TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE 
S. No. 987
t'.'
■ 
o{ It;','
25 AUG -6 A 9 :22
m;ci:i: .aB\.
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Land is a precious national resource. It is a fundamental component for 
progress and economic growth, where industries are built and vital infrastructure are 
erected. Its vastness and fertility host agricultural activities and food production 
necessary for humans to survive. Its stable grounds provide safe habitat and spaces 
for communities and settlements to thrive. Land is also a measure of social justice as 
it indicates who possesses and benefits from the immense wealth that it offers.
Considering its infinite use to humankind, it is imperative that management of 
land must be judicious and deliberate. There must be a national policy that will guide 
the decision makers in addressing the legitimate and urgent concerns of food 
security, decent housing, industrialization, environment protection, among many 
others, all of which depend on appropriate land allocation and utilization. With all 
these competing demands on land use, each with valid and immediate impact to the 
wellbeing of the nation, it is important that a well thought out framework and long­
term comprehensive plan be laid out to define priorities across residential, 
infrastructure, agricultural and protective uses, and harness such towards 
sustainable and inclusive development. There is also a need to harmonize


fragmented and sector-specific land policies which prevent the optimal use of this 
highly valuable resource.
In the very first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand R. 
Marcos, Jr., the Chief Executive asked the support of both houses of Congress to 
legislate nineteen priority measures, one of which is the National Land Use Act.
It is but time to finally approve this bill. Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte 
strongly pushed for the passage of a National Land Use Act, as he appealed for its 
enactment in his SONA for three consecutive years. During the Fifteenth Congress, 
former President Benigno Aquino III also certified as urgent a Senate bill1 instituting 
a national land use policy, after its counterpart was approved on Third and Final 
Reading by the House of Representatives. The bill has consistently been included in 
the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory 
Council (LEDAC) since the 13th Congress but languished in the chambers of 
Congress.
According to The Philippine Greenprint, a network of environmental non­
government organizations (NGO) who is promoting measures critical to the 
conservation of natural resources, different versions of the National Land Use Act 
have been filed since 1994, but not one bill has reached the Office of the President 
for signing.2
The National Land Use Bill is among the priority legislative agenda of 
Philippine Development Plan 2023-20283 to:
• address suitable land availability constraints for housing development by
legislating options such as removing the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP) restrictions to land consolidation while maintaining land
1 Senate Bill No. 3091 entitled "An Act Instituting a National Land Use Policy, Providing the Implementing 
Mechanisms Therefor, and for Other Purposes. 15th Congress
2 https://www.greenprint.ph/national-land-use-
act#:"':text=The%20Nationai%20Land%20Use%20Act&text=lt%20worsens%20issues%20and%20disasters.coun
trv's%20land%20and%20water%20resources.
3 Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 - Philippine Development Plan


ownership by beneficiaries, completing inventory of protected areas to 
ascertain land for development, and tapping idle or unutilized private lands; 
and
• (a) define the indicative priorities for land utilization and allocation across 
residential, infrastructure, agricultural, and protective uses; (b) integrate 
efforts, monitor developments related to land use; and (c) evolve policies, 
regulations, and directions of land use planning processes
This representation is fervently endorsing the immediate passage of this long 
overdue piece of legislation.
INGSOY EJERCITO ESTRADA


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
■I
• iSfficp ot i!;t' iS' L r:- .‘i-
25 AUG-6 A 9 '-22
SENATE
S. No. 987
Rl'Cti'' ,.D 3V:
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
CHAPTER I
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INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "National
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Land Use Policy Act (NALUPA)'.
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policies and Principles. — It is hereby declared the policy
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of the State to instill in our people, in the hearts and minds of all Filipinos, a thirty-
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year vision and land use plan for our country we can all aim for, work for, and
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achieve as one Filipino nation. Ail lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal,
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petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or
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timber, wildlife, fora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the State.
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With the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall not be
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alienated.
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Pursuant to the constitutional provision or mandate, it is the policy of the
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State to provide for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, utilization, management,
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and development of the country's land to ensure their optimum use, consistent with
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the principle of sustainable development.


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The State shall recognize the need for rational, optimal and sustainable
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settlements development, consistent with the principles of environmental
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management and equitable access to land and water security.
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The State shall treat group of islands, including parts of islands,
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interconnecting waters and other natural features which are so closely interrelated,
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as forming an intrinsic geographical, economic and political entity, or which
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historically have been regarded as such entity.
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Toward this end, the State shall institutionalize land use and physical planning
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as mechanisms for identifying, determining, and evaluating appropriate land use and
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allocation patterns that promote and ensure:
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(a) Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources;
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(b) Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability
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specifically the perpetual protection of permanent forests and
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watersheds for the attainment of food, water and energy sufficiency;
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(c) Disaster risk-reduction and climate change resiliency;
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(d) Protection of prime agricultural lands for food security in basic
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commodities with emphasis on self-sufficiency in rice and corn;
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(e) Water security through sustainable development and management of
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water resources;
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(f) Settlements, transportation and infrastructure development in support
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of urban, rural and regional development and inclusive growth;
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(g) Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino
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within the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social
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justice, and equity;
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(h) Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights
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of the Indigenous Cultural Communities / Indigenous Peoples
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(ICCs/IPs) to their ancestral domains to ensure their economic, social,
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and cultural well-being as well as recognition of the applicability of
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customary laws and sustainable traditional resource use and
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management, knowledge, and practices in ancestral domains in
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compliance with free and prior informed consent of ICCs/IPs;


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(i) Equitable access to land through State intervention that guarantees its
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affordability to the basic and marginalized sectors;
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(j) Protection, preservation, and development of the Filipino historical,
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cultural and built cultural heritage and resources for the 
deeper
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understanding of our history and culture as a people;
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(k) Attainment of energy security and self-sufficiency; and,
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(I) Market orientation where the interplay of market forces and fair trade
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within the framework of ecological 
development 
and equity
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consideration is encouraged and adopted as the basic parameter in
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achieving efficiency in land use and allocation.
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It is also the policy of the State to ensure that local government units (LCDs)
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share with the national government the responsibility of managing and maintaining
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ecological balance through co-management, partnership and convergence
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arrangements within their territorial jurisdiction as stated in the 1987 Constitution
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and the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC) or Republic Act No. 7160.
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Guided by the principle that the use of land bears a social function and that
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all economic agents shall contribute to the common good, landowners, land tenure
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holders, in the case of forestlands, be it an individual, communal, corporate or group
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shall be held responsible for developing and conserving their lands thereby making
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their land productive and supportive of environmental stability.
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Sec. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply to all lands whether public, private,
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government-owned, and/or in the possession of individuals, communities,
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indigenous people, or groups of people, including areas declared/designated as
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special economic zones and/or freeports, proclamations and reservations to provide
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for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, development and management of land
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and water resources including such activities that bear impact on said resources.
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CHAPTER II
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DEFINITIONS
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Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in and for purposes of this Act:
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(a) Agricuiturai iand refers to land of public domain and private land
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which have been devoted to agricultural activity as defined in
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Republic Act No. 6657, as amended and not further classified for


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residential, commercial or industrial use and such other uses as 
may be provided by law;
(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 refers to lands of the public 
domain which have been delineated, classified, and certified as 
open and available for disposition under the provisions of 
Commonwealth Act No. 141, otherwise known as the "Public Land 
Act," as amended;
(d) 
Ancestral Domains refers 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) 
Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan 
(ADSDPP) refers to the consolidation of the plans of ICCs/IPs 
within an ancestral domain for the sustainable management and 
development of their land and natural resources as well as the 
development of human and cultural resources based on their 
indigenous knowledge, systems and practices;
(f) 
Basic and Marginalized Sectors refers to a group of people such as 
but not limited to the farmers, fisherfolks, urban poor and 
indigenous people;
(g) 
Basic Shelter refers to any subdivision unit, housing unit or 
condominium satisfying the barest minimum shelter requirements 
under the minimum design standards of Batas Pambansa Big. 
220;
(h) 
Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) refers to a document 
embodying a set of policies and guidelines, accompanied by 
official maps and similar illustrations, that serves as a principal 
basis for determining the future land use of lands and natural


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resources for production and protection purpose within the 
territorial jurisdiction of the city or municipality. It represents the 
community-desired pattern of population distribution and 
proposes future allocation of land resources to various land-using 
activities. It identifies the allocation, character, and extent of the 
areas of land resources to be used for different purposes and 
includes the processes and the criteria employed in the 
determination of the land use. It has a long-term perspective, 
encompassing a minimum often (10) years;
(i) 
Comprehensive Land Use Planning refers to the act of defining 
the strategic allocation, utilization, development and management 
of all lands within a given territory or jurisdiction according to the 
inherent characteristic of the land itself and supportive of 
sustainable, economic, demographic, socio-cultural and 
environmental objectives as an aid to decision-making and 
legislation;
(j) 
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) kilometre 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 isobaths 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;
(k) 
Critical Habitats refers to areas outside protected areas as defined 
in Republic Act No. 7586, otherwise known as the "National 
Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992", as amended by 
Republic Act No. 11038, otherwise known as the "Expanded 
National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018," that are


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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;
(l) 
Critical Watershed refers to drainage area of a river system 
supporting existing and proposed hydro-electric 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;
(m) 
Cultural Heritage refers to the totality of cultural properties 
preserved and developed through time and passed on for 
posterity;
(n) 
Customary Laws refers 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;
(o) 
Development Plan refers to a document that defines the activities 
or measures that the national government or local government 
units (LGUs) intend to implement in order to achieve a defined set 
of development goals. It integrates the socio-economic and 
sectoral plans of the national government or its instrumentality or 
a particular LGU with the approved land use or physical 
framework plans. It may include an analysis of problems and 
resources, definition of goals and objectives, policy guidelines, 
project and target achievements, and an implementation 
mechanism which defines the roles and contributions expected 
from the government and the private sector. Development plans 
include the national-level Medium-Term Philippine Development 
Plan (MTPDP) and its counterpart plans at the regional, provincial 
and local levels called the Medium-Term Regional Development


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Plan (MTRDP), the Provincial Physical Framework and 
Development Plan (PPFDP) and the Comprehensive Development 
Plan (CDP). These plans are translated into medium-term 
investment programs, also prepared at the national, regional and 
local levels, where programs, projects and activities derived from 
the development plans are ranked, prioritized, and matched with 
investment financing capacities;
(p) 
Ecologically-Fragile Lands refers to lands within the critical 
watershed, brackish and freshwater wetlands, pasture lands, and 
croplands which require rehabilitation and whose continued 
unsustainable use would adversely affect the productivity of 
lowland agricultural areas and the stability of the upland 
ecosystem;
(q) 
Ecotourism refers to sustainable tourism and 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;
(r) 
Energy Resource Lands refers 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;
(s) 
Energy Resources refers 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;


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(t) 
Environmentally Critical Areas refers to areas declared by law as: 
(1) protected areas pursuant to Republic Act No. 7586 or the 
NIPAS Act of 1992, as amended by Republic Act No. 11038 or the 
E-NIPAS Act of 2018"; (2) areas for natural parks, watershed 
reserves, wildlife preserves, and sanctuaries; (3) areas set aside 
as aesthetic potential tourist spots; (4) areas which constitute the 
habitat of any endangered or threatened species or indigenous 
Philippine wildlife (flora and fauna); (5) areas of unique historic, 
archaeological, or scientific interests; (6) areas which are 
traditionally occupied by ICCs/IPs; (7) areas with critical slopes; 
(8) areas frequented and/or hard hit by natural calamities such as 
but not limited to geologic hazards, floods, typhoons and volcanic 
activities; (9) areas exposed to geologic and hydro-meteorologic 
hazards; (10) prime agricultural lands; (11) recharge areas of 
aquifers; (12) water bodies; (13) mangrove areas; (14) coral 
reefs; (15) mossy and old-growth forests; (16) rivers and river 
banks; (17) swamp forest and marshlands; and (18) foreshore 
lands. This term shall also include other terrestrial, aquatic and 
marine areas that need special protection and conservation 
measures because they are ecologically fragile or they are needed 
for food security and food self-sufficiency as determined by 
concerned agencies and LGUs in consultation with the concerned 
sectors;
(u) 
Estuary refers to a wetland type where the river mouth widens 
into a marine ecosystem, the salinity of which is intermediate 
between salt and freshwater where tidal action is an important 
biophysical regulator;
(v) 
Exhausted Energy Resource Lands refers to specific energy 
resource sites whose energy reserves of the desired type(s) are 
no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional 
expenditure for their extraction and utilization as certified by the 
Department of Energy;


