the public domain which has been devoted to 
agricultural activity as defined in Republic Act No. 6657, as amended and not further classified 
for residential, commercial, or industrial use and such other uses as may be provided by law;  
 


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b) “Agricultural land use conversion” refers to the undertaking of any development 
activity which modifies or alters the physical characteristics of agricultural lands to render them 
suitable for non-agricultural purposes with an approved order of conversion issued exclusively by 
the 
Department 
of 
Agrarian 
Reform 
(DAR);  
 
c) “Alienable and disposable (A&D) lands” refer to lands of the public domain that have 
been delineated, classified, and certified as open and available for disposition under the provisions 
of Commonwealth Act No. 141, otherwise known as the "Public Land Act," as amended;  
 
d) “Ancestral domains” refer to all areas generally belonging to ICCs/IPs as defined in 
Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1998”;  
 
e) “Archaeological site” refers to any place, whether above or underground, underwater 
or at sea level, containing fossils, artifacts and other cultural, geological, botanical, zoological 
materials which depict and document culturally relevant paleontological, prehistoric or historic 
events; 
 
f) Basic Sector” refers to a group of people not referring to any organized groups such as 
but not limited to women, youth, elderly, differently-abled, peasants and fisher folk;  
 
g) “Coastal area/zone” refers to a band of dry land and the adjacent ocean space (water 
and submerged land) in which terrestrial processes and uses directly affect oceanic processes and 
uses, and 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; 
 
h) “Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP)” refers to a plan embodying a set of policies 
accompanied by maps and similar illustrations that serves as a policy guide for determining the 
future use of lands and natural resources within the territorial jurisdiction of the LGU, including 
municipal waters with due consideration to the biogeographic region within which the locality 
belongs, representing the community desired pattern of population distribution and proposes future 
allocation of land and resources to various activities including the processes and criteria employed 
in such determination of allocation of land and resources for a long-term management of the local 
territory covering a minimum period of twelve (12) years, reviewable not earlier than every six (6) 
years; 
 


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i) “Comprehensive land use planning” refers to the act of defining the allocation, 
utilization, development and management of all lands and water resources within a given territory 
or jurisdiction according to the inherent characteristic and carrying capacities of the land itself and 
supportive of sustainable economic, demographic, socio-cultural and environmental objectives as 
an 
aid 
to 
decision-making 
and 
legislation; 
 
j) “Critical habitats” refer to areas outside protected areas as defined in 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 endemicity and/or richness, presence of human-made pressures/threats to the 
survival 
of 
wildlife 
living 
in 
the 
area, 
among 
others;  
 
k) “Critical watershed” refers to a drainage area of a river system supporting existing and 
proposed hydroelectric power, domestic water consumption, irrigation works or existing water 
facilities needing immediate protection and rehabilitation to minimize erosion and improve water 
yield. It shall be closed for logging until it is fully rehabilitated;  
 
l) “Cultural heritage” refers to the totality of cultural properties preserved and developed 
through 
time 
and 
passed 
on 
for 
posterity;  
 
m) “Customary laws” refer to a body of written and/ or unwritten rules, usages, customs, 
and practices traditionally and continually recognized, accepted, and observed by respective 
ICCs/IPs, 
consistent 
with 
the 
IPRA;  
 
n) “Development plan” refers to the activities and measures that the national government 
or LGUs intend to implement over a specified period of time to achieve the defined set of 
development goals identified in the national or local physical framework plans integrating socio-
economic, financial, fiscal, legal and legislative institutional and sectoral plans of the national 
government or any of its instrumentalities or a particular LGU, consistent with the objectives 
identified in spatial plans, such as land use plans or physical framework plans including an analysis 
of problems and resources, definition of goals and objectives, policy guidelines, programs and 
projects, and an implementation mechanism which defines the roles and contributions expected 
from 
the 
government 
and 
the 
private 
sector; 
 
o) “Ecologically-fragile lands” refer to lands within the critical watershed, 20 brackish 
and freshwater wetlands, pasture lands, and croplands that require rehabilitation and whose 
continued unsustainable use would adversely affect the productivity of lowland agricultural areas 
and 
the 
stability 
of 
the 
upland 
ecosystem;  
 


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p) “Ecotourism” refers 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 enrichment of host communities and the 
satisfaction 
of 
visitors;  
 
q) “Energy resource lands” refer to lands where naturally occurring or indigenous energy 
resources exist in sufficient quantity or quality as to be economically viable for exploration, 
development, 
production, 
utilization, 
and 
distribution 
process;  
 
r) “Energy resources” 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) “Energy resource lands” refer to lands where naturally occurring or indigenous energy 
resources exist in sufficient quantity or quality as to be economically viable for exploration, 
development 
production, 
utilization 
and 
distribution 
purposes; 
 
t) “Exhausted mineral resources” refer to specific sites where the mineral resources are 
no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure for extraction or 
utilization as determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and approved by the Department 
of 
Environment 
and 
Natural 
Resources 
(DENR); 
 
u) “Flood plain” refers to relatively smooth valley floors adjacent to and formed by rivers 
which overflow its banks at flood stages. The plain usually consist of unconsolidated fine 
sediments 
such 
as 
sand, 
silt, 
and 
clay; 
 
v) “Flood-prone areas” refer to low lying areas usually adjacent to large or active water 
bodies and which therefore experience regular or seasonal inundation as a result of changes in the 
mean water level of these bodies or because of land reclamation and other artificial interference 
with the natural processes; 
w) “Foreshore land” refers to a string of land margining a body of water, the part of a 
seashore between the low-water line usually at the seaward margin of a low tide terrace and the 
upper limit of wave wash at high tide marked by a beach scarp or berm; 
 
x) “Forest” refers to an ecosystem or an assemblage of ecosystems dominated by trees and 
other woody vegetation or a community of plants and animals interacting with one another and its 


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physical 
environment; 
 
y) “Forest lands” refer to one of the four classifications of land defined in the Constitution 
under the public domain determined as suitable for forest purposes and not classified as mineral 
land, national park or agricultural land such as all permanent forest reserves, forest reservations, 
and 
all 
the 
remaining 
unclassified 
lands 
of 
the 
public 
domain; 
 
z) “Geo-hazards” refer to a geological process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, 
injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and 
economic disruption or environmental damage. This includes internal earth processes such as 
earthquakes and volcanic activities, and geophysical processes like mass movements landslides, 
surface 
collapses, 
debris 
and 
mud 
flow; 
 
aa) “Geo-hazard prone areas” refer to areas frequently affected and/or are vulnerable or 
at 
risk 
to 
weather/climatic, 
hydrologic, 
geologic 
and 
other 
natural 
calamities; 
 
bb.) “Heritage zone” refers to historical, anthropological, archaeological, artistic 
geographical areas and settings that are culturally significant to the country, as declared by the 
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and/or the National Historical Commission 
of the Philippines (NHCP); 
 
 cc) “Illegal conversion” refers to an attempt to or an actual change in the use of land from 
agricultural to a residential, commercial, or industrial and other non-agricultural activity, without 
a conversion grant or clearance based on the requirements under Section 65 of RA 6657, as 
amended, and to dispossess a tenant as provided under Section 73 (c) of RA 6657, as amended, 
when established from the following instances: 
 
 
(1) an agricultural land is developed for use in non-agricultural activities without a DAR 
Conversion Order; 
(2) the agricultural land being converted is irrigated or irrigable; 
(3) there is land activity such as, but not limited to, earth filling/dumping, earth 
moving/digging, and quarrying, and in each case, bona fide conduct of agricultural activities on a 
greater portion of the land developed has ceased; and 
(4) Other analogous activities. 
dd) “Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPPs)” refer to 
groups of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, 
who have continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined 
territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed, 
and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions, and other 
distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social, and cultural inroads 


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of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, became historically differentiated from the 
majority of Filipinos including peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent 
from the populations which inhabited the country at the time of conquest or colonization, or at the 
time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures, or the establishment of present state 
boundaries, who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural, and political 
institutions, but who may have been displaced from their traditional domains, or who may have 
resettled 
outside 
their 
ancestral 
domains; 
 
ee) “Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)” refer to the present most important sites for 
biodiversity conservation worldwide which are considered places of international importance for 
the conservation of biodiversity through protected areas and other governance mechanisms and 
which are identified nationally using simple standard criteria based on their importance in 
maintaining species populations; 
 
ff) “Land” refers to resources, both artificial and natural, found on the surface, below, and 
above the ground, including inland waters and the air therein; 
 
gg) “Land use” refers to the manner of allocation, utilization, management and 
development of land; 
 
hh) “Land use classification” refers to the act of delineating or allocating lands according 
to protection land use, production land use, settlements development and infrastructure 
development as provided for in this Act; 
 
ii) “Land use planning” refers to the rational and judicious approach of allocating 
available land resources to different land-using activities, such as but not limited to agricultural, 
residential, industrial, commercial, institutional, forest land uses, and for different functions 
consistent with the overall development vision/goal of a particular locality; 
 
jj) “Mandatory public hearings or consultations” refer to the mechanism of involving the 
concerned stakeholders and communities in land use planning, from the barangay to the national 
level, to ensure the social acceptability of the plans including giving notice of hearing or 
consultation to the concerned stakeholders through publication or posting in conspicuous places, 
conducting a reasonable number of hearings, and soliciting positions to arrive at a consensus 
through public presentations and validation of the planning results undertaken before the final 
adoption of the plans; 
 
kk) “Marine protected area” refers to a defined area of the sea established and set aside 
by law, administrative regulation or any other effective means to conserve and protect a part of the 
entire enclosed environment, through the establishment of management guidelines; 


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ll) “Minerals” refer to naturally occurring inorganic substance beneath 
2 or at the surface of the earth, whether or not under water, and includes all 
3 metallic minerals, and non-metallic minerals such as precious stones, industrial 
4 rocks, and building stones; 
 
mm.) “Mineral lands” refer to any area where mineral resources are found, including areas 
that are established as mineral reservations, areas with active mining operations; areas with 
projected mining tenurial rights; and areas declared by court decisions as mineral lands; 
 
nn) “Mineral reservations” refer to areas established and proclaimed as such by the 
President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Director of the Mines and 
Geosciences Bureau through the DENR Secretary including all submerged lands within the 
contiguous zone and exclusive Economic Zone. 
 