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(w) 
Exhausted Mineral Lands refers to a specific sites whose mineral 
deposits are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify 
additional expenditure for their extraction and utilization as may 
be determined by the latest technology available;
(x) 
Exhausted Mineral Resources refers to a situation where the 
mineral resources in specific sites are no longer in sufficient 
quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure for extraction 
or utilization as determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau 
(MGB) and approved by the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources (DENR);
(y) 
Flood plain refers to the portion of a river valley adjacent to a 
river channel which is covered with water when river overflows its 
banks at flood stages. The plain usually consists of silt deposited 
by the stream;
(z) 
Flood-Prone Areas refers to low lying areas usually adjacent to 
large or active water bodies and 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;
(aa) Food Security refers to the policy objective of meeting the food 
availability, accessibility, quality and affordability requirements of 
the present and future generations of Filipinos in a sustainable 
manner, through local production or importation, only when there 
is shortage established based on a micro level situation, or both, 
based on the country's existing and potential resource 
endowments and related production advantages, and consistent 
with the overall national development objectives and policies;
(bb) Forest refers to an ecosystem or an assemblage of ecosystems 
dominated by trees and other woody vegetation; a community of 
plants and animals interacting with one another and its physical 
environment;


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(cc) Food Self-Sufficiency refers to the policy objective of meeting the 
food requirements through intensive local food production in a 
sustainable manner based on the country's existing and potential 
resource endowments and related production advantages;
(dd) Forestlands refers to lands of the public domain classified and/or 
determined as needed. They include all permanent forests or 
forest reserves, forest reservations and all remaining unclassified 
lands of the public domain;
(ee) Foreshore Land refers to the part of the shore which is alternately 
covered and uncovered by the ebb and flow of the tide;
(ff) Free and Prior Informed Consent refers to consensus of all 
members of the ICCs/IPs to be determined in accordance with 
their respective customary laws and practices, free from any 
external manipulation, interference and coercion, and obtained 
after fully disclosing the intent and scope of the activity, in a 
language and process understandable to the community;
(gg) Geo-Hazards refers to natural and human-induced geological 
processes that have potential to cause destruction and pose a 
threat or risk to human life and property;
(hh) Geo-Hazard Prone Areas refers to areas frequently visited and/or 
vulnerable or prone to experience weather/climatic, hydrologic, 
geologic, and other natural calamities;
(ii) Heritage Zones refers to historical, anthropological, archaeological 
and artistic geographical areas and settings that are culturally 
significant to the country as declared by the National Museum 
and/or National Historical Commission of the Philippines, pursuant 
to Republic Act No. 10066 or the "National Cultural Heritage Act 
of 2009";
(jj) Indigenous Cultural Communities / Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) 
refers to groups of people or homogenous societies identified 
under Republic Act No. 8371 or the "Indigenous People's Rights 
Act (IPRA)";
10


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(kk)
(II)
(mm)
(nn)
(00)
(PP)
(qq)
Inland Waters refers to waters, which are not coastal and marine 
waters not subject to acquisitive prescription consistent with the 
provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1067, otherwise known as 
the "Water Code of the Philippines";
Inter-Tidal Sand Flat refers to a juvenile fish-feeding area and 
habitat for crustaceans. The littoral gravel and sand biotopes are 
also used by important wintering ground and roosting/feeding 
grounds of indigenous migratory birds;
Integrated Ecosystems Watershed Management refers to an 
integrated planning and management framework that covers the 
ridge-to-reef landscape of a watershed or sub-watershed from its 
upland, lowland and coastal ecosystems and the interaction, 
interdependencies and linkages of its bio-physical, human and 
physical resources and development;
Key Biodiversity Areas refers to sites that are nationally and 
globally significant for biodiversity conservation primarily 
containing species that require site-scale conservation to prevent 
extinction in the short-term and medium-term. Such species may 
be nationally and globally threatened, restricted-range and/or 
nationally and globally significant congregations of species;
Lagoon refers to a semi-enclosed coastal basin with limited 
freshwater input, high salinity and restricted circulation which 
often lies behind sand dunes. It is often highly productive and 
habitat for variety of plants and animals, serves as nurseries of 
prawns and shrimps and also site for harbor, aquaculture. 
Industry and recreation;
Land refers to resources, both natural and artificial, found on the 
surface, below and above the ground including inland and coastal 
waters;
Land Use refers to the manner of allocation, utilization, 
management and development of land;
11


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(rr) 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 
defined and provided for in this Act;
(ss) Land Sub-Classification refers to the act of determining and 
assigning specific uses of classified lands of the public domain, 
such as forest or timber iands, alienable or disposable agricultural 
lands, national parks, and mineral lands in accordance with 
existing laws and this Act;
(tt) Mandatory Public Hearings/Consultations refers to the mechanism 
to ensure the active participation of concerned sectors in ali 
affected areas in land use planning from the local to the national 
level. It involves giving effective notice of hearing/consultation to 
concerned sectors within an affected area through direct written 
invitations, using regular mail or electronic means, and 
publication/posting in conspicuous places, conduct of reasonable 
number of hearings in or proximate to the specific area affected, 
and solicitation of positions and the public presentation and public 
confirmation of the planning results in the specific area affected 
before the final adoption of the plans;
(uu) Minerals refers to all naturally occurring inorganic substance in 
solid, gas, liquid or intermediate state excluding energy materials 
such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, radioactive materials and 
geothermal energy;
(w) Mineral Exploration refers to the systematic searching or 
prospecting for mineral resources;
(ww) Mineral Lands refers to lands of the public domain, excluding 
those in permanent forestlands, protection lands and privately- 
owned lands where minerals resources are found in sufficient 
quantity and quality for extraction, development and utilization;
(xx) Mineral Resources refer to any concentration of minerals/rocks 
with potential economic value;
12