oo) “National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS)” refers to the classification 
and administration of all designated protected areas to maintain essential ecological processes and 
life-support systems, to preserve genetic diversity, to ensure sustainable use of resources found 
therein, and to maintain their natural conditions to the greatest extent possible; 
 
pp) “National park” refers to forest reservation, essentially of natural wilderness character, 
which has been withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or any form of exploitation, except in 
conformity with the approved management plan and set aside as such exclusively to conserve the 
area or preserve the scenery, natural and historic objects, wild animals and plants therein, and to 
provide enjoyment of these features in such areas including lands and waters of the public domain 
classified as such in the Constitution such as all areas under the NIPAS primarily designated for 
the conservation of native plants and animals and associated habitats and cultural diversity; 
 
qq) “Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development 
(NPAAAD)” refers to agricultural areas identified by the Department of Agriculture (DA), through 
the Bureau of Soils and Water Management in coordination with the National Mapping and 
Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), in order to ensure the efficient utilization of land for 
agriculture and agro-industrial development and to promote sustainable growth, covering all 
irrigated areas, all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects, all alluvial plains, lands 
highly suitable for agriculture, whether irrigated or not, agro-industrial croplands or lands planted 
with industrial crops that support the validity of existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based 
enterprises, highlands or areas located at an elevation of five hundred (500) meters or above and 
have the potential for growing semi-temperate and high value crops, all agricultural lands that are 
ecologically fragile, the conversion of which may result in serious environmental degradation, and 
all mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries; 


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 rr) “Physical framework plans” refer to the national, regional or provincial indicative 
plans that outline the over-all and macro-level spatial and physical development objectives, 
priorities, directions and strategies in its respective levels as prepared, reviewed, integrated and 
finalized by the national, regional and provincial land use councils or boards respectively based 
on the CLUPs of the LGUs and the national policy guidelines relating to land use, infrastructure 
development and environmental management to prevent or mitigate the adverse effects of 
inappropriate resource utilization on food security, the welfare of the people and their 
environment; 
 
ss) “Physical Planning refers to the process of organizing physical activities and land uses, 
including settlements, environmental protection, economic activities, and infrastructure to ensure 
sustainable, orderly, and optimal siting and coordination of land uses; 
 
tt) “Prime agricultural lands” refer to all contiguous irrigated lands/areas and irrigable 
lands already covered by irrigation projects, including all alluvial plain lands highly suitable for 
agriculture, not irrigated that have been identified to satisfy the need for food self-sufficiency and 
food security and agro-industrial croplands or lands presently planted to industrial and high value 
crops that support the viability of existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises, 
highlands or areas located at an elevation of five hundred (500) meters or above, highly suitable 
for growing semi-temperate and high value crops outside of declared permanent forestlands and 
protections forests, and are not located in ecologically fragile and environmentally critical areas; 
 
uu) “Production land use” refers to the most efficient, sustainable, and equitable 
utilization, development and management of land for productive purposes which are not classified 
for protection land use; 
 
vv) “Protected areas” refer to portions of land and water set aside by reason of their unique 
physical and biological diversity and protected against human exploitation including all natural 
forests and agricultural lands identified and delineated under this Act; 
 
 
ww) “Reclassification of agricultural lands” refers to the act of specifying how 
agricultural lands are classified or used for non-agricultural uses such as residential, industrial or 
commercial purposes, as embodied in the land use plan subject to the requirements and procedure 
for reclassification undertaken by the LGU in accordance with Section 20 of RA 7160, as amended; 
 
xx) “Resettlement areas” refer to areas identified by the appropriate national agency or by 
the LGU with respect to areas within its jurisdiction which are used for the relocation of the 


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underprivileged and homeless, as defined under RA 7279, otherwise known as the “Urban 
Development and Housing Act of 1992;” 
 
yy) “Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones (SAFDZ)” refer to the areas 
within the NPAAAD identified for production, agro-processing, and marketing activities to help 
develop and modernize, with the support of government, the agriculture and fisheries sectors in an 
environmentally and socio-culturally sound manner pursuant to Section 4 of RA 2 8435 or 
“Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997”; 
 
zz) “Settlements” refer to communities or built-up environment areas where people prefer 
to live in; 
 
aaa) “Settlements development” refers to any improvement on existing settlements or any 
proposed development of certain areas for settlement purposes involving the spatial distribution of 
population, identification of the roles and functions of key urban centers, determination of 
relationships among settlement areas, and the provision of basic services and facilities of identified 
major settlement areas of growth centers; 
 
bbb) “Shoreline” refers to a strip of land covering of at least one (1) 12 kilometer from the 
point where seawater reaches during the highest high tide; 
 
ccc) “State universities and colleges (SUCs)” refer to public higher education institutions 
in the Philippines created and established by law which constitutes their charter and which have 
independent and separate governing boards; 
 
ddd) “SUC Land Use Plan” refers to a campus master plan mandated under RA 11396, 
otherwise known as the “SUCs Land Use Development and Infrastructure Plan Act” that contains 
the allocation and utilization of the land within a campus’ geographic boundary to meet the 
required academic and non-academic support services and facilities as well as the campus 
development programs and projects and the investment needed to implement them; 
 
eee) “Sustainable development” refers to the development objective of meeting the needs 
of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own 
needs consistent with the principles of social equity, efficiency and environmental integrity; 
 
fff) “Tourism development areas” refer to specific sites for tourism development located 
in areas identified as priorities in the national and regional tourism master plans and those 
designated through legislative and executive issuances as tourist spots and tourist zones which may 
be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, leisure, recreation complexes, and other 
tourism related facilities; 


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ggg) “Tourism ecozone” refers to tourism development areas, outside of protection lands 
which have been granted special economic zone status through the Philippine Export Zone 
Authority registration and issuance of the required Presidential Proclamation, with its metes and 
bounds, delineated by said proclamation, pursuant to RA 7916, as amended, otherwise known as 
“The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995”; 
 
hhh) “Tourism estates” refer to large tracts of land with well-defined boundaries in any 
area, excluding those protection lands, identified in the Philippine tourism master plan and regional 
tourism by proclamation of the President of the Philippines or by acts of Congress or by local 
legislation and declared suited for the development of an integrated tourism and resort complex 
with prescribed carrying capacities and limits for its facilities and activities; 
 
iii) “Tourist spot” refers to a particular area, site or spot, man-made or natural, known for 
its unique tourist or visitor-drawing attributes and activities and which may be classified according 
to its social, cultural, natural, historical, aesthetic, visual, scientific, religious, or recreational 
significance; 
 
jjj) “Tourist zone” refers to a geographic area with well-defined boundaries proclaimed as 
such by the President of the Philippines or by acts of Congress where development projects for 
any purpose are initiated and introduced prior to formulation of a tourism master development plan 
which are undertaken in coordination with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism 
Infrastructure Enterprise Zone (TIEZA) for the enhancement or the conservation of cultural and 
historical heritage, and for the appreciation and enjoyment of the local population and its visitors; 
 
kkk) “Transmission line corridor” refers to the land beneath, the air spaces surrounding, 
and the area traversed by electric power transmission lines including its horizontal, vertical, and 
similar clearance requirements; 
 
lll) “Urban areas” refer to all cities regardless of their population density and to 
municipalities with a population density of at least five hundred (500) persons per square 
kilometer; 
 
mmm) “Urbanizable areas” refer to sites and lands which, considering present 
characteristics and prevailing conditions, display great potential of becoming urban areas within a 
period of five (5) years; 
 
nnn) “Urban forest or green space” refers to the establishment or setting up of areas for 
mini-forest, eco-parks or small nature parks, in both public and private lands, wetlands, man-made 
lagoons and lakes systems, riverbanks and shores, grasslands, roof and rock gardens, lining roads 


13 
 
and highways with trees, shrubs, or ornamental plants, and ground landscaping of schools, 
hospitals, and other government agencies in order to improve the environment in urban areas; 
 
ooo) “Water security” refers to the sufficient access throughout the year to the minimum 
daily requirement of clean water to maintain a healthy life; 
 
ppp) “Water use” refers to the appropriation of water for domestic, municipal, irrigation, 
power generation, inland fisheries, poultry and livestock, industrial and commercial, 
environmental, and recreational use; 
 
qqq) “Watershed” refers to a topographically delineated area of land from which rainwater 
can drain as surface run-off vis-a-vis a specific stream or river system to a common outlet point 
which may be a dam, irrigation system or urban water supply take off point, or where the stream 
discharges into a river, lake, or the sea; 
 
rrr) “Public lands” refer to lands that have not been subject to private property rights or 
subject to sale or other modes of acquisition or concession under the general laws, and are devoted 
to public use;  
 
sss) “Zoning ordinance” refers to a local law passed by the Sangguniang Bayan or 
Panlungsod approving the development control or zoning plan in accordance with an approved or 
adopted CLUP of the city or municipality, providing for the regulations and other conditions on 
the land uses, including the limitation on the infrastructure that may be placed within the territorial 
jurisdiction of the city or municipality, incorporating the protected areas, protected agricultural 
lands and ancestral lands as provided for in this Act. 
 
 
CHAPTER II 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLAN 
 
SEC. 5. National Land Use Planning Process. - The land use and physical planning 
process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down approach. The 
National Land Use Commission (NLUC) shall draft the National Physical Framework Plan 
(NPFP) which shall have a timeframe of thirty (30) years, with regular review and updating every 
ten (10) years. The NPFP, which guides the planning and management of the country's land and 
other physical resources at the national and sub-national levels, shall indicate broad spatial 
directions and policy guidelines on settlement development, production land use, protection land 
use, 
social 
services 
and 
utilities, 
and 
transportation 
and 
communication.  
 
 
The Regional Physical Framework Plans (RPFPs), Provincial Physical Framework and 


14 
 
Development Plans (PPFDPs), and Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs), which shall also 
have a 30-year timeframe and cover the physical development of their respective territories, shall 
be consistent with the national physical framework plan: Provided, That the integration and 
harmonization of the physical framework plans at all levels shall be iterative to ensure that the 
concerns of both top and bottom levels of government are considered. The physical and land use 
plans prepared at all levels shall have internal consistency specifically on, but not limited to, the 
development, management, and conservation of forestlands found within a given territory and the 
linkages of the major land use categories to ensure their complementation in the utilization, 
development, and management of resources.  
 
The NLUC shall issue procedural guidelines which shall guide the formulation and 
integration/harmonization process: Provided, That, the Department of Economy, Planning, and 
Development (DEPDev), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), 
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and other agencies will continue to 
issue guidelines on the content of the plans consistent with their respective agency mandates. 
 