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(yy) Mudflat refers to a wetland type that is usually an unvegetated 
area, dominated by muddy substrate which provides rich feeding 
grounds for vertebrates such as fish and water birds and also 
important in preventing soil erosion;
(zz) Multiple Use of Land Resources refers to the utilization or 
management strategy for any land, within production land use 
areas, which allows any activity, involving one or more of its 
resources, depending on the result of prior evaluation on its 
numerous beneficial use that will produce the optimum benefits to 
the development and progress of the country and the public 
welfare without impairment or with the least injury to its 
resources;
(aaa) Municipal Waters \nc\u6e not only streams, lakes, inland bodies of 
water and tidal waters within the municipality which are not 
included within the protected areas as defined under Republic Act 
No. 7586 (the NIPAS Law), as amended by Republic Act No. 
11038, or the E-NIPAS Act of 2018," public forest, timber lands, 
forest reserves or fishery reserves, but also marine waters 
included between two (2) lines drawn perpendicular to the 
general coastline from points where the boundary lines of the 
municipality touch the sea at low tide and a third line parallel with 
the general coastline including offshore islands and fifteen (15) 
kilometres from such coastline. Where two (2) municipalities are 
so situated on opposite shores that there is less than thirty (30) 
kilometers of marine waters between them, the third line shall be 
equally distant from opposite shore of the respective 
municipalities;
(bbb) 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 genetics diversity, to ensure sustainable use
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(ccc)
(ddd)
(eee)
of resources found therein, and to maintain their natural 
conditions to the greatest extent possible;
National Parks refers to a forest reservation essentially of natural 
wilderness character which has been withdrawn from settlement, 
occupancy or any form of exploitation except in conformity with 
approved management plan and set aside as such exclusively to 
conserve the area or preserve the scenery, the natural and 
historic objects, wild animals and plants therein and to provide 
enjoyment of these features in such areas;
National Physical Framework Plan or National Land Use Plan 
refers to a strategic plan containing the policy areas determining 
the most appropriate and rational use of land and other physical 
resources such as but not limited to protection, production, 
settlement and infrastructure land use. It provides policy 
guidelines for all decisions relating to land use and environmental 
management, to prevent and mitigate the adverse effects of 
inappropriate resource utilization on the country's food security 
and food self-sufficiency on rice and corn, the people's welfare 
and their environment. It embodies both policies and strategies 
necessary to carry out goals and objectives of this Act;
Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-industrial 
Development (NPAAAD) refers to agricultural areas identified by 
the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Soils and 
Water Management (BSWM) 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 promote sustainable growth. The 
NPAAAD covers all irrigated areas, all irrigable lands already 
covered by irrigation projects with firm funding commitments, all 
alluvial plains, land highly suitable for agriculture whether 
irrigated or not, agro-industrial croplands or lands planted to 
industrial crops that support the validity of existing agricultural
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(fff)
(ggg)
(hhh)
(iii)
Gjj)
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 will result in serious environmental 
degradation, and all mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries; 
Patrimonial Properties refers to all the properties belonging to the 
State that are not intended for public use or for public service for 
the development of national wealth;
People's Organization refers to a private, non-profit, voluntary and 
community-based organization with membership constituency 
established primarily to provide service to its members and the 
community in general;
Permanent Forest refers to lands of the public domain, that 
includes forest reserves, which has been identified and 
determined to be needed for protection, conservation, 
preservation and management as forests and shall be reserved, 
conserved and protected into perpetuity for such purpose; 
Permanent Forestlands refers to forestlands, within public or 
private lands, that have been identified, determined and 
demarcated on the ground by the State to serve such purpose 
and shall be protected, conserved, preserved, maintained and 
managed as forestlands free from any form of utilization, 
exploitation or development and reserved permanently as such for 
the benefit and use of future generations;
Physical Framework Plans refers to strategic plans based on 
comprehensive land use plans (CLUPs) and national policies 
whether national, regional, or provincial which provide policy 
guidelines for all decisions relating to land use and environmental 
management to prevent or mitigate the adverse effects of 
inappropriate resource utilization on food security, the people's 
welfare and their environment. It embodies both policies and
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strategies necessary to carry out development goals and 
objectives;
(kkk) Premature or Illegal Conversion of Agricultural Lands refers to any 
activity that modifies or alters the physical characteristics of 
agricultural lands to render them suitable for non-agricultural 
purposes without an approved order of conversion from the 
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary;
(III) Prime Agricultural Lands refers to all irrigated areas; all irrigable 
lands; all rain-fed areas planted to rice and corn; all lands 
classified by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management under its 
land capability classification system as Class A, Class B, and Class 
C lands; all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile, the 
conversion of which will result in serious environmental 
degradation, and mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries;
(mmm) Production Land Use refers to the direct and indirect utilization of 
land to generate outputs resulting from the following activities, 
but not limited to: agricultural, fish, farming or aquaculture, 
timber production, agro-forestry, grazing and pasture, mining, 
indigenous energy resource development, industry, and tourism;
(nnn) Protected Areas refers to portions of land and water set aside by 
reason of their unique physical and biological significance, 
managed to enhance biological diversity, and protected against 
destructive human exploitation. For purposes of this Act, it shall 
include agricultural lands identified and delineated under Section 
32 hereof;
(ooo) Protection Land Use refers to the utilization 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;
(ppp) Public Domain refers to lands that belong to the State which may 
be any of the following: agricultural, forest or timber, mineral, or 
national park as provided for in the Constitution;
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(qqq)
(rrr)
(sss)
(ttt)
(uuu)
(vw)
Public Lands refers to lands which 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;
Reclassification of Agricultural Lands refers to the act of specifying 
how agricultural lands shall be utilized for non-agricultural uses 
such as residential, industrial, or commercial purposes through 
the local planning and zoning processes pursuant to Republic Act 
No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 and subject to 
the requirements and procedure for conversion. It is equivalent to 
land sub-classification, as defined in this Act for classified lands of 
the public domain and also includes the reversion of non- 
agricultural lands to agricultural use;
Resettlement Sites refers to areas identified by the appropriate 
national agency or by the LGU, with respect to areas within its 
jurisdiction which shall be used for the relocation of the 
underprivileged and homeless, as defined under Republic Act No. 
7279 or the "Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA)";
River Basin refers to the portion of land drained by a river and its 
tributaries. It encompasses the entire land surface dissected and 
drained by many streams and creeks that flow downhill into one 
another, and eventually into one river. The final destination is an 
estuary or an ocean;
Settlements refers to formal and informal communities or built-up 
residential areas where people prefer to live in land areas 
classified, zoned, or converted for current or future residential or 
housing development purposes, including socialized housing 
zones for the homeless and underprivileged citizens;
Settlements Development refers to any improvement on existing 
formal or informal residential or housing settlements or any 
proposed development of certain areas for residential or mass 
housing settlement purposes. It also involves the spatial
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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 residential or housing settlement areas or 
growth centers. It is also concerned with the interrelationship of 
settlements as they develop and establish functional linkages 
based on their respective resource endowments and comparative 
advantages;
(www) Shoreline refers to the line where shore and water meet;
(xxx) Significant Caves refers to caves which contain materials or 
possess features that have archaeological, cultural, ecological, 
historical or scientific value as determined by the DENR in 
coordination with the scientific community and the academe;
(yyy) Socialized Housing refers to housing programs and projects 
undertaken by the government or the private sector for the 
underprivileged and homeless citizens which shall include sites 
and services development, long-term financing, liberalized terms 
on interest payments, and such other benefits in accordance with 
the UDHA;
(zzz) Socialized Housing Zones refers to lands identified and designated 
by local government units as sites for socialized housing, pursuant 
to Article IV of Republic Act No. 7279 or the UDHA, and its 
implementing guidelines;
(aaaa) 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;
(bbbb) Tourism Development Areas refers to specific sites for tourism 
development located in areas identified as priorities in the 
national, regional, and inter-regional area specific tourism master 
plans and other sector plans such as eco-tourism and agri-tourism
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sites, including those designated through legislative and executive 
issuances such as tourist spots, tourist zones and tourism 
ecozones which can be developed into tourism estates or 
integrated resort, leisure, and recreation complexes, and other 
tourism related facilities subject to restrictions imposed by its 
protection status and land use category;
(cccc) Tourism Enterprise Zone refers to an area designated as tourism 
enterprise zone by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise 
Zone Authority (TIEZA) pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act 
No. 9593 otherwise known as the "Tourism Act of 2009";
(dddd) Tourism Estates refers to large tracts of land with well-defined 
boundaries in any area identified in the Philippine tourism master 
plan and regional tourism master plan, by proclamation of the 
President and/or by an act of Congress or local legislation. Such 
land shall be suitable for the development of an integrated 
tourism and resort complex including but not limited to 
accommodation facilities, food and beverage outlets, convention 
and meeting areas, sports, recreational and leisure centers and 
commercial outlets among others. It shall be provided with roads, 
water supply facilities, power and utilities like potable water, 
drainage sewerage disposal, solid waste disposal system and 
other necessary infrastructure. The estate shall be under one 
unified and continuous management;
(eeee) Tourist Spot refers to a particular area/site/spot, human-made or 
natural, known for its unique tourist/visitor-drawing attributes and 
activities. It may be classified according to its social, cultural, 
natural, historical, scientific, religious, and recreational 
significance;
(ffff) Tourist Zone refers to a geographic area not designated under 
protection land use, with well-defined boundaries proclaimed as 
such by the President of the Philippines and/or by acts of 
Congress. No development projects for any purpose shall be
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initiated and introduced within the zone prior to the formulation of 
a tourism master development plan which shall be undertaken in 
coordination with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism 
Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), A tourist 
zone is established for the enhancement and/or the conservation 
of cultural and historical heritage and for the appreciation and 
enjoyment of the local population and its visitors;
(9999) Urban Areas refers to all cities regardless of their population 
density and to municipalities with population density of at least 
Five hundred (500) persons per square kilometer;
(hhhh) Urbanizable Areas refers to sites and lands which, considering 
present characteristics and prevailing conditions, display marked 
and great potential of becoming urban areas within a period of 
five (5) years;
(iiii) Urban Forestry or Green Space refers to the establishment and 
management of forest in urban environment for the physiological 
and psychological well-being of the people;
(jjjj) Water Security refers to the sufficient access throughout the year 
to the minimum daily requirement of clean water to maintain a 
healthy life;
(kkkk) Water Use refers to the appropriation of water for domestic, 
municipal, irrigation, power generation, inland fisheries, poultry 
and livestock raising, industrial and commercial, environmental, 
and recreational use and other purposes;
(IIII) Watershed refers to a land area drained by a stream or fixed body 
of water and its tributaries having a common outlet for surface 
runoff;
(mmmm) Zoning refers to the process of delineating the specific uses of 
lands in accordance with the approved Comprehensive Land Use 
Plan (CLUP) within the territorial jurisdiction of a city/municipality 
and specifying the conditions for their regulation, subject to the 
limitations imposed by law and competent authority; and,
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(nnnn) Zoning Ordinance or ZO shall refer to a local law passed by the
2 
Sangguniang Bayan or Paniungsod approving the development
3 
control/zoning plan in accordance with an approved or adopted
4 
CLUP for the city/municipality, and providing for the regulations
5 
and other conditions on the uses of land including the limitation of
6 
the infrastructure that may be placed thereon within the territorial
7 
jurisdiction of a city or municipality. It incorporates the protected
8 
areas under Section 13(a) and the protected agricultural lands
9 
under Section 32 of this Act.
10 
CHAPTER III
11 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLANS
12 
Sec. 5. Nationai Land Use Pianning Process. — The land use and physical
13 
planning process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down
14 
approach. The National Land Use Commission (NLUC) shall draft the National
15 
Physical Framework Plan (NPFP)/National Land Use Plan (NLUP) which shall have a
16 
timeframe of thirty (30) years, with regular review and updating every ten (10)
17 
years: Provided, however, That nothing herein shall prevent the NLUC from
18 
reviewing and updating at anytime the NPFP/NLUP where public interest so requires.
19 
The NPFP, which guides the planning and management of the country's land and
20 
other physical resources at the national and sub-national levels, shall indicate broad
21 
spatial directions and policy guidelines on settlements development, production land
22 
use, protection land use, and infrastructure such as but not limited to social services,
23 
and utilities, transportation and communication. The Regional Physical Framework
24 
Plans (RPFPs), Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plans (PPFDPs), and
25 
Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs), which shall also have a 30-year timeframe
26 
and cover the physical development of their respective territories, shall be consistent
27 
with the national physical framework development of their respective territories,
28 
shall be consistent with the national physical framework plan: Provided, That the
29 
integration and harmonization of the physical framework plans at all levels shall be
30 
iterative to ensure that the concerns of both top and bottom levels of government
31 
are considered. The physical and land use plans prepared at all levels shall have
32 
internal consistency specifically on, but not limited to, the development,
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management and conservation of forestlands found within a given territory and the
2 
linkages of the major land use categories to ensure their complementation in the
3 
utilization, development and management of resources.
4 
All regional, provincial, city and municipal land use plans and zoning
5 
ordinances shall only be amended or revised at the earliest after every ten (10)
6 
years except if an earlier amendment or revision of the CLUP or ZO is authorized by
7 
the NLUC due to extraordinary causes.
8 
The NLUC shall issue procedural guidelines which shall guide the formulation
9 
and integration/harmonization process: Provided, That the National Economic and
10 
Development Authority (NEDA), the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission
11 
(HSAC) created under Republic Act No. 11201, the Department of the Interior and
12 
Local Government (DILG) and other agencies will continue to issue guidelines on the
13 
content of the plans consistent with their respective agency mandates.
14 
Sec. 6. City and Municipal Land Use Plans. - All barangays shall provide their
15 
sectoral, temporal and spatial data for the CLUP which shall serve as the foundation
16 
for the formulation of the city/municipal CLUPs. The data shall be provided by the
17 
Sangguniang Pambarangay through stakeholder consultations. The CLUP shall
18 
determine the specific use of land and other physical and natural resources, both
19 
private and public, within their territorial jurisdiction including areas co-managed
20 
with the national government and, as appropriate, management plans for ancestral
21 
domains, critical watersheds, river basins, and protected areas.
22 
The CLUP shall delineate actual boundaries on the ground within the
23 
territorial jurisdictions, embody the desired land use patterns of the barangay, city or
24 
municipality, translate and integrate sectoral plans, and provide appropriate policies
25 
for each of the four land use planning categories. The spatial directions prescribed in
26 
the CLUP shall serve as the basis for the preparation and formulation of the
27 
Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and Local Development Investment Plan
28 
(LDIP) of the LGUs.
29 
The CLUP may be formulated as a component of a Comprehensive Land Use
30 
and Development Plan (CLUDP), which merges the traditionally separate CLUP and
31 
Comprehensive Development Plan to address the disconnect between the spatial and
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sectoral factors and to ensure the complementation between the medium- and long-
2 
term concerns: Provided, That the CLUDP shall remain consistent with the CLUP.
3 
Consistent with the national standards and guidelines prescribed in Section 5,
4 
the cities and municipalities shall, in consultation with the concerned sectors,
5 
prepare their respective CLUPs. The City/Municipal Land Use Planning and
6 
Management Board (C/MLUPB), created under this Act, shall be responsible for the
7 
preparation and formulation of the CLUP and ensure its consistency with national
8 
and regional physical planning guidelines and standards. Under the general
9 
supervision of the respective C/MLUPB, the City/Municipal Planning and
10 
Development Coordinator/Office (C/MPDC/PDO) shall provide technical, secretariat
11 
and administrative support in the preparation, consultation, and integration and
12 
formulation process of the respective CLUPs of each city or municipality.
13 
The CLUPs shall be submitted by the city/municipal Local Development
14 
Councils (LDC) for adoption and approval of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB). The
15 
approved CLUPs shall be submitted to the province for integration into the PPFP.
16 
The CLUP shall be translated into a zoning ordinance by the concerned
17 
Sanggunian to regulate the uses of land, including the limitations on height, density
18 
and bulk of buildings and other infrastructure that may be placed thereon.
19 
Sec. 7. Provincial Physical Framework Plan (PPFP). - The PPFP shall
20 
determine the physical development of the entire provincial territory, consolidate and
21 
harmonize the comprehensive land use plans of component cities and municipalities,
22 
consistent with the RPFP. It shall reflect the indicative land use management and
23 
physical development direction of the province.
24 
Further, the PPFP shall serve as basis for other sectoral and development
25 
plans related to land, natural resources, and infrastructure facilities, including the
26 
development plan of the province; reconciliation and rationalization of land use
27 
proposals among component cities and municipalities and with the higher level
28 
framework plan; guiding development agencies and private developers, particularly
29 
those that undertake large-scale projects; and providing a basis for resolving
30 
conflicts arising from the implementation of land use plans and development projects
31 
involving two or more municipalities.
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The PPFP shall serve as the basis for the preparation of the Provincial
2 
Development Plan (PDP) and Provincial Development Investment Program (PDIP),
3 
The PPFP, PDP, PDIP and/or Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plan
4 
(PPFDP) shall serve as the basis for the formulation of sectoral action plans of
5 
national government agencies in the province and all LGUs within its jurisdiction.
6 
The province may opt to prepare their PDP alongside the preparation of PPFP and
7 
consolidate them into a PPFDP: Provided, That PPFDP shall remain consistent with
8 
the PPFP: Provided, further, That any review or changes in the PPFP shall coincide
9 
with the over-all review process of the NPFP.
10 
The Provincial Land Use Planning and Management Board (PLUPMB), created
11 
under this Act, shall ensure that the PPFP is consistent with the national and regional
12 
planning framework and guidelines issued by the NLUPC/RLUPB. The PPFP shall be
13 
presented to the Provincial Development Council (PDC) for endorsement to the
14 
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, who shall formally adopt and approve the PPFP. The
15 
approved PPFP shall be submitted to the RLUPB for consolidation and integration
16 
into the RPFP.
17 
Under the general supervision of the PLUPMB, the Provincial Planning and
18 
Development Coordinator/Office (PPDC/PPDO) shall provide technical, secretariat
19 
and administrative support in the preparation, consultation, and integration and
20 
formulation process of the PPFP.
21 
Sec. 8. Regionai Physical Framework Plans. - In consultation with concerned
22 
sectors, the Regional Land Use Policy Board (RLUPB) shall define the desired spatial
23 
arrangement of land-using activities in the entire region, consolidating and
24 
harmonizing the provincial physical framework plans of provinces and independent
25 
cities within the territorial jurisdiction of the region. The regional physical framework
26 
plan, which depicts and end-state scenario toward which efforts and activities are
27 
directed, shall consist of spatially-based and area-focused policies, consistent with
28 
those in the national framework for physical planning, to guide detailed physical,
29 
socio-economic, sectoral and investment planning.
30 
Sec. 9. The National Physical Framework Plan / National Land Use Plan. - The
31 
National Land Use Commission (NLUC) created in Section 14 herein, in consultation
32 
with the concerned sectors through the conduct of mandatory public
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hearings/consultations, shall formulate, periodically update and ensure the
2 
implementation of a national physical framework plan that shall prescribe and
3 
influence the country's land use and physical development. The NPFP shall
4 
operationalize the policies provided in this Act and will be the basis for adopting land
5 
use and physical planning-related guidelines and standards, including zoning and
6 
other land use control standards that will guide the formulation of city/municipal
7 
zoning ordinances.
8 
The NPFP strategic objectives and directions shall be the basis for the
9 
preparation, formulation and prioritization of the MTPDP and Medium-Term
10 
Philippine Investment Program (MTPIP).
11 
CHAPTER IV
12 
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING
13 
Sec. 10. Priorities in Land Use Aiiocation and Pianning. — In projecting spatial
14 
allocation for different land uses, the LGUs shall first exclude areas under protection
15 
land use of Section 13(a) hereof, national parks, energy resource lands, and prime
16 
agricultural lands to ensure ecological integrity, energy supply, and promote food
17 
security. Areas with prior rights and those with site-specific resources for basic
18 
services, such as but not limited to, water and indigenous energy resources, shall
19 
also be excluded. Spatial allocation and planning shall then proceed in accordance
20 
with Sections 12 and 13 hereof with priorities given to integrated watershed
21 
management areas, socialized housing sites, fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas,
22 
and waste disposal sites.
23 
Sec. 11. Adoption of Muitipie Uses of Land Resources. — The primary and
24 
alternative uses of a specific land resource shall be determined and evaluated prior
25 
to any decision for the assignment of its use. Areas feasible for sustainable land
26 
resource may be considered multiple-use zones wherein settlements, tourism,
27 
agriculture, forestry, agro-forestry and extraction activities and other income-
28 
generating or livelihood activities may be allowed: Provided, That multiple uses of
29 
land resources shall be excluded in areas identified as protection land use: Provided,
30 
further, That such land resources shall be in accordance with priorities in land use
31 
allocation and planning and that no reclassification shall be allowed.
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Sec. 12. Land Use Plans for Ancestral Domains. - Land use plans of ancestral
2 
domains shall be formulated by the ICCs/IPs themselves in accordance with their
3 
particular needs and traditional resource and management systems with the
4 
assistance of the NCIP, the LGUs and civil society organizations (CSOs) concerned.
5 
Such plans shall be recognized and adopted in the barangay, city/municipal,
6 
provincial and national physical framework plans.
7 
Physical framework plans made prior to the delineation of ancestral domains
8 
included in such plans or ordinances shall, without prejudice to the rights of the
9 
ICCs/IPs concerned, adopt different land use categories in accordance with their
10 
particular needs and traditional resource and management systems.
11 
In cases where there are no ADSDPPS, the LGU and the ICCs/IPs shall jointly
12 
formulate the land use plan within the ancestral domain until such time that the
13 
ICCs/IPs have formulated their ADSDPPS.
14 
Sec. 13. Basic Land Use Considerations. - Various land uses as categorized in
15 
the succeeding section shall be determined in a manner that promotes the policies
16 
and principles defined in Section 2 of this Act and shall consider the following
17 
elements therein, among others:
18 
(a) Protection land use category as defined in Section 14 shall prevail over
19 
existing production land use category. 
The State shall undertake 
the
20 
necessary action in changing 
the classification of these production
21 
areas;
22 
(b) Preservation, conservation, rehabilitation and protection to perpetuity
23 
of permanent forestlands, critical watersheds, key biodiversity areas,
24 
environmentally-critical and ecologically-fragile areas and prime
25 
agricultural lands from any other land use, conversion, disposition,
26 
intrusion, utilization and development aside from its determined use
27 
and limits;
28 
(c) Protection of natural forests and natural resources ensures
29 
environmental stability, conserve biological diversity, improve
30 
ecosystem functions and provide long-term ecological and economic
31 
benefits. Designated restoration areas are designed to revive the
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ecosystem functions and services of forests as well as improve the 
economic and ecological benefits of local communities;
(d) Protection of forest and wetlands from infrastructure development to 
preserve the ecological services they provide which are essential to 
economic development. These activities include, but not limited to river 
channelization and dredging, large scale irrigation and river diversions 
which reduce riverine habitat and alters flood patterns and natural flow 
regimes, reduce downstream water availability for agriculture and 
contribute to salinization through saltwater intrusion in coastal areas;
(e) Resolution of land use conflicts which are life-threatening to public 
safety, sustainability of key production resources or employment 
activities and the delivery of basic services and are harmful or 
destructive to protected areas, flora, fauna and other protected natural 
resources. Greater consideration shall be given to the human and 
tenurial rights of vulnerable groups in resolving land use conflicts;
(f) Identification of geo-hazard prone areas and high risk/danger zones 
and corresponding risk reduction measures to ensure the prioritization 
of life and safety: Provided, That specifically identified and assessed 
extremely hazardous and high-risk/danger zones shall be similarly 
protected and cleared from all forms of human-made obstacles, 
obstructions and infrastructures to ensure and secure public health and 
safety;
(g) Respect for existing customary rights and traditional land uses of 
ICCS/IPS;
(h) Identification of settlement areas to check the demand for land and 
establish the location of employment-generating industries and basic 
services; and,
(i) The availability of natural resources including indigenous energy 
resources for energy security and self-sufficiency. However, 
infrastructure energy projects such as dams with large reservoirs in 
natural ecosystems shall not be allowed if it would interrupt the
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connectivity of river systems, disrupt fish spawning and migration, and
2 
alter seasonal flood regimes.
3 
Sec. 14. Categories of Land Uses for Planning Purposes. — In determining and
4 
defining the national, regional and provincial framework plans, and CLUPs, land uses
5 
shall be grouped into four major functional uses as follows:
6 
(a) Protection Land Use shall refer to the use of land primarily for food,
7 
water and energy security, rehabilitation, conservation, and protection
8 
purposes for the promotion of the country's ecological and life-support
9 
systems. Planning for protection land use intends to achieve food self-
10 
sufficiency in rice and corn, water and energy security, environmental
11 
stability and ecological integrity, ensure a balance between resources
12 
use and the preservation of some areas with environmental, aesthetic,
13 
educational, cultural, heritage and historical significance, and protect
14 
people and human-made structures from the ill-effects of natural
15 
hazards. All lands, either public or private, under protection land use
16 
shall be permanently conserved, preserved, rehabilitated and protected
17 
from all other land uses, disposition, intrusion, utilization and
18 
development that is not consistent from its existing uses. Areas under
19 
this category also include those covered by Republic Act No. 7586 or
20 
the NIPAS Law, as amended by Republic Act No. 11038 or the E-NIPAS
21 
Act of 2018," and other coastal and marine protected areas, those
22 
areas outside NIPAS but nonetheless require protection because of
23 
their outstanding physical and aesthetic features, anthropological
24 
significance, and biological diversity, and those areas prone to natural
25 
hazards. Areas outside the coverage of the NIPAS law include, but are
26 
not limited to the following:
27 
(1) Old-growth forest and mossy;
28 
(2) Areas with more than 50% in slope gradient;
29 
(3) Mangrove and fish sanctuaries, pursuant to Republic Act No.
30 
8435 or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of
31 
1997" and Republic Act No. 8550 or "The Philippine Fisheries
32 
Code of 1998";
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(4) 
Buffer zone or strips/easements, pursuant to Presidential Decree 
No. 705, amending Presidential Decree No. 389, otherwise 
known as the "Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines" and 
Presidential Decree No. 1067 or the "Water Code of the 
Philippines";
(5) 
Salvage zones along foreshore areas, freshwater swamps and 
marshes, plazas and heritage/historic sites, pursuant to 
Presidential Decree No. 2146;
(6) 
Watersheds;
(7) 
Utility easement like transmission lines of power companies, oil 
and gas facilities, cell sites, and domestic water lines;
(8) 
Amenity areas or those with high aesthetic values, pursuant to 
Presidential Decree No. 2146;
(9) 
Natural and human-made areas/sites of cultural, historical and 
anthropological significance, which are declared as such by 
internationally-recognized organizations and concerned national 
agencies;
(10) 
Critical habitats as provided in Republic Act No. 9147 or the 
"Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act";
(11) 
Significant caves under Republic Act No. 9072 or the "National 
Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act";
(12) 
Key biodiversity areas under Executive Order 578, Series of 
2006, or the "National Biodiversity Policy";
(13) 
Prime agricultural lands as defined under this Act; or,
(14) 
Areas within ancestral domains excluded by the IPs/ICCs from 
any activities, except for the exclusive purposes for which they 
are identified, such as sacred grounds and burial sites of ICCs; 
identified international and local cultural and heritage sites; 
critical areas identified or reserved by the ICCs/IPs for special 
purposes; and other areas specifically identified by IPs/ICCs in 
their ADSDPP.
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(b) Production Land Use shall refer to the direct and indirect utilization of 
land resources for crop, fishery, livestock and poultry production, 
forestry, agro-forestry, mining, industry, energy development, 
indigenous energy exploration and development, and tourism. 
Planning for production land shall determine the most efficient, 
sustainable, and equitable manner of utilizing, developing and 
managing land for productive purposes. Areas included in this category 
area agricultural lands, fishing grounds, coastal and marine zones, 
production forest which comprise lands 18% to 50% in slope gradient 
such as: residual dipterocarps, rangelands for grazing purposes, 
industrial tree plantation/integrated Forest Management Agreement 
(IFMA), community based forest management areas and other 
reforestation projects, mineral lands or mining areas and reservations, 
energy resource lands, industrial development areas, and tourism 
development areas where productive activities could be undertaken to 
meet the country's requirements for food security, economic growth 
and development.
(c) Settlements Development shall refer to any improvement on existing 
settlements in urban and rural areas 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 to such settlement. The 
settlements development plan ensures for the present and future 
generation the following: (i) 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; and (ii) 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.
30


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(d) Infrastructure Development shall refer to the availability or supply of
2 
basic services and fostering of economic and other forms of integration
3 
necessary for producing or obtaining the material requirements of
4 
Filipinos, in an efficient, responsive, safe and ecologically friendly built
5 
environment. It covers sub-sectors of transportation, communication,
6 
water resources, and social infrastructure: Provided, That the
7 
determination of functional uses of lands within ancestral domains shall
8 
consider traditional resource and management systems that do not
9 
endanger the lives of the people and property of the local community
10 
and neighboring areas or increase the vulnerability of the natural
11 
environment to the effects of natural and human-induced geological
12 
processes.
13 
CHAPTER V
14 
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISMS
15 
ARTICLE I
16 
NATIONAL
17 
Sec. 15. Creation of the National Land Use Commission (NLUC). - The
18 
National Land Use Commission, hereinafter referred to as NLUC, is hereby created as
19 
a Commission under the Office of the President. It shall exercise the powers and
20 
responsibilities of the current NEDA Board-National Land Use Committee which is
21 
hereby abolished and the powers and functions pertaining to land use planning
22 
vested by law to the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC). The
23 
NLUC shall act as the highest policy making body on land use and resolve land use
24 
policy conflicts between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government.
25 
It shall integrate efforts, monitor developments relating to land use and the
26 
evolution of policies. It shall also establish Regional Offices.
27 
Sec. 16. Composition of the NLUC. - The NLUC shall be composed of the
28 
following:
29 
(a) Chairperson to be appointed by the President for a term of six (6)
30 
years, with a rank of Cabinet Secretary;
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(b) The Director-General of the National Economic and Development 
Authority (NEDA) and Secretary of the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources (DENR) as Vice-Chairpersons;
The President may designate from among the two Vice-Chairpersons a 
Chief Executive Officer who shail supervise the day-to-day affairs of 
the NLUC.
The members shall be:
(c) The Secretaries of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban 
Development (DHSUD), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the 
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Trade and 
Industry (DTI), the Department of Public Works and Highways 
(DPWH), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of 
Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department 
of Tourism (DOT), the Department of the Interior and Local 
Government (DILG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department 
of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Finance (DOF), 
the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Chairperson of the National 
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP);
The Department Secretaries and the Chairperson of the NCIP may 
designate a representative with a rank not lower than Assistant 
Secretary and Commissioner, respectively: Provided, That the 
designated representative shall be on a permanent basis.
(d) A representative each from the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and 
Municipalities;
(e) A representative each from four (4) basic and marginaiized sectors 
directly involved in land use, namely: urban poor, farmer-peasants, 
fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who shall be appointed by the 
President of the Philippines based on the nomination and 
recommendation of the respective sectoral councils of the National 
Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). At least two (2) sectoral 
representatives shall be women;
32


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(f) Two (2) representatives from private subdivisions, and housing
2 
developers; and,
3 
(g)Two (2) representatives from the accredited association of
4 
professionals dealing on land use such as but not limited to urban and
5 
regional planners, environmental planners, architects, geologists and
6 
geodetic engineers.
7 
Sec. 17. Powers and Functions. - The NLUC shall have the following powers
8 
and functions:
9 
(a) Advise the President of the Philippines and the NEDA Board on all
10 
matters concerning land use and physical planning;
11 
(b) Integrate and harmonize all laws, guidelines and policies relevant to
12 
land use and physical planning to come up with a national, cohesive,
13 
and comprehensive national land use framework;
14 
(c) Formulate policies and approve land use and physical planning-related
15 
policies that may be formulated by the Regional Land Use Policy Board
16 
(RLUPB), created under Section 25 of this Act, and concerned agencies
17 
as well as promulgate zoning and other land use control standards and
18 
guidelines which shall guide the formulation of land use plans and
19 
zoning ordinances by local governments;
20 
(d) Prepare, periodically review and if necessary, update the national
21 
framework for physical planning to provide the general framework for
22 
the spatial development directions for the entire country and sub-
23 
national levels;
24 
(e) Review and approve all land use physical planning related guidelines;
25 
(f) Monitor and coordinate the gathering of data, the conduct of studies
26 
pertaining to land use planning including studies on the management
27 
of identified land uses and such other studies not undertaken by other
28 
government agencies;
29 
(g) Report and recommend to the President of the Philippines and to
30 
Congress the adoption, passage, or amendment of laws to ensure that
31 
sectoral programs, plans, 
projects and activities including local
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government initiatives affecting land use are consistent with national 
development objectives;
(h) Coordinate with and assist other government agencies and LCDs 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, PPFDPs and CLUPs and all data and 
information pertaining to land and land use;
(l) Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of 
the government, and/or private entities and organization for 
cooperation, support, and assistance in the performance of its 
functions;
(m) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts and territorial jurisdiction on 
land use between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the 
government and act on unresolved land use policy conflicts at the 
regional level elevated by the Regional Land Use Policy Board (RLUPB);
(n) Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of 
meetings and other business of the Council;
(o) Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers 
as may be necessarily implied, inherent, incident, or related to the 
foregoing; and,
34