SEC. 6. City and Municipal Land Use Plans. —In consultation with concerned sectors, 
the Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC) shall define the desired spatial arrangement of 
land and land-use activities in the entire region, based on the consolidated and harmonized PPFDPs 
of provinces and independent cities within the territorial jurisdiction of the region. The RPFP, 
which depicts an end-state scenario toward which efforts and activities are directed, shall consist 
of spatially-based and area-focused policies, consistent with those in the national framework for 
physical planning, to guide detailed physical, socio-economic, sectoral and investment planning. 
The RPFP shall have a planning period of twelve (12) years to be updated every six (6) years or 
when deemed necessary. 
 
SEC. 7. Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plans (PPFDP). - In 
consultation with concerned sectors, the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) 
shall prepare a Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plans (PPFDP), which shall 
define the province's development vision, economic and social development policies, 
environmental and ecological protection policies, general land uses, and inter-city/municipal 
transportation system. The PPFDP shall integrate and harmonize the land use plans of component 
cities and municipalities using the ridge-to-reef (R2R) or watershed ecosystem management 
(WEM) approach taking into consideration shared watersheds, ecosystems and natural resources 
and planning concerns, and define the uses of land and other resources within the province 
consistent with the policies in the regional physical framework plan. The programs, projects and 
activities prescribed in the PPFDP shall be integrated into the provincial development investment 
program. The PPDO shall submit the PPFDP to the Provincial Land Use Policy Council (PLUPC), 
created under Section 24 of this Act, for review and endorsement to the Sangguniang 
Panlalawigan, which shall adopt the same pursuant to Section 468 (2) (vii) of RA 7160. The 


15 
 
PPFDP shall have a planning period of twelve (12) years to be updated every six (6) years or when 
deemed necessary. 
 
SEC. 8. Regional Physical Framework Plans (RPFP). -The City/Municipal Planning and 
Development Office (C/MPDO) shall prepare the comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) to 
determine the specific uses of land and other physical resources therein including areas co-
managed with the national government and, as appropriate, the ancestral domain areas. This shall 
be done in consultation with concerned sectors through mandatory conduct of public hearings and 
with the use of technology-based systems such as, but not limited to, the Community-Based 
Monitoring System (CBMS) required to be established in every city and municipality under RA 
11315 or the “Community-Based Monitoring System Act”. The CLUP shall be consistent with the 
R2R/WEM-based PPFDP and shall define the city or municipal development vision, appropriate 
economic, environmental and social development policies, densities and transportation system 
using the R2R/WEM approach. The CLUP shall have a planning period of twelve (12) years to be 
updated every six (6) years or when deemed necessary. The C/MPDO shall also use, among others, 
the CBMS in the updating of the CLUPs. The R2R/WEM-based CLUP will be used as the common 
reference framework for the preparation of all sectoral development plans that will form part of 
the Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan which merges the traditionally separate 
CLUP and comprehensive development plan to address the disconnect between spatial 
development and sectoral programs and to ensure the complementation between the medium- and 
long-term concerns and shall be the basis of the formulation of the local development investment 
program. The CLUP shall be translated into a zoning ordinance by the concerned Sanggunian to 
regulate the uses of land, including the limitations on height, density, and bulk of buildings and 
other infrastructure that may be placed thereon. 
 
SEC. 9. Physical Framework and Land Use Planning Process. – The land use and 
physical planning process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down 
approach. The NLUC, in consultation with the concerned sectors through the mandatory conduct 
of public hearings, shall formulate, periodically update and ensure the implementation of the NPFP 
that shall prescribe and influence the country’s land use and physical development. The NPFP 
shall operationalize the policies provided in this Act and shall be the basis for adopting land use 
and physical planning-related guidelines and standards, including zoning and other land use 
control standards that shall guide the formulation of city/municipal zoning ordinances. The policies 
prescribed in the NPFP shall be integrated into the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan 
and Medium-Term Philippine Investment Program. In the formulation of the respective National, 
Regional, Provincial or City/Municipal Land Use Plans, the respective SUC Land Use Plans 
approved by the CHED prior to the approval of this Act shall be taken into consideration in the 
approval of the plans. As such, the President of the SUCs shall be consulted prior to the approval 
of 
the 
said 
plans. 
 


16 
 
 
SEC. 10. Land Use Plans for Ancestral Domains. – Land use plans for ancestral domains 
shall be formulated by the ICCs/IPs themselves in accordance with their needs and traditional 
resource and management systems with the assistance of the NCIP, the LGUs and civil society 
organizations (CSOs) concerned. Such plans shall be recognized and adopted in the 
City/Municipal, Provincial, Regional and National Physical Framework Plans. Physical 
Framework Plans made prior to the delineation of ancestral domains included in such plans shall, 
without prejudice to the rights of the ICCs/IPs concerned, adopt different land use categories in 
accordance with their particular needs and traditional resources and management systems. In cases 
where there are no ancestral domains sustainable development and protection plans (ADSDPPs), 
the LGUs and ICCs/IPs shall jointly formulate the land use within the ancestral domains until such 
time 
that 
the 
ICCS/IPS 
shall 
have 
formulated 
their 
ADSDPPs.  
 
 
SEC. 11. Revision of Existing Planning Guidelines. – The existing planning guidelines 
on the NPFP, RPFP and PPFDP shall be reviewed and revised pursuant to Sections 5, 6, 7, and 9 
of this Act. 
 
 
CHAPTER III 
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING 
 
SEC. 12. Basic Objective of Land Use or Physical Framework Planning. – The primary 
objective of a physical framework plan is to describe existing land uses and to identify an 
integrated physical framework, including an overall vision, policies on social and economic 
development and environmental protection and supporting transportation and other infrastructure 
facilities, that shall define future development. Its output includes the identification of programs, 
projects and activities needed to achieve the desired development, without compromising 
environmental and ecological stability, and which shall serve as inputs to the investment program. 
In the case of the CLUP, it is also intended to provide specific development and building guidelines 
and parameters that will be implemented through a zoning ordinance. 
 
SEC. 13. Priorities in Land Use Allocation and Planning. – Using the R2R/WEM 
approach in projecting spatial allocation for different land uses, the LGUs shall first exclude areas 
under protection land use in Section 17 (a) hereof, national parks, energy resource lands, and prime 
agricultural lands to ensure ecological integrity, energy supply, and promote food security. Areas 
with prior rights and those with site-specific resources for basic services, such as but not limited 
to, water and indigenous energy resources, shall also be excluded. All land use activities inside the 
excluded areas that are not consistent with the general purposes of the excluded areas shall be 
assessed, regulated, and/or modified to ensure that these activities do not compromise the general 
purposes of the excluded areas. Spatial allocation and planning shall then proceed in accordance 


17 
 
with Sections 16 and 17 hereof with priorities given to integrated watershed management areas, 
socialized housing sites, fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas, and waste disposal sites. 
 
 
SEC. 14. Approach to Land Use and Physical Framework Planning. – The R2R/WEM 
approach shall be used in land use and physical framework planning to promote a holistic, 
integrated, equitable and inclusive development, and a flourishing environment, watersheds and 
ecosystems. It shall include a description of existing land uses and land use trends, as well as the 
physical, demographic, economic, social, political, environmental, and ecological conditions that 
have shaped and are likely to shape future land use and physical developments. It shall then derive 
a land use plan or physical framework by matching, reconciling or integrating the demand for land 
with the supply of land in a holistic manner to optimize socioeconomic development and minimize 
the total impacts of the land use plan on watersheds and ecosystems. The resulting land use plan 
or physical framework shall be the basis for identifying necessary policies, programs, projects and 
activities, and development controls to guide future development. The land use plan or physical 
framework shall be holistic in nature and not emanate from specific individual or corporation 
which, 
in 
essence, 
constitutes 
as 
spot 
zoning. 
 
 
SEC. 15. Adoption of Multiple Uses of Land Resources. – The primary and alternative 
uses of a specific unit of land resource based on its capability to support certain uses sustainably 
shall be determined and evaluated prior to any decision for the assignment of its use. Areas feasible 
for sustainable land resource use may be considered multiple-use zones wherein settlements, 
tourism, agriculture, forestry, agro-forestry and extraction activities and other income-generating 
or livelihood activities may be allowed by concerned agencies: Provided, That multiple uses of 
land resources shall be excluded in areas identified as protection land use: Provided, further, That 
such land uses shall maximize the socioeconomic benefits without compromising the desired 
levels of ecosystem services within a ridge to reef unit: Provided, finally, That such land uses shall 
be in accordance with priorities in land use allocation and planning and that no reclassification 
shall be allowed. 
 
SEC. 16. Basic Land Use Planning Considerations. - In determining the various land 
uses, the people and their productive activities and the need for functional open spaces and 
preservation areas as well as the various interrelationships of the physical characteristics of the 
land and other elements therein shall be considered, among others, the following:  
 
(a) Availability of natural resources including indigenous energy resources for energy 
security and self-sufficiency;  
 
(b) Geology, geomorphology, geologic hazard, climate, soil, vegetative cover, 
demography, and slope;  
 


18 
 
(c) Economic, environmental, cultural, social and related development activities;  
 
(d) Existing government policies on land and natural resources allocation, utilization, 
management and disposition;  
 
(e) Technological changes/advancement;  
 
(f) Existing customary rights for the protection of indigenous peoples and vulnerable 
groups 
including 
women 
and 
urban 
poor;  
 
 
(g) Desired levels of ecosystem services like water quality and quantity, soil stability, 
biodiversity, agricultural and fishery productivity, among others; and 
 
(h) Inventory of prior and existing rights, to harmonize determination of land use. 
 
SEC. 17. Categories of Land Uses for Planning Purposes. - In determining and defining 
the national, regional, and provincial framework plans, and CLUPs, land uses shall be grouped 
into four major functional uses as follows:  
 
(a) Protection Land Use shall refer to the use of land primarily for food, water, and energy 
security, rehabilitation, conservation, and protection purposes for the promotion of the country's 
ecological and life-support systems. Planning for protection land use intends to achieve food self-
sufficiency in rice and corn, water and energy security, environmental stability and ecological 
integrity, ensure a balance between resource use and the preservation of some areas with 
environmental, aesthetic, educational, cultural, heritage, and historical significance, and protect 
people and human-made structures from the ill-effects of natural hazards. All lands, either public 
or private, under protection land use shall be permanently conserved, preserved, rehabilitated, and 
protected from all other land uses, disposition, intrusion, utilization, and development that is not 
consistent with its existing uses. Areas under this category also include those covered by Republic 
Act No. 7586 or the NIPAS Law and other coastal and marine protected areas, those areas outside 
NIPAS but nonetheless require protection because of their outstanding physical and aesthetic 
features, anthropological significance, and biological diversity, and those areas prone to natural 
hazards. Areas outside the coverage of the NIPAS law include, but are not limited to the following: 
 
(1) Natural forests and mossy areas with more than 50% in slope gradient; 
(2) Mangrove and fish sanctuaries, pursuant to RA 8435, and RA 8550, or “The Philippine 
Fisheries Code of 1998”; 
(3) Buffer zones or strips/easements, pursuant to Presidential Decree (PD) 389, otherwise 
known as the “Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines”, as amended by PD 705, or the “Revised 
Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines” and PD 1067, or the “Water Code of the Philippines”; 


19 
 
(4) Salvage zones along foreshore areas, freshwater swamps and marshes, plazas, 
archaeological, and heritage or historic sites, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. (PP) 2146, 
series of 1981 entitled “Proclaiming Certain Areas and Types of Projects Environmentally Critical 
and within the Scope of Environmental Impact Statement System Established under Presidential 
Decree No. 1586”; 
(5) Watersheds supporting bulk or domestic water supply; 
(6) Utility easement like power lines of electric power generators, transmission and 
distributors, oil and gas facilities, cell sites, and bulk/domestic water lines; 
(7) Amenity areas or those with high aesthetic values, pursuant to PP 2146; 
(8) Natural and human-made areas/sites of cultural, historical and anthropological 
significance, which are declared as such by internationally recognized organizations and 
concerned national agencies; 
(9) Critical habitats as provided in RA 9147, otherwise known as the “Wildlife Resources 
Conservation and Protection Act”; 
(10) Significant caves under RA 9072, otherwise known as the “National Caves and Cave 
Resources Management and Protection Act”; or 
(11) Key biodiversity areas under Executive Order No. 578, series of 2006, entitled 
“Establishing the National Policy on Biodiversity, Prescribing its Implementation Throughout the 
Country, Particularly in the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecosystem and the Verde Island Passage Marine 
Corridor”. 
 
Existing property and private rights shall be recognized and respected on the condition that 
these rights are harmonized with the intent of the identified protected land use. 
 
(b) Production Land Use wherein there is a direct and indirect utilization of land resources 
for crop, fishery, livestock and poultry production, forestry, agroforestry, mining, industry, energy 
development, indigenous energy exploration and development, and tourism. Planning for 
production land determines the most efficient, sustainable, and equitable manner of utilizing, 
developing and managing land for productive purposes. Areas included in this category are 
agricultural lands, fishing grounds, coastal and marine zones, production forest, which can be made 
available for timber and agroforestry production, rangelands for grazing, forest lands for special 
uses including for energy and reforestation projects, mineral lands or mining areas and 
reservations, energy resource lands, industrial development areas, and tourism development areas 
where productive activities may be undertaken to meet the country's requirements for food 
security, economic growth and development. 
 
(c) Settlements development wherein any improvement on existing settlements in urban 
and rural areas or any proposed development of certain areas for settlement purposes involves the 
spatial distribution of population, identification of the roles and functions of key urban centers, 
determination of relationships among settlement areas, and the provision of basic services and 


20 
 
facilities to such settlement. The settlements development plan ensures for the present and future 
generation the following: (1) effective integration of activities within and among settlements, 
allowing efficient movement of people and production of commodities through the provision of 
appropriate land, infrastructure, and facilities; (2) access of the population to housing, education, 
health care, recreation, transportation and communication, sanitation, and basic utilities such as 
water, power, waste disposal, and other services; and (3) security against risks associated with 
climate change and other natural hazards. 
 
(d) Infrastructure Development shall refer to the availability or supply of basic services and 
fostering of economic and other forms of integration necessary for producing or obtaining the 
material requirements of Filipinos, in an efficient, responsive, safe and ecologically friendly built 
environment. It covers sub-sectors of transportation, communications, water resources, and social 
infrastructure: Provided, That the determination of functional uses of lands within ancestral 
domains shall consider traditional resource and management systems that do not endanger the lives 
of the people and property of the local community and neighboring areas or increase the 
vulnerability of the natural environment to the effects of natural and human-induced geological 
processes. 
 
 
 
CHAPTER IV  
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISMS  
 
SEC. 18. Creation of the National Land Use Commission (NLUC). - The National Land 
Use Commission (NLUC) is hereby created as a Commission under the Office of the President. It 
shall exercise the powers and responsibilities of the current National Land Use Committee, which 
is hereby abolished. The NLUC shall be chaired by a Commissioner to be appointed by the 
President. The Commissioner will have the rank of a Cabinet Secretary. The Commissioner shall 
be a qualified professional in any of the fields of land use, physical planning, environmental 
management, engineering, public governance or law. 
 
 
The NLUC shall act as the highest policy making body on land use and resolve land use 
policy conflicts between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government. It shall 
coordinate efforts towards the development of integrated land use plans at the national, regional, 
provincial, and municipal/city levels, and monitor the implementation of all land use plans 
including relevant policies. 
 
SEC. 19. Composition of the NLUC. - The NLUC shall be composed of the following.  
 
(a) Commissioner of NLUC as Chairperson; 


21 
 
(b) Secretary of DEPDev as Vice-Chairperson; 
As Ex-Officio Members: 
(c) Secretary of DENR; 
(d) Secretary of DHSUD; 
(e) Secretary of DA; 
(f) Secretary of DAR; 
(g) Secretary of Department of Public Works and Highways 
(DPWH); 
(h) Secretary of DILG; 
(i) A Representative from the LGUs; 
(j) Chairperson of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples 
(NCIP); and 
(k) Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.  
 
The Department Secretaries may designate a representative with a rank not lower than 
Assistant Secretary: Provided, That the designated representative shall be on a permanent basis. 
The representative from the LGUs shall come from the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and 
Municipalities. 
 
SEC. 20. Powers and Functions. - The NLUC shall have the following powers and 
functions:  
a) Advise the President of the Philippines and the DEPDev 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 22 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;  
 
d) Prepare, periodically review and if necessary, update the national framework for 
physical planning to provide the general framework for the spatial development directions for the 
entire country and sub-national levels;  
 
e) Review and endorse all land use and physical planning related guidelines;  


22 
 
 
f) Monitor and coordinate the gathering of data, the conduct of studies pertaining to land 
use planning including studies on the management of identified land uses and such other studies 
not undertaken by other government agencies;  
 
g) Recommend to the President of the Philippines the adoption, passage, or amendment of 
laws to ensure that sectoral programs, plans, projects, and activities, including local government 
initiatives affecting land use are consistent with national development objectives, including the 
endorsement of land use projects of national significance;  
 
h) Coordinate with and assist other government agencies and LGUs in planning, 
developing, and implementing their land use classification programs, and provide, to the extent 
possible, technical assistance and guidance; 
 
i) Monitor and coordinate the activities of concerned agencies and entities of the 
government, as well as LGUs, in the enforcement and implementation of policies and regulations 
relating to land use and resource management and development;  
 
j) Monitor and coordinate activities in the establishment of a national land resource 
information and management system of concerned agencies that shall integrate and process 
information on land use and allocation generated by the various national government agencies; 
define information requirements at various levels; and standardize information inputs and outputs 
including scales and symbols used in territorial and sectoral maps;  
 
k) Be the repository of all RPFPs, PDPFPs and CLUPs and all data and information 
pertaining to land and land use;  
 
l) Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the government, 
and or private entities and organization for cooperation, support, and assistance in the performance 
of its functions;  
 
m) Decide and resolve policy conflicts and territorial jurisdiction on land use between or 
among agencies, branches, or levels of the government and act on unresolved land use policy 
conflicts at the regional level elevated by the Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC);  
 
n) Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of meetings and other 
business of the Council; and  
 
o) Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers as may be 
necessarily implied, inherent, incident, or related to the foregoing. 


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


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


25 
 
(c) Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification, and allocation 
that may arise between and among barangays and any unresolved land use conflict at the barangay 
level regarding the violation of zoning ordinances including opposition to applications for 
locational clearances, permits or certificates; and 
(d) Advise the local zoning board of appeals and adjustments on all issues and conflicts 
relating to zoning. 
 
For purposes of this Act, the City/Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator 
(C/MPDC) shall:  
 
 
(a) act on all applications for locational clearances for all projects except those of vital and 
national economic or environmental significance; and  
(b) monitor on-going/existing projects within their respective jurisdictions and issue 
notices of violation to owners, developers, or managers of projects that are violative of zoning 
ordinances. 
 
 
The C/MLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as C/MPDC, 
city/municipal agriculturist, city/municipal environment and natural resources officer, 
city/municipal engineer, city/municipal assessor, or any official of national agencies during 
discussions on land use and physical planning concerns. LGUs without operational C/MPDC as 
mandated by RA 7160, as amended, shall activate their respective councils within six (6) months 
from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
 
CHAPTER VI 
ADOPTION, APPROVAL AND REVIEW OF LOCAL LAND USE 
16 AND PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK PLANS 
 
 
SEC. 26. Approval and Review of PPFDP and CLUPs. - The PPFDP, CLUPs and zoning 
ordinances (Zos) of the respective LGUs, including provinces, highly urbanized cities and 
independent component cities, shall be submitted by the local land use committees to the local 
development councils for transmission to their respective local Sanggunian for approval. 
 
SEC. 27. Provinces and Independent and Highly Urbanized Cities. - Provinces and 
independent and highly urbanized cities shall have the power and authority to adopt and approve 
their respective CLUPs, zoning ordinances or provincial physical framework plan, as the case may 
be, through their respective Sanggunian but subject to the review of the RLUPC as provided in 
Section 23 (d). 
 


26 
 
 
CHAPTER VII 
MAPPING AND DATA MANAGEMENT FOR LAND USE 
PLANNING 
 
 
SEC. 28. National Base Mapping Program. - A national mapping program shall be 
implemented, coordinated, and monitored through the creation of an Interagency Technical 
Committee (ITC) composed of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority 
(NAMRIA), as the lead agency, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), the Forest 
Management Bureau (FMB), the Land Management Bureau (LMB), the Protected Areas and 
Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Philippine Institute of 
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), DAR, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), 
DOE, DEPDev, and other concerned government agencies/bureaus. The ITC shall be constituted, 
and the mapping program shall be initiated, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
The agencies mentioned in this Section shall endeavor to finish their base mapping program within 
one (1) year upon the effectivity of this Act.  
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, to be assisted by the appropriate 
agencies of the national government, shall likewise prepare their respective territorial maps using 
scales, symbols, and other indicators to be prescribed in accordance with this Act. The completed 
maps shall be integrated into the national physical framework plan pursuant to Section 5 of this 
Act.  
 