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(p) Review and recommend fiscal policies and taxation on different land
2 
uses and classification to achieve national goals.
3 
Sec. 18. NLUC Technical Secretariat (NLUC-TS). - A Technical Secretariat
4 
shall be created to provide technical support to the NLUC. It shall be headed by an
5 
Executive Director with a rank of Undersecretary. He shall be a qualified professional
6 
in any of the fields of land use, physical planning, environmental management,
7 
engineering, public governance or law.
8 
Sec. 19. The NLUC Technical Secretariat Executive Director. - The Executive
9 
Director shall supervise the operations of the NLUC Technical Secretariat and assist
10 
the NLUC Chairperson or his/her designated Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
11 
In the absence of the CEO, he/she shall preside over the meetings of the
12 
NLUC-TS.
13 
He/she shall also perform such other functions as may be tasked by the
14 
Chairperson or CEO-Vice Chairperson.
15 
Sec. 20. Offices, Units and Staff Support. - The appropriate office in the
16 
Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC) created under Republic Act No.
17 
11201 or the "Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act" shall
18 
be the core secretariat of the NLUC. The staff in the HSAC and NEDA Regional
19 
Development Office who opted to transfer to the NLUC shall be given priority
20 
without diminution in rank and remuneration. The staffing pattern shall be drafted
21 
by the NLUC in coordination with the DBM and Civil Service Commission. Other
22 
government agencies may also be called upon for staff support.
23 
The NLUC technical secretariat shall be divided into the following service units
24 
- Planning and Policy Services, Technical Advisory and Assistance Service, and
25 
Administrative and Financial Services. Each service unit shall be headed by a Director
26 
with a minimum rank of Director I (Salary Grade 22) and shall possess professional
27 
qualifications that relate to land use, physical planning, management, engineering,
28 
governance and law.
29 
(a) Planning and Policy Services - shall provide planning and policy
30 
support services to the NLUC. It shall be responsible for preparation,
31 
formulation and issuance of national land use planning guidelines,
32 
standards and policies that would be approved by the NLUC. It shall
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also be responsible for assisting the NLUC in monitoring the 
implementation and compliance of national and local agencies on the 
national land use policies, directives, and guidelines. It shall also 
maintain and update an open and publicly accessible national land use 
plan inventory, information and database monitoring system that shall 
collate, integrate and consolidate the general status of the country's 
land uses at all LGU levels. It shall also provide legal and legislative 
support to the NLUC and other policy-making bodies on land use 
policies and land use related issues and concerns.
(b) Technical Advisory and Assistance Service - shall provide technical 
advisory services to the NLUC and other policy making bodies related 
to land use management and implementation. It shall also provide 
technical assistance to local and national agencies in the preparation 
and formulation of their local land use plans, development and sectoral 
plans, and other land use-related concerns that may be raised by these 
bodies. It shall maintain a national network of technically capable and 
qualified representatives under its supervision and administration that 
shall provide technical advisory and secretariat support to local land 
use planning bodies at the LGU levels. The technical advisory and 
assistance service shall develop and provide training and capacity 
building programmes on land use planning, land management, zoning, 
mapping and other related skills for local government units to enhance 
and strengthen their capacity to effectively perform the functions of 
LGUs under this Act.
(c) Administrative and financial services - shall provide day-to-day 
administrative, human resources, budgeting, logistical support and 
financial services to the NLUC and its technical secretariat. It shall also 
perform other administrative and support services necessary for the 
effective and efficient operation of the NLUC and NLUC secretariat.
ARTICLE II
REGIONAL AND LOCAL LAND USE PLANNING BOARDS
36


1 
Sec. 21. City/Municipal Land Use Planning and Management Board
1 
(C/MLUPMB). — The C/MLUPMB is hereby created under this Act in all municipalities
3 
and cities, including highly urbanized and component cities, to oversee the
4 
preparation, integration, adoption and approval of their respective Comprehensive
5 
Land Use Plans (CLUPs) and shall ensure the consistency of such plans with
6 
approved national, regional and provincial planning guidelines. The C/MLUPMB shall
7 
also be directly responsible for the effective management and implementation of the
8 
approved CLUP and for ensuring that any existing and future local policies, including
9 
zoning ordinances, development initiatives, programs and projects introduced within
10 
its jurisdiction are consistent with and supportive of land use resource management
11 
and physical planning objectives, directions and character identified by the approved
12 
CLUP.
13 
Sec. 22. Powers and Responsibilities of the City/Municipai Land Use Planning
14 
and Management Board. — The following are the powers and responsibilities of the
15 
C/MLUPMB:
16 
(a) In coordination with the city/municipal planning and development
17 
office/coordinator, review and issue the necessary local planning
18 
guidelines and/or implementing policies for the preparation and
19 
formulation of the CLUPs within its jurisdiction as provided for by
20 
approved national, regional and provincial planning policies and
21 
guidelines;
22 
(b) Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang
23 
Panlungsodthe draft CLUP for adoption;
24 
(c) Ensure the input of the barangays within the jurisdiction of the
25 
respective city/municipal on sectoral, temporal and spatial dimensions
26 
of the plan and its consistency with approved national, regional and
27 
provincial planning guidelines;
28 
(d) Review, monitor and assess the implementation and operationalization
29 
of the approved CLUP;
30 
(e) Decide and resolve land use policy and zoning conflicts that may arise
31 
between or among barangays within the LGUs;
37


1 
(f) Resolve and decide any complaints regarding the issuance of
2 
applications for locational clearances, building and zoning permits
3 
and/or other planning-related requirement for any project, both private
4 
and public, by the LGU to ensure consistency and conformity with the
5 
approved CLUP and zoning ordinances;
6 
(g) Advise the local chief executive and Sangguniang Bayan on all matters
7 
pertaining to land use and physical planning;
8 
(h) Promote cooperation and sharing of resources between and among its
9 
barangays and neighboring LGUs to address common land use and
10 
development issues including those related to geo-physIcal hazards,
11 
watershed and river basins, coastal and marine waters, climate change
12 
impact and disaster risks; and,
13 
(i) Convene a technical working group composed of city/municipal
14 
agriculturist, city/municipal environment and natural resources officer,
15 
city/municipal engineer, city/municipal assessor and such other LGU
16 
officials with land related functions in the preparation of the CLUP.
17 
The TWG may request any field officials of national government
18 
agencies with land administration function to assist for the same
19 
purposes.
20 
Sec. 23. Composition of the C/MLUPMB. — The C/MLUPMB shall be composed
21 
of five (5) members and shall be headed by a Chairperson:
22 
(a) City/municipal planning and development coordinator (C/MPDC);
23 
(b) Chairperson of the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Environment and
24 
Natural Resources who shall serve as the chairperson of the
25 
C/MLUPMB;
26 
(c) One (1) representative from the local business/private sector
27 
association/chamber of commerce, who shall be appointed from
28 
among the accredited organizations within their respective
29 
development councils;
30 
(d)One (1) representative from the basic sector and marginalized groups
31 
(urban poor, fisherfolk, farmers and indigenous peoples) who shall be
38


1 
appointed from among the accredited organizations within their
2 
respective development councils; and,
3 
(e) NLUC representative who shall serve as ex-officio member.
4 
Except for ex-officio members, the members of the C/MLUPMB shall be
5 
appointed for a term of three (3) years, subject however to the elected office held,
6 
government employment and/or official designation in the LGU, national agency
7 
and/or local business/private sector association or basic and marginalized sector
8 
group representation in the Board. The City/Municipal Planning and Development
9 
Coordinator/Office (C/MPDC/0) shall provide technical secretariat and administrative
10 
support and resources for the effective operation of the C/MLUPMB.
11 
Aside from the C/MPDO/C, the C/MLUPMB may call upon other local and
12 
national government offices and agencies such as the local engineer, the assessor
13 
and the local field representatives of the DA, the DPWH, the DOTr, the DOT, the
14 
DENR, the DAR, the DepEd and other concerned national agencies to assist the
15 
C/MLUPMB in the performance of its roles and mandates.
16 
Annual appropriations for the operation and activities of the C/MLUPMB shall
17 
be included in the annual budget proposal of the C/MPDO/C: Provided, That other
18 
funds and resources, including grants, applicable services fees and charges
19 
collected, contributions, donations, and other funds to support its operations and
20 
activities may be accepted and received by the C/MLUPMB, subject to existing
21 
auditing and reporting procedures.
22 
LGUs shall create and/or activate their respective C/MLUPMB upon guidelines
23 
issued by the NLUC for such purposes, not later than six (6) months from the
24 
effectivity of this Act.
25 
Sec. 24. Provincial Land Use Planning and Management Board (PLUPMB). —
26 
The PLUPMB is hereby created in all provinces under this Act to oversee the
27 
preparation, integration, adoption and approval of the Provincial Physical Framework
28 
Plan (PPFP) and shall ensure its consistency with approved national and regional
29 
planning guidelines. The PLUPMB shall also be directly responsible for the effective
30 
management and implementation of the approved PPFP and ensure that any existing
31 
and future development initiatives, programs and projects introduced within its
32 
jurisdiction are consistent with and support of the land use resource management
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and physical planning objectives, direction and character identified in the approved
2 
PPFP.
3 
In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 109 of the Local
4 
Government Code (LGC), the PLUPMB shall:
5 
(a) Advise the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on all matters pertaining to land
6 
use and physical planning;
7 
(b) Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for adoption,
8 
the Provincial Physical Framework Plans, prepared and periodically
9 
updated by the Provincial Planning and Development Office and other
10 
land use and physical planning-related policies;
11 
(c) Assist the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in reviewing the CLUPs of
12 
component cities/municipalities to ensure consistency with the
13 
provincial framework plans and compliance with the limits prescribed
14 
under the 1991 LGC for reclassifying agricultural lands; and,
15 
(d) Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification,
16 
and allocation that may arise between or among cities/municipalities
17 
and any unresolved land use conflicts at the city/municipal level,
18 
The PLUPMB may call upon any local official concerned such as Provincial
19 
Planning and Development Coordinator, Provincial Agriculturist, Provincial
20 
Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Provincial Engineer, Provincial Assessor,
21 
or any official of national agencies and other relevant agencies during discussion on
22 
land use and physical planning concerns.
23 
Sec. 25. Composition of the PLUPMB. - The PLUPMB shall be composed of the
24 
following fourteen (14) members to be selected based on the rules to be formulated
25 
by the NLUPC as provided in this Act:
26 
(a) Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator (PPDC);
27 
(b) Chairperson of SP Committee on Environment and Natural Resources;
28 
(c) Provincial Chapter President - League of Municipalities and/or League
29 
of Cities;
30 
(d) Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO);
31 
(e) Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO);
32 
(f) Provincial Agricultural Officer (PAO);
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(g) NCIP Provincial Officer;
2 
(h) NLUC Technical Representative;
3 
(i) One (1) representative from the local business/private sector
4 
association/chamber of commerce, who shall be appointed from
5 
among the accredited organizations within their respective
6 
development councils;
7 
(j) Four (4) representatives from the basic and marginalized sector groups
8 
(urban poor, fisherfolk, farmers, indigenous peoples): Provided, That at
9 
least two (2) representatives shall be women: Provided, further, That
10 
the representatives shall be appointed from among the accredited
11 
organizations within their respective development councils; and,
12 
(k) Designated board chairperson to be chosen among the members.
13 
Except for ex-officio members, the members of the PLUPMB shall be
14 
appointed for a term of three (3) years, subject however to the elected office held,
15 
government employment and/or official designation of the local government unit,
16 
national agency and/or local business/private sector association or basic and
17 
marginalized sector group representation in the Board. The NLUPC, within ninety
18 
(90) days from its establishment, shall formulate the rules for the selection of the
19 
chairperson and the members of the PLUPMB. The Provincial Planning and
20 
Development Coordinator/Office (PPDC/0) shall provide technical secretariat and
21 
administrative support and resources for the effective operation of the PLUPMB.
22 
Aside from the PPDO, the PLUPMB may call upon other local and national
23 
government offices and agencies such as the local engineer, assessor, and local field
24 
representatives of the DA, DPWH, DOTr, DOT, DENR, DAR, DepEd, NCIP and other
25 
concerned national agencies to assist the PLUPMB in the performance of its roles
26 
and mandates.
27 
Appropriations for the regular operation and activities of the PLUPMB shall be
28 
included in the annual budget proposal of the PPDO: Provided, That other funds and
29 
resources, including grants, applicable service fees and charges collected,
30 
contributions, donations, and other funds to support its operations and activities may
31 
be accepted and received by the PLUPMB subject to existing auditing and reporting
32 
procedures.
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Sec. 26. Regional Land Use Policy Board. - At the regional level, the Regional
2 
Land Use Policy Board (RLUPB) shall be institutionalized, replicating the NLUC
3 
structure and composition which shall include a duly authorized representative from
4 
the NEDA, the DENR, the DA, and the DAR. The RLUPB shall have the following
5 
functions:
6 
(a) Formulate and adopt regional policies on land use and physical
7 
planning;
8 
(b) Prepare and periodically update a regional physical framework plan,
9 
taking into consideration national policies and lower level plans;
10 
(c) Assist the provinces in preparing and periodically updating its physical
11 
framework plans to ensure consistency with the regional and national
12 
plans and policies and to facilitate its integration to the regional plans;
13 
(d) Review, prior to adoption by respective Sanggunians, the Provincial
14 
Physical Framework Plan and CLUPs of highly urbanized and
15 
independent component cities to ensure consistency with the regional
16 
physical framework plan and national policies set forth by LUPC and
17 
compliance with limits prescribed under the 1991 LGC for reclassifying
18 
agricultural lands;
19 
(e) Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification,
20 
and allocation that may arise between or among regional line agencies,
21 
provinces and cities/municipalities;
22 
(f) Monitor changes in land use and other physical resources in the region;
23 
(g) Evaluate consistency of major programs and projects with the regional
24 
physical framework plans and their impact on land use and the
25 
environment;
26 
(h) Undertake the gathering of regional data for the Land Resource
27 
Information and Management System; and
28 
(i) Perform other related functions as may be directed by the LUPC.
29 
ARTICLE III
30 
ADOPTION, APPROVAL AND REVIEW OF LAND USE PLANS
31 
Sec. 27. Component Cities and Municipalities. - Component cities and
32 
municipalities shall have the power and authority to adopt and approve their
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1 
respective CLUPs and ZOs through their respective Sanggunians subject to the
2 
power of review of their respective provinces only with respect to the consistency of
3 
the CLUPs and ZOs with Section 7 hereof on the preparation of the provincial
4 
physical framework plan.
5 
Sec. 28. Provinces and Independent and Highly Urbanized Cities. - Provinces
6 
and independent and highly urbanized cities shall have the power and authority to
7 
adopt and approve their respective CLUPs, ZOs or provincial physical framework
8 
plan, as the case may be, through their respective Sanggunian but subject to the
9 
review of the RLUPB as provided in Section 25 of this Act.
10 
ARTICLE IV
11 
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
12 
AND LG Us
13 
Sec. 29. Nationai Base Mapping Program. - A national mapping program shall
14 
be implemented, coordinated, and monitored through the creation of an Inter-
15 
agency Technical Committee (ITC) composed of the NAMRIA, as the lead agency,
16 
the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), the Forest Management
17 
Bureau (FMB), the Land Management Bureau (LMB), the Land Registration Authority
18 
(LRA), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), the Mines and Geosciences
19 
Bureau (MGB), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS),
20 
the DAR, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), the DOE, the NEDA and
21 
other concerned government agencies/bureaus. The ITC shall be constituted, and
22 
the mapping program shall be Initiated, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of
23 
this Act. The agencies mentioned in this Section shall endeavor to finish their base
24 
mapping program within two (2) years upon the effectivity of this Act.
25 
To facilitate land use planning and as a part of the National Base Mapping
26 
Program, the Interagency Technical Committee (ITC) shall establish a nationally
27 
consistent Alphanumeric Grid Reference System based on universally-defined
28 
coordinate and grid systems for accurate and consistent identification and
29 
communication.
30 
The spatial and non-spatial data generated by these activities shall be
31 
downloaded to the LGU as soon as practicable. On the other hand, existing land
43