SEC. 29. National Geo-hazard Mapping Program. - Within one (1) year upon the 
effectivity of this Act, the NAMRIA, in coordination with BSWM, FMB, LMB, BMB, MGB, 
PHIVOLCS, DAR, NWRB, NCIP, DOE, DEPDev, PSA, UPRI, and other concerned government 
agencies or bureaus shall complete the updating of base maps including national disaster risk maps. 
These base maps and corresponding geospatial data shall be shared and disseminated to all 
agencies and LGUs to serve as reference in plan preparation and other planning activities. 
 
SEC. 30. National Hazard Mapping Program. - Within thirty (30) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, a nationwide hazard mapping and probabilistic hazard risk assessment 
program shall be initiated jointly through the NLUC by the PHIVOLCS, the Philippine 
Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), NAMRIA, 
MGB, BSWM, DOE, and UPRI, in coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and 
Management Council (NDRRMC), the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management 
Council (RDRRMC), NCIP, NCCA, and other concerned government agencies. The program shall 
include the generation of indicative hazard zoning maps that will outline areas in the Philippines 
which are prone to liquefaction, landslides, severe flooding, lahar, ground rupturing, tsunami, river 


27 
 
erosion, coastal erosion, sinkhole collapse, earthquake, lava flow, pyroclastic flow, base surge, and 
other natural hazards. 
 
 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop a safe-built 
environment, the LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the generated hazard zoning 
maps in their respective CLUPs. Said hazard maps shall serve as guide for all the LGUs in the 
preparation of their own hazards- constrained development plans. The NPFP, pursuant to Section 
5 hereof, shall incorporate these hazard maps. 
 
All infrastructure activities including real estates and subdivision projects and the 
development of tourist spots requiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) shall be 
required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard Assessment Report (EGGAR). 
 
SEC. 31. Basic and Applied Research for Science and Technology Development. - 
Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Science and Technology 
(DOST), in coordination with concerned agencies, academe, and research organizations, shall 
formulate a research agenda that will support physical framework and land use planning. 
 
SEC. 32 Scope and Nature of Responsibilities of Other National Government Agencies. 
– All concerned national government agencies shall periodically report to the NLUC on the various 
activities and accomplishments on land use, including their respective sectoral or development 
plans. The NLUC may call upon the agencies for technical and administrative support. 
 
 
SEC. 33 Monitoring of CLUP Implementation. – The DHSUD shall design and install an 
information system for monitoring the actual use of land resources, the reclassification of 
agricultural lands authorized by cities and municipalities, and the implementation of CLUPs of 
LGUs with a view to ensuring the compliance with national policies, standards and guidelines: 
Provided, That the system shall be developed in coordination with DA, DAR, DILG, DENR, 
DPWH, DEPDev, league of provinces, league of cities, league of municipalities, other concerned 
national government agencies, academe, and research organizations . 
 
SEC. 34 Submission of Annual Report on the Implementation of CLUPs. – The 
C/MLUPC shall submit an annual report on the implementation of their land use plans to the 
PLUPC, which shall integrate the same for submission to the RLUPC, which shall in turn integrate 
the provincial reports for submission to the NLUC. 
 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN 


28 
 
 
 
Article 1 
Forest Lands and Reservation of Watershed 
 
 
SEC. 35. Reversion of Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands. - Upon the 
recommendation of the Secretary of the DENR, duly reviewed and endorsed by the NLUC, and 
after due consultations with the concerned LGUs and affected parties, Congress may authorize the 
reversion of alienable and disposable lands of the public domain or portion thereof to forestlands, 
unless they are covered by existing titles, or actually occupied openly, continuously, adversely, 
and publicly for a period required by law: Provided, That, when public interest so requires, steps 
shall be taken to expropriate such lands, cancel defective titles, or eject occupants thereof. 
Thereafter, said lands shall be included in the preparation of land use plans within forestlands. 
 
SEC. 36. Critical Watershed Areas. - The DENR, in coordination with the DA, LGUs and 
other government agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations, and after 
mandatory public hearings or consultations, shall identify and delineate critical watershed areas 
that need to be protected, rehabilitated, enhanced or withdrawn from uses that contribute to their 
further degradation. 
 
SEC. 37. Formulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed Management 
Plans. - A Watershed Management Council (WMC), which is a multi-agency, inter-LGU, and 
multi-sectoral consortium, chaired by the DENR and co-chaired by the duly designated 
representative of the LGUs, shall be created at the provincial level to ensure effective and 
sustainable resource management of a particular watershed and provide the development needs of 
local communities. in cases where a watershed transcends more than one province, a WMC at the 
regional 
level 
shall 
be 
created. 
 
 
The WMC shall prepare the Integrated Watershed Management Plans (IWMP) consistent 
with the existing DENR laws, guidelines, and rules and regulations. The said IWMPS shall be 
integrated into the CLUPs of the LGUs. 
 
 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the Watershed Management 
Plan subject to regular consultations with and involvement of the community and other 
stakeholders. 
 
 
SEC. 38. Establishment and Management of National Parks. – All the areas proclaimed 
by the President of the Philippines and Congress of the Philippines to be under the NIPAS, unless 
disestablished, including those identified as initial components of the NIPAS as KBAs, shall 
comprise the national parks classification of the public domain. The DENR and concerned LGUs 


29 
 
shall ensure that such areas are integrated in the CLUP and physical framework plans. The 
preparation of management plans of protected areas and national parks shall be in accordance with 
the provisions of RA 7586, as amended, and other laws establishing or declaring specific areas as 
protected areas. 
 
Article 2  
Forest Lands and Watershed Management  
 
SEC. 39. Formulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed Management 
Plans. - In the absence of a law on the protection and sustainable management of our forests, the 
LGUs through their local land use committees and upon mandatory consultations with the 
concerned sectors, and with the assistance of DENR, shall prepare their watershed management 
plans which shall be integrated with their respective CLUPs. The formulation and integration of 
the plan shall be guided, among 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 assistance of the DENR and upon 
mandatory consultations with the concerned sectors, the inter-LGU committee shall formulate the 
watershed management plan for the said watershed area.  
 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the watershed management 
plan subject to regular consultations with and involvement of the community and other 
stakeholders in the implementation of the plan. The preparation of forest land use plans shall make 
use of the watershed as the basic planning unit.  
 
SEC. 40. Establishment and Management of National Parks. – All areas proclaimed by 
the President and Congress under the NIPAS, pursuant to RA 7586 as amended by RA 11038, 
including those identified as component of the NIPAS, shall comprise the National Parks 
classification of the public domain. The DENR and concerned LGUs shall ensure that such areas 
are integrated in the CLUP and physical framework plans; Provided, however, that the preparation 
of the management plans of the protected areas and national parks shall be in accordance with the 
provisions of RA 7586 as amended by RA 11038 and other laws establishing or declaring a specific 
area as permanent component of the NIPAS.  
 
Article 3  
Coastal Zone 
 


30 
 
SEC. 41. Criteria on the Allocation and Utilization of Lands within the Coastal Zones. - 
The allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zones shall be guided by the following:  
 
a) Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be preserved for mangrove production and 
shall not be converted to other uses;  
 
b) Areas which meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil depth, topography, 
supply for successful fishpond development, and are not identified as mangrove protected areas, 
shall be utilized for aquaculture purposes;  
 
c) Areas sub-classified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or due to 
environmental conditions need to be preserved as mangrove, but is devoid of mangrove stands 
shall not be converted to other uses. The DENR shall ensure that these lands shall be reforested 
within a given period of time;  
 
d) Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and housing shall be 
allocated to traditional fisherfolk who are inhabitants of the coastal communities and members of 
legitimate fisherfolk organizations and/or holders of stewardship lease contracts or titles to 
ancestral domains or any form of property right arrangements who participate in coastal resource 
management initiatives, subject to the usual census procedures of the HUDCC.  
 
e) Areas that are neither sub-classified as mangrove, fisherfolk settlement nor fishpond 
may be devoted to recreational or tourism purposes: Provided, That such undertaking will not 
result in environmental degradation and displacement of small fishers;  
 
f) Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used primarily for 
such purpose;  
 
g) Areas which have been allocated for small infrastructure needed by fisherfolk shall be 
allowed; and  
 
h) Areas which form part of foreshore lands, including reclamation areas, as defined in this 
Act including those which are under lease agreements or arrangements shall undergo zoning and 
evaluation to determine their boundaries and actual sizes and corresponding uses. 
 
 
i) The free and prior informed consent of the concerned ICCs/IPs and the necessary 
certification from the NCIP shall be secured before any allocation and utilization of lands within 
the coastal zones that are found to be within ancestral domains. 
 


31 
 
SEC. 42. Coastal Land Zone Sub-classification. - All public lands in the coastal zones 
shall be sub-classified into any of the following: estuaries, lagoons, inter-tidal flats, mudflats, 
fishponds, mangroves, protection from tidal surge, for the preservation of biodiversity, habitats, 
and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife, fisherfolk settlement, reclamation or recreational/tourism 
areas. No subclassification of coastal zones to different uses shall be done without the following:  
 
a) Conduct of a comprehensive inventory and resource and environmental assessment by 
the DENR with the respective LGUs and accredited non-government organizations (NGOs) or 
peoples organizations (POs) within their territorial jurisdiction. The result of the assessment along 
with a list of all existing applications and expired foreshore lease agreements must be posted in 
three (3) conspicuous places in the affected localities; and 
 
b) Prior consultation with the local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils 
pursuant to RA 8550 as amended. 
 
SEC. 43. Zoning of Foreshore Areas. – LGUs, in coordination with the DENR, shall 
conduct zoning of their respective foreshore areas to assist government and community fishers 
identify priority areas for conservation and development, and to enable them to set targets for 
mangrove reforestation and rehabilitation.  
 
SEC. 44. Protection of Waterways Easements and Flood Plains. - Structures of any kind 
may not be built in waterways and easements. Pursuant to PD 1067, the banks of rivers and streams 
and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three (3) 
meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas 
along their margins are subject to easement of public use only in the interest of recreation, 
navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage. 
 
 
The protection of flood plains shall use the watershed management plan as the reference 
framework in formulating flood mitigation plan. Development within flood plains and other flood-
prone areas must be controlled or, if allowed, must be so sited, constructed and serviced that the 
lives of occupants are not put at risk and that disruptions during floods are minimized. The 
identification and characterization of flood-prone areas and flood plains must be an integral part 
of Watershed Management Plan that shall guide the preparation of CLUPs, local climate change 
action plans, local disaster risk reduction and management plans and other prescribed thematic 
plans. The LGUs shall establish land use regulations to mitigate flood risks through the CLUPs 
and zoning ordinances. 
 