1 
information data available to the national government agencies as of the effectivity
2 
of this Act shall be immediately downloaded to the LGU.
3 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, to be assisted by
4 
the appropriate agencies of the national government, shall likewise prepare their
5 
respective territorial maps using scales, symbols, and other indicators to be
6 
prescribed in accordance with this Act. The completed maps shall be integrated in
7 
the National Physical Framework Plan pursuant to Section 5 of this Act.
8 
Sec. 30. National Geo-Hazard Mapping Program. — Within thirty (30) days
9 
from the effectivity of this Act, a nationwide geo-hazard mapping program shall be
10 
initiated jointly thru the NLUC by the PHILVOLCS, the Philippine Atmospheric
11 
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the NAMRIA, the
12 
MGB, the BSWM, and the DOE, in coordination with the National Disaster Risk
13 
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Regional Disaster Risk
14 
Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), and other concerned government
15 
agencies. The program shall include the generation of indicative geo-hazard zoning
16 
maps that will outline areas in the Philippines which are prone to liquefaction,
17 
landslides, severe flooding, iaharf ground rupturing, tsunami, river erosion, coastal
18 
erosion, sinkhole collapse, earthquake, lava flow, pyroclastic flow, base surge, and
19 
other natural hazards.
20 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop a safe-
21 
built environment, the LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the
22 
generated geo-hazard zoning maps in their respective CLUPs. Said geo-hazard maps
23 
shall serve as guide for all the LGUs in the preparation of their own hazards-
24 
constrained development plans. The national physical framework planning, pursuant
25 
to Section 5 hereof, shall incorporate these geo-hazard maps.
26 
All infrastructure activities including real estates and subdivision projects and
27 
the development of tourist spots requiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate
28 
(ECC) shall be required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-Hazard
29 
Assessment Report (EGGAR).
30 
Sec. 31. Scope and Nature of Responsibilities of Other National Government
31 
Agencies. - All concerned national government agencies/bodies shall periodically
32 
report to the NLUC on the various activities and accomplishments relative to land
44


1 
use. Likewise, they shall provide their respective sectoral/development plans and
2 
render technical and administrative support if called upon by the NLUC relative to
3 
the implementation of the provisions of this Act.
4 
Sec. 32. Submission of Annual Report for Agricuiturai Development. - Priority
5 
areas for agricultural development for purposes of agricultural production shall be
6 
those agricultural areas under protection land use covered under Republic Act No.
7 
6657 or the CARP, as amended, and those covered under Network of Protected
8 
Areas for Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAAD), defined in Section
9 
4 of this Act and in R.A. No. 8435 or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization
10 
Act".
11 
CHAPTER VI
12 
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN
13 
ARTICLE I
14 
AGRICULTURAL LANDS
15 
Sec. 33. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development. — Priority areas for
16 
agricultural development for purposes of agricultural production shall be those
17 
agricultural areas under protection land use covered under Republic Act No. 6657 or
18 
the CARP, as amended, and those covered under Network of Protected Areas for
19 
Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAAD), defined in Section 4 of this
20 
Act and in Republic Act No. 8435 or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization
21 
Act."
22 
Sec. 34. Conversion of Agricultural Lands. - Prime agricultural lands and
23 
specific types of lands to the extent necessary for attaining food self-sufficiency in
24 
rice and corn and food security in other basic commodities, as determined by the
25 
DA, subject to mandatory public hearings/consultations with the LGUs, the private
26 
sector, the NGOs, and POs, shall be protected from conversion, which shall include
27 
but not limited to areas under the NPAAAD: Provided, That all irrigated and irrigable
28 
lands, all lands developed or possessing the potential for development of high value
29 
crops, and all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile and whose conversion
30 
will result in serious environmental problems cannot be converted, the areas under
31 
which are subject to review every ten (10) years by the DAR, with the mandatory
32 
public hearings/consultations.
45


1 
Sec. 35. Sub-classification or Re-dassification of Agricultural Lands by LGUs. -
2 
Sub-classification or re-classification of agricultural lands to other uses under Section
3 
20 of the LGC of 1991 shall exclude the protected agricultural lands as stated in the
4 
preceding section. Moreover, such sub-classification/re-classification is not
5 
synonymous to conversion. The DA and DAR shali provide the LGUs with compiete
6 
list and maps of protected agricultural lands within their territorial jurisdictions.
7 
ARTICLE II
8 
ANCESTRAL DOMAIN
9 
Sec. 36. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development within Ancestral Domain.
10 
- Agricultural lands within ancestral domain shali be developed in accordance with
11 
their Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP).
12 
Sec. 37. Respect for Ancestral Domains. - The Ancestral Domain Management
13 
Plan (ADMP) or ADSDDP shall be adopted in the CLUP and/or other plans that the
14 
LGU is mandated to produce. The extent of the ancestral domains shall be reflected
15 
in the land use plan, where it wili be zoned as such in the zoning ordinance and shall
16 
be co-managed by the LGU and IP community. Additionally, the ADSDPP shall be
17 
included in the investment plans of the LGU.
18 
Sec. 38. Ancestral Domain Policy Adoption. - Ancestral domain policies shail
19 
be adopted in the LGU's land use policy framework. However, in the event that the
20 
ADMP/ADSDPP is still in the formuiation stage or remains to be formulated, the right
21 
to self-determination and traditional resource and management systems and
22 
processes shall be upheld at all times as provided for by the IPRA of 1997.
23 
ARTICLE III
24 
FOREST LANDS AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
25 
Sec. 39. Forestland Boundary Delineation. — Pursuant to Section 4, Article 12
26 
of the 1987 Constitution which mandates Congress to determine by law the specific
27 
limits of forestlands and national parks, the Secretary of the DENR shall submit to
28 
Congress the final forestland boundaries delineated by province and the Congress
29 
shall consider the same for adoption.
30 
Sec. 40. Reversion of Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands. - Upon
31 
the recommendation of the Secretary of the DENR, duly reviewed and endorsed by
32 
the NLUC, and after due consuitations with the concerned LGUs and affected parties.
46


1 
Congress may authorize the reversion of alienable and disposable lands of the public
2 
domain or portion thereof to forestlands. Thereafter, said lands shall be included in
3 
the preparation of land use plans within forestlands.
4 
Sec. 41. Critical Watershed Areas. - The DENR, in coordination with the DA,
5 
LCDs, and other government agencies, including government-owned and -controlled
6 
corporations, and with mandatory public hearings/consultations, shall review,
7 
identify and delineate critical watershed areas that need to be protected,
8 
rehabilitated, enhanced, and/or withdrawn from uses that contribute to their further
9 
degradation.
10 
Sec. 42. Formulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed
11 
Management Plans. — In the absence of a law on the protection and sustainable
12 
management of our forests, the LGUs through their local land use committees and
13 
upon mandatory public hearings/consultations with the concerned sectors, and with
14 
the assistance of DENR, shall prepare their watershed management plans which
15 
shall be integrated with their respective CLUPs. The formulation and integration of
16 
the plans shall be guided, among others, by the principle that the management and
17 
development of inland water resources shall be at the watershed level. A nationwide
18 
mapping of watersheds in the country shall be implemented.
19 
In cases where the watershed areas transcend the boundaries of a particular
20 
municipality, an inter-LGU committee composed of representatives from local land
21 
use committees of the LGUs where the watershed area is located shall be formed.
22 
With the assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory public hearings/consultations
23 
with the concerned sectors, the inter-LGU committee shall formulate the watershed
24 
management plan for the said watershed area.
25 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the watershed
26 
management plan subject to regular consultations with and involvement of the
27 
community and other stakeholders in the implementation of the plan.
28 
The preparation of forest land use plans shall make use of the watershed as
29 
the basic planning unit.
30 
ARTICLE IV
31 
COASTAL ZONE
47


1 
Sec. 43. Criteria on the AHocation and Utilization of Lands within the Coastal
2 
Zones. - The allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zone shall be
3 
guided by the following:
4 
(a) Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be preserved for
5 
mangrove production and shall not be converted to other uses;
6 
(b) Areas which meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil
7 
depth, topography, supply for successful fishpond development, and
8 
are not identified as mangrove protected areas, shall be utilized for
9 
aquaculture purposes: Provided, That a 4:1 ratio for mangroves and
10 
fishponds is maintained to support ecological processes in mangrove
11 
ecosystems;
12 
(c) Areas sub-classified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or
13 
due to environmental conditions need to be preserved as mangrove,
14 
but is devoid of mangrove stands shall not be converted to other uses.
15 
The DENR shall ensure that these lands shall be reforested within a
16 
given period of time;
17 
(d) Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and
18 
housing shall be allocated to traditional fisherfolk who are inhabitants
19 
of the coastai communities and members of legitimate fisherfolk
20 
organizations and/or holders of stewardship lease contracts or titles to
21 
ancestral domains or any form of property right arrangements who
22 
participate in coastal resource management initiatives, subject to the
23 
usual census procedures of the Department of Human Settlements and
24 
Urban Development.
25 
(e) Areas which are neither sub-classified as mangrove, fisherfolk
26 
settlement nor fishpond may be devoted to recreational or tourism
27 
purposes: Provided, That such undertaking will not result in
28 
environmental degradation and displacement of small fishers;
29 
(f) Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used
30 
primarily for such purpose;
31 
(g) Areas which have been allocated for small infrastructure needed by
32 
fisherfolk shall be allowed; and.
48