 
To promote the best interest and coordinated protection of flood plains, the DPWH, in 
coordination with the DOST and DENR shall declare flood control areas as necessary and shall 
prohibit or control activities that may damage or cause deterioration of lakes and dikes, obstruct 


32 
 
the flow of water, change the natural flow of rivers, increase flood losses or aggravate flood 
problems, pursuant to PD 1067. 
 
Article 3 
Settlements Development 
 
SEC. 45. Municipalities, Cities, and Settlements Development. - The development of 
municipalities, cities and settlements through CLUP and implemented by the zoning ordinances 
of cities and municipalities are guided by the urban zoning standards designed to maximize 
existing urban spaces, taking into account the studies of pertinent government agencies on climate 
change. The new and existing government buildings within the cities and municipalities shall 
comply with the government energy management program and the Inter-Agency Energy 
Efficiency and Conservation Committee resolutions. 
 
SEC. 46. Settlements within Hazard Areas. - Settlements, in particular, housing or 
residential developments, within hazard areas may be allowed: Provided, That mitigating or 
protective measures are adopted to address the potential danger or risk to lives and property within 
such settlements. In coordination with the concerned agencies of the government such as the 
PHIVOLCS, PAGASA, and MGB, the NLUC shall provide assistance to concerned LGUs and 
settlers in instituting safety and corrective measures to address the potential danger or risk. 
Residential zones as designated in the CLUP shall not be considered as outside the hazard areas. 
However, for this purpose, housing projects within such areas with less than or equal to one (1) 
hectare of project area shall be exempt from the ECC as well as the EGGAR and may be 
implemented without the need for any further certificate of exemption from the DENR or any other 
government regulatory agency. 
 
SEC. 47. Designation of Waste and Environment Management Site. – Each city or 
municipality shall identify, designate and allocate a suitable area as indicated in the watershed 
management plan within their territorial jurisdiction to serve as sanitary landfill or solid waste 
disposal site as established in its solid waste management plan pursuant to RA 9003 or the 
“Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000” within one (1) year from the effectivity of this 
Act. 
 
 
SEC. 48. Network of Settlements. – The framework and policies for the development of 
network of settlements shall be provided by the National Physical Framework Plan formulated by 
the NLUC. Individual settlements shall be planned as part of a national network of settlements. 
The network shall be based on existing and potential settlements; production activities, particularly 
those that involve highly competitive industries and services and generate local employment; 
environmental constraints and sustainability considerations. Individual cities and municipalities 
shall be integrated through transportation and other infrastructure support facilities. 


33 
 
 
 
SEC. 49. Criteria for Settlement Sites. – The following shall be the criteria for identifying 
settlement areas: 
 
(a) Within A&D lands but not in environmentally-critical, hazard- prone or other protection 
areas as assessed, identified and indicated in the Watershed Management Plans; 
(b) Along established urban growth directions; 
(c) Are already or can be provided with basic services and utilities; 
(d) Ideally within the 0-8% slope range, but with mitigating measures from slope 9-17%; 
(e) Reasonably accessible from existing built up areas and other employment centers 
through existing or proposed roads and other transportation facilities; and 
(f) Identified ICCs/IPs settlement areas shall be located within ancestral domains. Hazard-
prone areas shall be defined, delineated and mapped by the DENR and other the mandated 
government agencies, together with LGUs during the preparation of management plans of the 
watersheds that are partially or wholly inside the jurisdiction of municipality or city. As such, new 
settlements within high-risk areas shall not be allowed. In cases where there are existing 
settlements within geo-hazard areas or high-risk areas, mitigating or protective measures shall be 
adopted to address the potential danger or risk to lives and property within such settlements. In 
coordination with the concerned agencies of the government, the NLUC, through the RLUPC and 
PLUPC, shall provide assistance to concerned LGUs and settlers in instituting safety and 
corrective measures to address the potential danger or risk. New developments within geo-hazard 
areas shall be required to submit an ECC and EGGAR consistent with the Revised Procedural 
Manual for DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2003-30 otherwise known as the 
“Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) System” and DAO No. 2000-28 otherwise known as the “Implementing Guidelines on 
Engineering Geological and Geohazard Assessment as Additional Requirement for ECC 
Applications covering Subdivision, Housing and other Land Development and Infrastructure 
Projects”. 
 
SEC. 50. Sustainable Communities. – Each city or municipality or cluster of cities or 
municipalities, as appropriate, shall seek to follow the basic features of sustainable communities, 
as guided by the National Urban Development and Housing Framework: transit-oriented, 
pedestrian-biased, and multiple use, with systems and practices that promote water use efficiency, 
energy efficiency, waste segregation, recycling, and adequate community facilities. Cities and 
municipalities or clusters thereof shall identify, designate and allocate areas within their territorial 
jurisdiction to serve as waste disposal site following the provisions of RA 9003. 
 
 
For energy efficiency, cities and municipalities or clusters thereof shall utilize energy 


34 
 
consuming products which comply with the DOE’s efficiency rating and energy labeling system 
pursuant to the provision of RA 11285 or the “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act”. 
 
SEC. 51. Designation and Zoning of Socialized Housing Zones. – Each city or 
municipality in urban, urbanizable and rural areas shall designate through the CLUP adequate 
lands for housing or residential purposes, including socialized housing and resettlement areas for 
the immediate and future needs of the local population as well as the underprivileged and homeless 
in their territory, pursuant to existing laws and regulations. In order to ensure adequate availability 
of lands for the housing needs of the local population, the CLUP shall be updated, at maximum, 
every twelve (12) years for provinces, cities and municipalities. 
 
The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential zones, and shall 
be zoned as socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city or municipality’s zoning 
ordinance, pursuant to existing laws and regulations. 
 
Fisherfolk settlements and housing in coastal municipalities shall be zoned near the sea for 
easy access to their livelihood as provided under Section 39 (d) of this Act. 
 
 
The housing or residential lands designated in the CLUPs and zoning ordinances of cities 
and municipalities shall, on one hand, not be subject to further land reclassification by the LGU or 
land conversion procedure under DAR. On the other hand, agricultural lands as designated in the 
CLUP which are no longer economically feasible for agricultural use may be subject to land 
reclassification or land use conversion to housing or residential purposes and such land use 
conversion, as the case may be, shall be exempt from the coverage of any moratorium on land use 
conversion, provided such conversion shall not conflict with the prescriptions of watershed 
management plans and shall not result in serious environmental and ecological problems. 
 
SEC. 52. Urban Forest or Green Space. – Each city or highly urbanizing municipality 
shall identify, designate, and allocate lands owned by the city or municipality as urban forest or 
green space based on the guidelines and standards to be issued by the DENR and approved by the 
NLUC. 
 
 
Article 4 
NIPAS Areas 
 
SEC. 53. Integrated Management Strategy. – For a more effective planning, 
management, and protection of protected areas at the provincial, city or municipal levels, the 
Protected Area Management Plan referred to in RA 7586, as amended, must be incorporated in the 


35 
 
provincial physical framework plan and CLUPs, if applicable, wherein the protected area zoning 
must be reflected. 
 
 
 
Article 5 
Agricultural Lands 
 
 
CHAPTER VII  
SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT 
 
SEC. 54. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development. – Priority areas for agricultural 
development shall be those agricultural areas covered under RA 6657 and those covered under 
NPAAAD and SAFDZ, defined in Section 4 of this Act and in RA 8435 or the “Agriculture and 
Fisheries Modernization Act”. 
 
SEC. 55. Conversion of Agricultural Lands. - Prime agricultural lands and specific types 
of lands to the extent necessary for attaining food self-sufficiency in rice and food security in other 
basic commodities, as determined by the DA, subject to mandatory consultation with the LGUs, 
the private sector, the NGOs, and POs, shall be protected from conversion, which shall include but 
not limited to areas under the NPAAAD and SAFDZ: Provided, That all irrigated and irrigable 
lands, all lands developed or possessing the potential for development of high value crops, and all 
agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile and whose conversion will result in serious 
environmental problems shall be given full protection from conversion, the areas under which are 
subject to review every six (6) years by the DA, with the mandatory public consultations: Provided, 
further, That consistent with the State policy on giving priority to the completion of the 
comprehensive agrarian reform program, all lands subject to the comprehensive agrarian reform 
program including those lands covered under notice of compulsory acquisition or voluntary offer 
to sell, production or profit-sharing, or commercial farm deferment shall also be protected from 
conversion pending the distribution and installation of the farmer beneficiaries, but thereafter, 
Section 22 of RA 9700 shall apply: Provided, furthermore, That the conversion of prime 
agricultural lands for use in priority government projects for basic services such as, but not limited 
to, irrigation and power shall be allowed only upon the recommendation of the Secretaries of the 
DA and the DAR: Provided, finally, That the mapping of the NPAAAD under the RA 8435 shall 
be completed within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. Lands defined under Section 10 
of RA 6657 shall remain exempted and excluded from the coverage of the comprehensive agrarian 
reform program. With due consideration of the above-mentioned conditions that provides for the 
full protection of prime agricultural land, only then, upon approval by the DAR of the application 
for conversion, agricultural lands are deemed converted to non-agricultural uses. 


36 
 
 
SEC. 56. Sub-classification or Re- classification of Agricultural Lands by LGUs. – Sub-
classification or re-classification of agricultural lands to other uses under Section 20 of RA 7160 
shall exclude the protected agricultural lands as stated in the preceding section. Moreover, such 
sub-classification or reclassification is not synonymous to conversion. Further, such sub- 
classification or re-classification shall not result to land uses that are in conflict with the 
prescriptions of the watershed management plans. The DA and DAR shall provide the LGUs with 
complete list and maps of protected agricultural lands within their territorial jurisdictions. 
 
SEC. 57. Criteria for the Utilization and Allocation of Land for Mining Purposes. – 
Consistent with this Act and the provisions of RA 7942, otherwise known as the “Philippine 
Mining Act of 1995”, and to ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and 
maximizing economic returns to mining operations are realized, the allocation and utilization of 
lands for mining purposes shall be guided by the following: 
 
 
(a) The principles of sustainable development and responsible mining; 
(b) In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards shall be instituted by 
the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent environmental degradation of the mining sites 
and adjacent areas; 
(c) Mineral reservations which have become non-operational as determined by the MGB 
shall be placed under appropriate surface management by the DENR after conducting scientific, 
geological, and environmental studies in accordance with relevant laws on mineral reservation 
establishment and de-establishment; 
(d) Natural forests, proclaimed watershed forest reserves, mangrove forests, and mossy 
forests are closed to mining operations pursuant to RA 7942, and other pertinent laws; 
(e) Consistent with RA 7942, areas closed to mining operations like natural forests, 
proclaimed watershed forest reserves, mangrove forests, and mossy forests shall be periodically 
reviewed through mineral exploration to be undertaken by the DENR for the purpose of 
determining whether or not their continued closure is consistent with the national interest and with 
the prescriptions of watershed management plans and, if warranted, recommend their 
reclassification as mineral lands; and 
(f) Protection forestlands and agricultural lands shall be exempt from mining activities to 
minimize the effect of natural calamities and to protect food security respectively. The small to 
large scale mining operations shall yield from and recognize the tenurial instrument given by the 
government such as original certificate of title, transfer certificate of title, certificate of ancestral 
domain title, emancipation patent-certificate of land ownership award and other instruments. If 
these be present, mining activity shall be allowed subject to clearances and consent, and: Provided, 
That mining activity shall not conflict with the prescriptions of watershed management plans and 
shall not have serious environmental and ecological problems. 
 


37 
 
SEC. 58. Reversion of Mineral Lands. – All mineral lands with exhausted mineral 
resources, as determined by the MGB upon the recommendation of the DENR, shall revert to its 
original land classification, that is, as forestland or agricultural land. In the case of forestlands, the 
DENR may classify such areas for other purposes in consultation with concerned LGUs, DOT, 
and other national government agencies, and consistent with the prescriptions of the watershed 
management plans. 
 
 
Article 6 
Energy Resources 
 
SEC. 59. Guidelines for the Utilization and Allocation of Lands for Energy Resource 
Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution Purposes. – To ensure that 
the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and maximizing the power potential from 
indigenous energy resources in the most economical and environmentally-acceptable means are 
realized, the allocation and utilization of lands are to be guided by the following, consistent with 
the existing laws, rules and regulations on energy resources: 
 
 
(a) Indigenous energy resource exploration and development for the purpose of creating a 
national energy resource inventory and data base as well as an energy resource block map are 
allowed, subject to the prescriptions of watershed management plans and other land management 
plans; 
(b) Indigenous energy resource exploration, development, production, utilization, and 
distribution are subject to the appropriate requirements and processes of the Environmental Impact 
Statements (EIS) system. Each project must secure an ECC prior to project implementation to 
ensure that adequate and appropriate environmental management measures and optimum methods 
for resource access and recovery are used; 
(c) Protected areas defined in Section 17 of this Act are closed to any kind of energy 
resource development except for installation or erection of power lines therein: Provided, That 
vested rights granted through the Special Use Agreements in Protected Areas as granted by the 
DENR are respected; 
(d) Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been established to 
be non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used for energy purposes must be 
reclassified to other land uses, subject to existing laws covering energy reservations and to 
prescriptions of watershed management plans; and 
(e) Renewable energy is preferred over other energy resource. 
 
SEC. 60. Reversion of Energy Resource Lands. – All exhausted indigenous energy 
resource lands, as determined by the DOE, which are not covered by proclamations must 
automatically revert to the category of forestlands or agricultural lands, open to disposition, 


38 
 
whichever is appropriate, unless the DENR classifies such areas for other purposes consistent with 
the prescriptions of watershed management plans. Exhausted energy resource lands are specific 
energy resource sites that the energy reserves of the desired type or types are no longer in sufficient 
quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure for its extraction and utilization. 
 
Article 7 
Industrial Development Areas or Sites 
 
SEC. 61. Criteria for Designating Industrial Development Areas. – The identification 
and establishment of industrial development areas shall conform to the provisions of RAs 7916, 
6657, 8371, 7279, 8550, and 8435, taking into consideration the following: 
 
 
(a) Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected agricultural areas 
pursuant to the RA 8435; 
(b) National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based industrial 
development; 
(c) Identified growth areas and corridors in the National Development Plan; 
(d) NIPAS and non-NIPAS areas such as KBAs and restored areas that require protection; 
(e) National and Urban Development and Housing Framework; 
(f) Identified socialized housing zones; 
(g) National framework for physical planning and other existing national programs and 
policies; and 
(h) Prescriptions of watershed management plans. 
 
The designated industrial development areas must be located only in production land uses 
areas and shall form an integral part of the land use plan and zoning ordinance of the city or 
municipality where these areas are located pursuant to RAs 6657, 8371, 7279, 855, 8435, and 
7160, as amended. 
 
Article 8 
Tourism Development Areas 
 
SEC. 62. Designating Tourism Development Areas. – The identification, selection, and 
development of tourism development areas, and Tourism Enterprise Zones shall be done in 
consultation and coordination with the LGUs, TIEZA, DOT and other national government 
agencies, the private sector and the affected communities subject to the provisions of RA 9593, 
otherwise known as “The Tourism Act of 2009.” Tourism development areas include those 
covered by legislative and executive issuances such as tourist spots, tourist zones and tourism 
ecozones which can be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, or integrated resort 
leisure and recreation complexes. Other tourism-related facilities and those identified in the 


39 
 
national, regional and area-specific tourism master plans and other sector plans, such as ecotourism 
and agri-tourism sites are also considered as tourism development areas. The sites designated for 
tourism development must be outside of the areas identified for protection land use. As much as 
practicable, community- based tourism shall be the principal mode of tourist spot operation. RAs 
6657,8371, 7279, 8435, 7160, and EO 111, series of 1999, which provided for the national 
ecotourism strategy, shall apply to all tourist zones and tourist development areas. 
 
 
Designated areas for tourism development form part of the CLUPs and zoning ordinances 
of the cities or municipalities where these areas are located. 
 
SEC. 63. Identification and Declaration of Areas for Protection, Conservation and 
Preservation of Cultural Heritage. – Pursuant to RA 10066 or the “National Cultural Heritage 
Act of 2009”, the NHCP or the National Museum, the NCCA, in coordination with NCIP, DHSUD 
and other concerned agencies, local communities, and the private sector, shall identify declared 
areas and structures which shall be protected and preserved as part of the Philippine cultural 
heritage. 
 
The LGUs in coordination with the NHCP, the NCCA and the Cultural Center of the 
Philippines (CCP) shall designate historical zones to protect the historical integrity of said 
geographical areas and cultural space of intangible cultural properties. 
 
Declared and known archaeological sites shall likewise be protected by the NCCA, the 
DHSUD, NCIP, other concerned government agencies, and LGUs against modification, alteration, 
or destruction. 
 
 
Article 9 
Infrastructure Development 
 
SEC. 64. Strategic Transport Network. – The national government, through the 
Department of Transportation, shall establish a strategic and sustainable multimodal transport 
network that provides connectivity within the national network of settlements. Such connectivity 
shall include linkages among existing and proposed priority urban centers, rural areas, production 
hubs and tourism zones, distribution centers and markets, and key international points of entry. It 
shall be developed to promote network efficiency and social service delivery, to catalyze areas 
identified critical for economic growth, while minimizing negative impacts to environmentally-
critical and protected areas as identified in the watershed management plans. 
 
The national network of settlements, as defined in the NPFP, shall guide the development 
of a multi-modal transportation network. The network shall be designed and implemented to 


40 
 
provide seamless connectivity among the various modes of transportation. The RPFPs, PPFDPs 
and city or municipal CLUPs shall focus on the transportation network that corresponds to their 
respective jurisdictions while maintaining consistency with the overall national networks. 
 
SEC. 65. Allocation and Use of Land for Infrastructure Development. - Land, whether 
public or private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure projects that are 
supportive of national or local development objectives. The DEPDev, in consultation with the 
national government agencies, LGUs and the private sector, shall identify and periodically review, 
update or revise the list of priority infrastructure projects under an over-all national strategic 
infrastructure development plan subject to the provisions of this Act, RA 8435 and RA 8371. The 
national strategic infrastructure development plan must be consistent and integrated in the 
objectives and directions of the NPFP. 
 
 
In determining and evaluating the list of priority infrastructure projects, consideration shall 
be given to those that: 
 
(a) Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national and regional economy 
with priority to improving production-market integration, inter-modal transport, conveyance and 
logistics linkages, rural infrastructure and the development of the agriculture and fisheries sectors; 
 
(b) Upgrade existing facilities to international standards;  
 
(c) Address the need for sustainable settlements development; and,  
 
(d) Mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing phenomena or serve as 
alternatives to existing infrastructure found in natural hazard-prone areas. 
 
The provision and implementation of infrastructure support must be made compatible with 
existing environmental conditions and the physical, whether natural or human-made, and cultural 
character of the area. Mandatory public consultations pursuant to existing laws and regulations 
must be held prior to the conduct of all infrastructure projects that necessarily involve dislocation 
or displacement of people in the area. 
 
The proponent of the infrastructure project shall follow the rules on just and humane 
eviction or demolition under Section 28 of RA 7279 as a last resort, notwithstanding the provisions 
of RA 8975, prohibiting lower courts from issuing temporary restraining orders, preliminary 
injunctions or preliminary mandatory injunctions. The proponent shall also follow the provisions 
of RA 8371, particularly those pertaining to the rights of IPs or ICCs in case of displacement. The 
national government infrastructure projects shall, after determining that displacement is 


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unavoidable, include the budgetary requirements for the adequate relocation of displaced 
communities. 
 
SEC. 66. Infrastructure Projects Within Geo-hazard Areas. – allowed However, 
mitigating or preventive measures must be adopted and implemented to address the potential 
adverse economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts that emanate from these 
infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and recommendations of a feasibility study or 
environment impact assessment in accordance with PD 1586 and RA 4846, otherwise known as 
the “Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act.” Existing projects that were undertaken 
without the required environmental impact assessment and which pose a threat to the environment, 
or to the integrity of historic, archeological or scientifically significant areas, or impinge on critical 
ecosystems, and other areas identified in the watershed management plans may be terminated 
immediately or gradually phased-out and relocated. If the existing project is to be maintained 
within their life span, mitigating measures must be adopted and implemented. The rules on 
mandatory public hearings or consultations and just and humane eviction or demolition shall also 
be observed prior to the termination, gradual phase-out, or relocation of projects that necessarily 
involve dislocations or displacement of the people in the area. 
 