1 
(h) Areas which form part of foreshore lands as defined in this Act
2 
including those which are under lease agreements or arrangements
3 
shall undergo zoning and evaluation to determine their boundaries and
4 
actual sizes and corresponding uses, taking into consideration the
5 
protection of mangroves or restoration zones and the compliance with
6 
the required 4:1 ratio between mangroves and fishponds.
7 
Sec. 44. Coastal Land Zone Sub-classification. - All public lands in the coastal
8 
zones shall be sub-classified into any of the following: estuaries, lagoons, inter-tidal
9 
flats, mudflats, fishponds, mangroves, protection from tidal surge, for preservation
10 
of biodiversity, habitats and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife, fisherfolk
11 
settlement, or recreational/tourism areas. No sub-classification of coastal zone to
12 
different uses shall be done without the following:
13 
(a) Conduct of a comprehensive resource and environmental assessment
14 
by the DENR and respective LCDs and accredited NGOs and POs within
15 
their jurisdiction; and,
16 
(b) Prior consultation with the Local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource
17 
Management Councils (FARMCs) formed under Republic Act No. 8550
18 
or the Philippine Fisheries Code.
19 
Sec. 45. Zoning of Foreshore Areas. — Local government units, in coordination
20 
with the DENR, shall conduct zoning of their respective foreshore areas to assist
21 
government and community fishers identify priority areas for conservation and
22 
development, and to enable them to set targets for mangrove reforestation and
23 
rehabilitation.
24 
Sec. 46. Protection of Waterways Easements and Flood Plains. - Structures of
25 
any kind shall not be built in waterways easements. Pursuant to PD 1067 or the
26 
Water Code, the banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes
27 
throughout their entire length and within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas,
28 
twenty (20) meters in agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along
29 
their margins, are subject to the easement of public use only in the interest of
30 
recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage.
31 
The protection of flood plains shall adopt a river basin management approach
32 
in order to come up with integrated flood mitigation interventions. Development
49


1 
within flood plains and other flood-prone areas must be controlled or, if allowed,
2 
must be so sited, constructed and serviced that life of occupants are not put at risk
3 
and that disruptions during floods are minimal. The identification and
4 
characterization of flood-prone areas and flood plains shall be an integral part of
5 
CLUP preparation. Through the CLUPs and zoning ordinances, LGUs shall establish
6 
iand use regulations to mitigate flood risks.
7 
The DPWH, in coordination with DOST and DENR, shali declare flood control
8 
areas, as necessary, and prohibit or control activities that could damage or cause
9 
deterioration of lakes and dikes, obstruct the flow of water, change the natural flow
10 
of rivers, increase flood losses or aggravate flood problems pursuant to Presidential
11 
Decree 1067.
12 
ARTICLE V
13 
MINERAL LANDS
14 
Sec. 47. Criteria for the Utiiization and Aiiocation of Land for Mining Purposes.
15 
“ To ensure that ecological balance and sustainable use of mineral resources will
16 
promote economic growth and uphold human rights of indigenous peoples and/or
17 
local communities in areas with mining operations, the allocation and utilization of
18 
iands for mining purposes shall be guided by the following:
19 
(a) The principle/s of sustainable development;
20 
(b)In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards
21 
shall be instituted by the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent
22 
environmental degradation of the mining sites and adjacent areas;
23 
(c) Mineral reservations which have become non-operational for more than
24 
five (5) years as determined by the MGB shall be placed under
25 
appropriate surface management by the DENR;
26 
(d) Consistent with the Mining Act of 1995, areas closed to mining
27 
operations shall be periodically reviewed through mineral exploration to
28 
be undertaken by the DENR for the purpose of determining whether or
29 
not their continued closure is consistent with the national interest and,
30 
if warranted, recommend their re-classification as mineral lands;
50


1 
(e)Land under protection land use shall be exempted from mining
2 
activities to minimize the effect of natural calamities and to protect
3 
food security, respectively.
4 
(f) The small to large scale mining operations shall recognize the tenurial
5 
instrument given by the government such as Original Certificate of Title
6 
(OCT), Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT), Certificate of Ancestral
7 
Domain Title (CADT), Emancipation Patent - Certificate of Land
8 
Ownership Award (EP-CLOA) and other instruments.
9 
Sec. 48. Reversion of Mineral Lands. — All mineral lands with exhausted
10 
mineral resources, as determined by the MGB upon the recommendation of the
11 
DENR, shall revert to its original land classification, either as forestland or
12 
agricultural land. The full cost of rehabilitation shall be borne by the company or
13 
entity which undertook the mining activity in the area. In the case of forestlands, the
14 
DENR may classify such areas for other purposes in consultation with concerned
15 
LGUs, the Department of Tourism (DOT), and other national government agencies.
16 
ARTICLE VI
17 
ENERGY RESOURCE LANDS
18 
Sec. 49. Guidelines for the Utiiization and AHocation of Lands for Energy
19 
Resource Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution
20 
Purposes. - To ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and
21 
maximizing the power potential from indigenous energy resources in the most
22 
economical and environmentally-acceptable means are realized, the allocation and
23 
utilization of lands for said purposes shall be guided by the following, consistent with
24 
existing regulations and laws on energy resources:
25 
(a) Indigenous energy resource exploration and development for the purpose
26 
of a National Energy Resource Inventory and Data Base as well as Energy
27 
Resource Block Map shall be allowed subject to the implementation of
28 
complementary watershed and other land management plans;
29 
(b) Indigenous energy resource exploration, development, production,
30 
utilization, and distribution shall be subject 
to the appropriate
31 
requirements and processes of the Philippine 
Environmental Impact
32 
Statement (EIS) System. Each project shall secure an Environmental
51


1 
Compliance Certificate (ECC) prior to project implementation to ensure
2 
adequate and appropriate environmental management measures and
3 
optimum methods for resource access and recovery are utilized; and,
4 
(c) Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been
5 
established to be non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used
6 
for energy purposes shall be released to give way to other land uses,
7 
subject to existing laws covering energy reservations.
8 
Sec. 50. Reversion of Energy Resource Lands. — All exhausted indigenous
9 
energy resource lands not covered by proclamations shall automatically revert to the
10 
category of forestlands or agricultural lands open to disposition, whichever is
11 
appropriate. Exhausted energy resource lands shall refer to specific energy resource
12 
sites whose energy reserves of the desired type/s are no longer in sufficient quantity
13 
or quality to justify additional expenditure for their extraction and utilization.
14 
CHAPTER VII
15 
SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT
16 
Sec. 51. Town, City, and Settlements Development - The development of
17 
town, city and settlements through the zoning ordinances of cities and municipalities
18 
shall be guided by the CLUPs and urban zoning standards designed to maximize
19 
existing urban spaces. Socialized housing and settlement areas shall be established
20 
only on alienable and disposable lands and which are expressly declared by an act of
21 
Congress or Presidential Proclamation that the same are no longer intended for
22 
public service or development of the national wealth or otherwise been converted to
23 
patrimonial property in order to avoid further degradation of forestlands.
24 
Sec. 52. Settlements Within Geo-Hazard Areas. - Settlements, in particular
25 
housing or residential developments, within geo-hazard areas may be allowed
26 
provided that mitigating and/or protective measures are adopted to address the
27 
potential danger or risk to lives and property within such settlements.
28 
Sec. 53. Designation of Sanitary Landfill. - Each city or municipality shall
29 
identify, designate and allocate an area preferably within their territorial jurisdiction
30 
to serve as sanitary landfill within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. The
31 
LCDs, in coordination with the DENR or any other competent authority, shall identify
32 
sanitary landfill in order to expedite the conduct of environmental impact assessment
52


1 
study and to facilitate processing of the environmental compliance certificate. The
2 
site or area shall be identified in the city or municipality's CLUP. For this purpose,
3 
cities and municipalities shall establish their solid waste management program,
4 
pursuant to R.A. No. 9003, otherwise known as the "Ecological Solid Waste
5 
Management Act of 2000". Likewise, as provided under Section 33 of the LGC, cities
6 
and municipalities may, through appropriate ordinances, bind themselves towards
7 
the establishment of a common solid waste management program.
8 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR, in
9 
coordination with concerned agencies, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines and
10 
standards for the formulation and establishment of solid waste management
11 
programs by cities and municipalities, and shall submit the same to the LUPC for
12 
review and approval.
13 
Sec. 54. Designation and Zoning of Sociaiized Housing Zones. - Each city of
14 
municipality in urban, urbanizable and rural areas shall designate through the CLUP
15 
adequate lands for housing or residential purposes, including socialized housing and
16 
resettlement areas for the immediate and future needs of the local population as
17 
well as the underprivileged and homeless in their territory, pursuant to existing laws
18 
and regulations. In order to ensure adequate availability of land for the housing
19 
needs of the local population, the CLUP shall be updated, at the earliest after every
20 
ten (10) years for provinces, cities and municipalities.
21 
The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential
22 
zones, and shall be zones as socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city
23 
or municipality's zoning ordinance, pursuant to existing laws and regulations.
24 
Preference shall be given to lands proximate to public transportation facilities which
25 
may include inter alia railways and public terminals.
26 
Fisherfolk settlements and housing in coastal municipalities shall be zones
27 
near the sea for easy access to their livelihood pursuant to Section 42 of this Act.
28 
Sec. 55. Urban Forest or Green Space. - Each city or highly urbanizing
29 
municipality shall identify, designate, and allocate lands owned by the city of
30 
municipality as urban forest or green space based on the guidelines and standards
31 
to be issued by the DENR and approved by the NLUC.
32 
CHAPTER VIII
53


1 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS
2 
Sec. 56. Criteria for Designating Industriai Deveiopment Areas. - The
3 
identification and establishment of industrial development areas including Special
4 
Economic Zones and/or freeports shall conform with the provisions of R.A. No. 7916,
5 
or the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Act, R.A. No. 6657 or the
6 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Act, as amended by R.A. No. 9700
7 
or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms Act
8 
(CARPER), R.A. No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), R.A. No.
9 
7279 or the Urban Development Housing Act (UDHA), and R.A. No. 8435 or the
10 
Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), taking into consideration the
11 
following:
12 
(a) Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected
13 
agricultural areas pursuant to the AFMA;
14 
(b) National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based
15 
industrial development;
16 
(c) Identified growth areas and corridors in the National Development
17 
Plan;
18 
(d) National Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and non-NIPAS areas that
19 
require protection;
20 
(e) National and Urban Development and Housing Framework;
21 
(f) Identified Socialized Housing Zones;
22 
(g) National framework for physical planning and other existing national
23 
programs and policies;
24 
(h) Local Government Unit (LGU) consent through a resolution from the
25 
affected LGU's respective Sanggunians;
26 
(i) Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and Environmental Impact
27 
Statement (EIS);
28 
(j) Certificate of no overlap from the DENR, DAR and the NCIP; and,
29 
(k) NEDA approval.
30 
The land use plans of all Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and/or freeports
31 
whether created by special laws, through Republic Act No. 7916 (PEZA Law) or
32 
executive proclamations shall conform to the approved Comprehensive Land Use
54


1 
Plans pursuant to this Act. The NLUC shall order all Special Economic Zones and
2 
freeports to submit revised land use plans, for review and approval by their
3 
respective city or municipal councils where these areas are located.
4 
Any ambiguity in the conflict or overlap in land use shall be resolved in favour
5 
of the preferential rights of the basic and marginalized sectors protected by the
6 
Constitution.
7 
NEDA shall review and evaluate the viability in terms of the volume of
8 
investments against the cost of environment, labor, tax incentive, and maintenance
9 
of peace and order of Special Economic Zones and freeports.
10 
The designated industrial development areas shall become an integral part of
11 
the land use plan and zoning ordinance of the city or municipality where these areas
12 
are located.
13 
CHAPTER IX
14 
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND HERITAGE AREAS
15 
Sec. 57. Designating Tourism Deveiopment Areas. — The identification,
16 
selection, and development of tourism development areas, tourism estates and
17 
tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) shall be done in consultation and coordination with
18 
the concerned LGUs, the TIEZA and concerned national government agencies, the
19 
private sector, and affected communities, subject to the provisions of R.A. No. 9593
20 
or Tourism Act of 2009. Tourism development areas shall likewise include those
21 
covered by legislative and executive issuances as tourist spots, tourist zones and
22 
tourism ecozones which can be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort,
23 
leisure and recreation complexes and other tourism-related facilities as well as those
24 
identified in the national, regional and inter-regional tourism, and area specific
25 
tourism master plans and other sector plans such as ecotourism and agri-tourism
26 
sites.
27 
Designated areas for tourism development shall become part of the CLUPs of
28 
the cities or municipalities where these are located.
29 
Lands identified as part of a TEZ shall qualify for exemption from the
30 
coverage of Republic Act Nos. 7279 and 6657 subject to rules and regulations to be
31 
crafted by the TIEZA, DHSUD, DAR and DA: Provided, That a certificate shall be
55


1 
obtained from the DA that said lands are no longer economically feasible and sound
2 
for agricultural purposes, consistent with Section 33 of this Act.
3 
Sec. 58. Identification and Deciaration of Areas for Protection, Conservation
4 
and Preservation of Cuiturai Heritage. - Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10066, the
5 
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and/or the National
6 
Museum in coordination with National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA),
7 
DHSUD and other concerned agencies, local communities, and the private sector,
8 
shall identify declared areas and structures which shall be protected and/or
9 
preserved as part of the Philippine cultural heritage subject to the IPRA.
10 
The LGUs in coordination with the NHCP, the NCCA and the Cultural Center of
11 
the Philippines (CCP) shall designate historical zones to protect the historical
12 
integrity of said geographical areas and cultural space of intangible cultural
13 
properties.
14 
CHAPTER X
15 
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
16 
Sec. 59. Aiiocation and Use of Land for Infrastructure Development — Land,
17 
whether public or private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure
18 
projects that are supportive of national or local development objectives. The NEDA,
19 
in consultation with the concerned national government agencies, LGUs, and the
20 
private sector shall identify and periodically review, update and/or revise the list of
21 
priority infrastructure projects subject to Sections 5 and 33 of this Act, and Section
22 
47 of Republic Act No. 8435 or AFMA. In determining and evaluating the list of
23 
priority infrastructure projects, consideration shall be given to those that:
24 
(a) Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national economy
25 
with priority on improving rural infrastructure and the development of
26 
the agriculture and fisheries sectors;
27 
(b) Upgrade existing facilities to international standards;
28 
(c) Address the need for sustainable settlements development; and,
29 
(d)Help mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing
30 
phenomena or those that shall serve as alternatives to existing
31 
infrastructures found in natural hazard-prone areas: Provided, That
32 
the provision and implementation of infrastructure support shall be
56