Article 10 
Agro-Industrial Development 
 
SEC. 67. Land Consolidation for Agro-industrial Development. - The consolidation of 
small-scale agricultural landholdings shall be promoted to take advantage of economies of scale 
in agricultural production, to promote value chain development, and to increase farm incomes and 
improve the quality of life of farmers. A Land Consolidation and Utilization Program under the 
DA shall be established. The program shall implement the following: 
 
(a) Consolidation of small contiguous landholdings into bigger agricultural estates for farm 
operations and agro-industries;  
(b) Crafting of a comprehensive plan and study of the optimum utilization and long-term 
productivity of bigger landholdings; 
(c) Private sector participation in agricultural production and management through 
adequate security, incentives and reasonable return on investments, within limits set by existing 
laws; 
(d) Development and adoption of cooperative systems that will increase the participation 
and protection of small farmers; and 
(e) Provision of support to consolidated farms in such forms as farm-to-market roads, 
irrigation, utilities, logistics, processing facilities, upgrading of basic social amenities, and 
marketing assistance to farmers. 
 


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CHAPTER IX 
 TRAINING, EDUCATION AND VALUES FORMATION 
 
SEC. 68. Values Formation. - In order to develop a well-informed, responsible and 
committed citizenry, who value the protection, conservation and development of the limited land 
and other physical resources of the country, the CHED, with prior consultation with concerned 
stakeholders, may include a subject or topic on sustainable land use in the general education 
curriculum of higher education institutions. 
 
SEC. 69. Information and Education Campaign. - The NLUC shall spearhead a 
nationwide information or education campaign on land use and physical planning together with 
the local and national government agencies. The DHSUD, in coordination with DILG, CHED and 
other concerned agencies shall formulate and implement a land use management capability 
building program for national and local government officials, community leaders, representatives 
of NGOs, POs, the religious sector and the general public. 
 
CHAPTER X 
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS, AND PENALTIES  
 
Article 1  
INCENTIVES 
 
SEC. 70. Formulation of a System of Incentives and Awards. - The NLUC shall come 
out with a system of incentives and awards to LGUs that regularly update their CLUPs within the 
prescribed period, as follows:  
 
(a) Provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities once every twelve 
(12) years; and 
 
 
(b) Component cities and municipalities once every twelve (12) years.  
 
SEC. 71. Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs. - In providing technical 
assistance and other forms of support related to land use management and the implementation of 
development plans, the national government agencies shall give priority to cities and 
municipalities with approved CLUPs. The same assistance and support shall also be provided to 
the fifth (5th) and sixth (6th) class municipalities: Provided, That the lack of technical assistance 
shall not exempt said municipalities from the provisions of Section 70. 
 
 


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Article 2  
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES  
 
SEC. 72. Failure to Formulate, Enforce, or Implement the CLUPs. - Within three (3) 
years from the effectivity of this Act, all LGUs shall complete the formulation of their CLUPs. 
 
Failure to formulate, enforce or implement the CLUPs shall be subject to the penalties and 
sanctions to be imposed by DHSUD pursuant to RA 11201, otherwise known as the “Department 
of Human Settlement and Development Act” and its Implementing Rules and Regulations. The 
DILG, consistent with due process, shall investigate, review, and impose appropriate action 
regarding local chief executives and other local officials and employees responsible for the 
formulation, enforcement, and/or implementation of the CLUPs in case of any of the following: 
 
(a) Failure to implement and enforce the CLUP due to negligence of duty; 
(b) Failure to provide appropriate budgetary allocation to effect its implementation; and 
(c) Failure to complete the preparation and undergo review and approval process of the 
CLUP despite the availability of funds, resources, and support by the Sanggunian concerned. 
 
 
SEC. 73. Causing Irrigated Agricultural Lands to be Idle. – Any person or juridical entity 
who shall cause any irrigated lands whether contiguous or not, within the protected areas for 
agricultural development, to lie idle and unproductive for a period exceeding one (1) year, unless 
due to force majeure, shall be subject to an idle land tax equivalent to five percent (5%) of the 
value of the agricultural land as appearing in its real property tax declaration. In addition, the 
violator shall be required to put back such lands to productive agricultural use. Should the 
continued agricultural inactivity, unless due to force majeure, exceed a period of two (2) years, the 
land shall be subject to escheat proceedings. 
 
SEC. 74. Person Abetting Illegal Conversion. – Any person initiating, causing, inducing, 
or abetting illegal conversion as defined in Section 73(c) of RA 6657, as amended, and Section 
4(cc) of this Act shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned from seven (7) to twelve (12) years and 
imposed a fine of not less than One hundred thousand (Pl00,000.00) pesos, or both at the discretion 
of the court: Provided, That if the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or 
appointed, the penalty shall, in addition thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation 
from the service and forfeiture of all benefits and entitlements accruing to the public position and 
perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive public office: Provided, 
further, That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on 
the president, chief executive officer, manager, chairperson and all the members of the board, and 
other responsible officers thereof, and the fine shall be equivalent to the zonal value of the land or 
forty percent (40%) of the shareholders equity, as determined at the time of judgment whichever 
is higher, plus forfeiture of the land in favor of the State for sale though public auction, the proceeds 


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of which shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund as provided for in Section 79 of 
this Act. 
 
SEC. 75. Fine for Non-Completion and Non-Commencement of Development of 
Agricultural Lands with Approved Order of Conversion. – A landowner and designated developer 
or duly authorized representative who, without justifiable cause, fails to commence or complete 
the development of agricultural lands with approved order of conversion shall be penalized, jointly 
or severally, with any of the following fines based on the zonal value of the land at the time the 
fine is imposed: 
 
(a) On failure to commence within one (1) year from the date of conversion order: 
       (1) Six percent (6%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the first three (3) 
hectares; 
         (2) Fifteen percent (15%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the next three 
hectares, and 
           (3) Thirty percent (30%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the remaining 
area: Provided, That the order of conversion shall be deemed revoked automatically and the land 
shall revert to its original agricultural use and covered. 
(b) On failure to complete fifty percent (50%) of the approved conversion plan within a 
specified time frame. Fifty percent (50%) of the zonal value of the subject land and the revocation 
of the conversion plan on the undeveloped portion which shall automatically revert to its original 
use as agricultural land. The same shall be covered under the CARP and processed for land 
distribution as soon as possible. 
 
SEC. 76. Change of Use from the Previously Authorized Conversion Order. – The 
landowner and future landowners of the property approved for conversion shall not change its use 
to another use not authorized under the Conversion Order without prior consent from the DAR. 
This prohibition extends to changes in housing standards, changes in selling schemes, changes 
from social housing to open market housing or vice-versa, and all other similar changes, violation 
of which shall be penalized with revocation of Conversion Order and forfeiture of cash bond. 
 
SEC. 77. Payment of Disturbance Compensation. – Following the order of priority as 
enumerated in Section 22 of RA 6657, as amended, qualified beneficiaries such as agricultural 
lessees and share tenants, regular farm workers, seasonal farm workers, other farm workers, actual 
tillers or occupants of public lands, collective, or cooperative of the above-mentioned 
beneficiaries, and others directly working on the land affected by agricultural land use conversion 
shall be entitled to the payment of disturbance compensation equivalent to five (5) times the 
average of the gross harvests on the landholding during the last five (5) preceding calendar years 
or a certain percentage of the converted land, whichever is higher, as determined by the DAR. 
 


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SEC. 78. Authority to Impose Fine. – The DAR shall impose the penalty provided for 
under the preceding section. 
 
SEC. 79. Withdrawal of Local Development Permits or Licenses. – Upon receipt of notice 
from the DAR of illegal conversion, the concerned agencies, city or municipality shall withdraw 
or revoke any development permit or license issued to illegally converted agricultural lands. 
 
SEC. 80. Penalty for Reclassification of Protected Agricultural Lands and Exceeding 
the Limit of Areas Allowed for Reclassification. – Any person initiating, causing, inducing or 
abetting the reclassification to non-agricultural uses of protected agricultural areas as defined in 
this Act shall be punished with imprisonment of twelve (12) years or a fine of not less than One 
hundred thousand Pesos (P100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court. 
 
If the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the penalty 
includes dismissal from the service, forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the public position, and 
perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive position. 
 
If the offender is a juridical person, the president, chief executive officer, manager, 
chairperson, members of the board and other officers who directly participated in the violation of 
this Section shall be held liable. 
 
The same penalty is applicable to persons who are responsible for exceeding the limits set 
forth under Section 20 of RA 7160 pertaining to reclassification of lands. 
 
SEC. 81. Utilization of Fines. – The fines collected under Sections 72, 73 and 78 of this 
Act shall accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund and shall be used for the purpose for which the fund 
is established. 
 
 
CHAPTER XI 
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS  
 
SEC. 82. Convening of the NLUC. - Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this 
Act, the President shall convene the NLUC.  
 
SEC. 83. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - – Within six (6) months from the 
effectivity of this Act, the NLUC shall promulgate the rules and regulations to implement the 
provisions of this Act. 
 


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SEC. 84. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act. - There is hereby 
created a joint congressional oversight committee to monitor the implementation of this Act. The 
committee shall be composed of seven (7) senators and seven (7) representatives to be appointed 
by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The 
members from the Senate shall be appointed based on proportional representation of the parties or 
coalitions therein, with at least two (2) senators representing the minority. Likewise, the 
representatives from the House of Representatives shall be appointed based on proportional 
representation of the parties or coalitions therein with at least two (2) Members representing the 
minority. 
 
The mandate given to the joint congressional oversight committee under this Act shall be 
without prejudice to the performance of the duties and functions by the respective existing 
oversight committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The secretariat of the 
committee shall be drawn from the existing secretariat personnel of the committees comprising the 
oversight. 
 
SEC. 85. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act 
shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the departments and agencies 
concerned. Thereafter, such amount shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 86. Review of Existing Land Use Plans. - Provinces, cities, and municipalities with 
existing land use plans shall review, revise, reconcile, and harmonize their respective land use 
plans in accordance with the guidelines and standards issued by the National Land Use 
Commission (NLUC) within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
All other laws, orders, issuance, rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 87. Non-impairment Clause. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to diminish 
or impair the rights recognized granted, or available to marginalized or the basic sectors under 
existing laws or to diminish or impair vested rights generally, including the rights of indigenous 
cultural communities and indigenous peoples as provided under RA 8371. 
 
SEC. 88. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, 
the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and 
effect. 
 
SEC. 89. Repealing Clause. - Sections 10 and 11 of RA 8435, Sections 447 (a2vii) and 
458 (a2viii) of RA 7160, the pertinent provisions of EO 648, series of 1991, EO 72, series of 1993, 


47 
 
EO 770, series of 2008, Letter of Instruction No. 1350, series of 1983, PP 2282, series of 1983 are 
hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
 
SEC. 90. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,