1 
made compatible with existing environmental conditions and the
2 
physical, whether natural or human-made, and cultural character of
3 
the area. Mandatory public hearings/consultations pursuant to existing
4 
laws and regulations shall be held prior to the conduct of all
5 
infrastructure projects that will necessarily involve dislocation or
6 
displacement of people in the area: Provided, further, That the
7 
proponent of the infrastructure project shall follow the rules on just
8 
and humane eviction or demolition under Section 28 or R.A. No. 7279
9 
or the Urban Development Housing Act (UDHA), notwithstanding the
10 
provisions of R.A. 8975, prohibiting lower courts from issuing
11 
temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, or preliminary
12 
mandatory injunctions, and proponent shall follow IPRA: Provided,
13 
finaiiy, That national government infrastructure projects shall allocate
14 
budget for the adequate relocation of displaced communities.
15 
Sec. 60. Infrastructure Projects Within Geo-Hazard Areas. - Construction of
16 
priority infrastructure projects within hazard-prone areas shall be allowed: Provided,
17 
That mitigating and/or preventive measures are adopted to address the potential
18 
adverse economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts that will emanate from
19 
these infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and recommendations of a
20 
feasibility study/environmental impact assessment in accordance with Presidential
21 
Decree No. 1586 entitled, "Establishing an Environmental Impact Statement System,
22 
Including Other Environmental Management Related Measures", and Republic Act
23 
No. 4846 or the "Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act", as amended
24 
by Presidential Decree No. 374.
25 
Existing projects that did not go through the process of an environmental
26 
impact assessment and pose threats to the environment, integrity of historic,
27 
archeological, or scientifically significant areas; or are impinging on critical
28 
ecosystems, shall either be, as determined by the concerned agencies: (a)
29 
terminated immediately, (b) required to implement an Environmental Management
30 
Plan; (c) gradually phased-out and relocated; or, (d) maintained up to their life
31 
span, subject, however, to mitigating measures: Provided, That the rules on
32 
mandatory public hearings/consultations and just and humane eviction or demolition
57


1 
shall also be observed prior to the termination, gradual phase-out, or relocation of
2 
projects that will necessarily involve dislocation or displacement of people in the
3 
area.
4 
CHAPTER XI
5 
TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND VALUE FORMATION
6 
Sec. 61. Value Formation. - In order to create a well-informed, responsible
7 
and committed citizenry who values the protection, conservation and development of
8 
the country's limited land, and other physical resources, the State shall mandate the
9 
inclusion of sustainable land use education or any subject related thereto into the
10 
curricula of primary, secondary and tertiary education.
11 
Sec. 62. Information and Education Campaign. — The NLUC shall undertake a
12 
nationwide education information campaign in land use and physical planning to be
13 
implemented by local and national government agencies. The DILG and concerned
14 
agencies shall formulate and implement a land use management capability-program
15 
for national and local government officials, community leaders, NGOs, POs, religious
16 
sector, and the general public: Provided, That it shall be mandatory for local
17 
government officials involved in the preparation of CLUPs and PPFDP, including the
18 
municipal, city and provincial development officer to attend the Land Use
19 
Management Capability-Building Program.
20 
CHAPTER XII
21 
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS, AND PENALTIES
22 
ARTICLE I
23 
INCENTIVES AND AWARDS
24 
Sec. 63. Formulation of a System of Incentives and Awards. — The NLUC shall
25 
issue a system of incentives and awards to LGUs that regularly update their
26 
CLUPs/ZOs within the prescribed period, as follows:
27 
(a) Provinces, Highly Urbanized Cities, and Independent Component Cities
28 
once every ten (10) years; and,
29 
(b) Component cities and municipalities once every ten (10) years.
30 
Sec. 64. Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs. — In providing
31 
technical assistance and other forms of support related to land use management and
58


1 
the implementation of development plans, the national government agencies shall
2 
give priority to cities and municipalities with approved CLUPs/ZOs.
3 
ARTICLE II
4 
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES
5 
Sec. 65. Fine for Non-Completion and Non-Commencement of Development
6 
of Agricultural Lands with Approved Order of Conversion. - A landowner and his/her
7 
designated developer or duly authorized representative who fail to commence
8 
and/or complete the development of agricultural lands with approved order of
9 
conversion shall be penalized, jointly or severally, with any of the following fines
10 
based on the zonal value of the land at the time the fine is imposed:
11 
(a) On failure to commence within one (1) year from the date of
12 
conversion order:
13 
(l)Six percent (6%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the
14 
first three (3) hectares;
15 
(2) Fifteen percent (15%) of the zonal value of the subject land for
16 
the next three (3) hectares; and,
17 
(3)Thirty percent (30%) of the zonal value of the subject land for
18 
the remaining area: Provided, That the order of conversion shall
19 
be deemed revoked automatically and the land shall revert to Its
20 
original agricultural use and covered by the DAR through
21 
compulsory acquisition for distribution to qualified beneficiaries.
22 
(b)On failure to complete fifty percent (50%) of the approved conversion
23 
plan within a specified time frame. Fifty percent (50%) of the zonal
24 
value of the subject land and the revocation of the conversion plan on
25 
the undeveloped portion which shall automatically revert to its original
26 
use as agricultural land. The same shall be covered under the CARP
27 
and processed for land distribution as soon as possible.
28 
Sec. 66. Authority to Impose Fine. - The DAR shall impose the penalty
29 
provided for under the preceding section.
30 
Sec. 67. Withdrawal of Local Development Permits or Licenses. - Upon
31 
receipt of notice from the DAR, the concerned agencies and the city or municipality
59


1 
shall withdraw or revoke any development permits and other licenses that may be
2 
necessary to develop the agricultural land subject of conversion.
3 
Sec. 68. Utilization of Fines. — The fines collected under Sections 64, 69 and
4 
70 hereof shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund consistent with the
5 
provisions of the CARP, as amended.
6 
Sec. 69. Failure to Formulate, Enforce, and/or Implement the CLUPs. —
7 
Consistent with due process, the DILG shall investigate, review, and impose
8 
appropriate action regarding local chief executives and other local officials and
9 
employees responsible for the formulation, enforcement, and/or implementation of
10 
the CLUPs in case of any of the following:
11 
(a) Failure to implement and enforce the CLUP due to negligence of duty;
12 
(b) Failure to provide appropriate budgetary allocation to effect its
13 
implementation; 
and,
14 
(c) Failure to complete the preparation of the CLUP despite the availability
15 
of funds, resources, and support by the Sanggunian concerned.
16 
Any public official or employee, regardless of whether elected or appointed or
17 
holding office or employment in a casual, temporary, holdover, permanent, or
18 
regular capacity, found to be responsible for any of the foregoing acts, after due
19 
notice and hearing by the appropriate body or agency, shall be punished with
20 
forfeiture of salaries and allowances and suspension from:
21 
(l)Six (6) months to nine (9) months, in case of non-implementation of
22 
CLUP; or
23 
(2) Three (3) months to six (6) months, in case of non-completion of the
24 
CLUP.
25 
Sec. 70. Person/s Abetting Illegal Conversion. - Any person initiating,
26 
causing, inducing, or abetting illegal conversion shall, upon conviction, be
27 
imprisoned from seven (7) to twelve (12) years and imposed a fine of not less than
28 
One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both at the discretion of the Court:
29 
Provided, That if the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or
30 
appointed, the penalty shall, in addition thereto, include dismissal, through
31 
permanent separation from the service and forfeiture of all benefits and entitlements
32 
accruing to the public position and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any
60


1 
elective or appointive public office: Provided, further, That if the offender is a
2 
juridical person, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on the president,
3 
chief executive officer, manager, chairperson and all the members of the board, and
4 
other responsible officers thereof, and the fine shall be equivalent to the zonal value
5 
of the land or forty percent (40%) of the shareholders equity, as determined at the
6 
time of judgment whichever is higher, plus forfeiture of the land in favour of the
7 
State for sale through public auction, the proceeds of which shall automatically
8 
accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund as provided for in Section 67 of this Act.
9 
Sec. 71. Penalty for Reclassification of Protected Agricultural Lands and
10 
Exceeding the Limit Areas Allowed for Re-classification. - Any person initiating,
11 
causing, inducing, or abetting the re-classification of protected agricultural areas into
12 
non-agricultural uses and exceeding the limits set forth under Section 20 of the LGC
13 
of 1991, shall be penalized with imprisonment of twelve (12) years and a fine of not
14 
less than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both at the discretion of
15 
the court: Provided, That if the offender is a public official or employee, the penalty
16 
shall, in addition thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation from the
17 
service, whether elected or appointed, and forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the
18 
public position, and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or
19 
appointive public position: Provided, further. That if the offender is a juridical
20 
person, the penalty shall be imposed on the president, chief executive officer,
21 
manager, chairperson and all the members of the board, and other responsible
22 
officers thereof.
23 
Sec. 72. Payment of Disturbance Compensation. - Following the order of
24 
priority as enumerated in Section 22 of the CARP, as amended, qualified
25 
beneficiaries such as agricultural lessees and share tenants, regular farm workers,
26 
seasonal farm workers, other farm workers, actual tillers or occupants of public
27 
lands, collective, or cooperative of the above-mentioned beneficiaries, and others
28 
directly working on the land affected by agricultural land use conversion shall be
29 
entitled to the payment of disturbance compensation equivalent to five (5) times the
30 
average of the gross harvests on the landholding during the last five (5) preceding
31 
calendar years, as determined by the DAR.
32 
CHAPTER XIII
61


1 
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS
2 
Sec. 73. Convening of the NLUC. - Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity
3 
of this Act, the President shall convene the NLUC.
4 
Sec. 74. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) months from
5 
the effectivity of this Act, the NLUC shall promulgate the rules and regulations to
6 
implement the provisions of this Act.
7 
Sec. 75. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act - There is
8 
hereby created a Congressional Oversight Committee which shall monitor the
9 
implementation of this Act. It shall be composed of seven (7) members from the
10 
Senate and seven (7) members from the House of Representatives. The
11 
Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and
12 
Climate Change and the House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources
13 
shall be the Chair and Co-Chair of the Congressional Oversight Committee,
14 
respectively. The other members from the Senate shall be appointed by the Senate
15 
President based on proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein
16 
with at least one (1) senator representing the minority. The other members from the
17 
House of Representatives shall be appointed by the Speaker also based on
18 
proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein with at least one (1)
19 
member representing the minority.
20 
The secretariat of the Oversight Committee shall be drawn from the existing
21 
secretariat personnel of the committees comprising the oversight and the funding
22 
shall be taken from the appropriations of both the Senate and the House of
23 
Representatives.
24 
Sec. 76. Appropriations. - The appropriations of the National Land Use
25 
Commission shall be taken from the budget of the Office of the President in the
26 
General Appropriations Act in the year following the effectivity of this Act. It shall be
27 
used to carry out the initial operations of the National Land Use Commission.
28 
Thereafter, additional sums as may be necessary for the full implementation of
29 
NLUC's functions shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
30 
Sec. 77. Review of Existing Land Use Rians. — Provinces, cities, and
31 
municipalities especially managed/administered areas by government, all Special
32 
Economic Zones and/or freeports with existing land use plans shall review, revise.
62


1 
reconcile, and harmonize the same with the guidelines and standards set forth under
2 
this Act within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act. Actual use shall be
3 
preferred over future or reserve use: Provided, That all existing locational clearances
4 
and zoning permits issued by the LGUs, prior to the effectivity of this Act, shall
5 
remain valid pending review of the existing CLUPs and zoning ordinances and they
6 
shall not be invalidated because of the sole reason that the new and approved
7 
CLUPs and ZOs have determined that they should be properly located in a different
8 
land use zoning area: Provided, further, That appropriate measures shall be adopted
9 
by the local government unit concerned, the landowner and the developer should
10 
any existing structure and facilities are found to be properly covered by a different
11 
land use zoning category in areas where they are currently located: Provided, finaiiy,
12 
That existing structures and facilities within extremely hazardous and high-
13 
risk/danger zone which cannot be addressed by any mitigating and/or protective
14 
measures shall be required to relocate.
15 
Sec. 78. Repeaiing Cause. - All republic acts, executive orders, rules and
16 
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with the
17 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
18 
Sec. 79. Non-impairment Cause. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed as
19 
to diminish, impair, or repeal rights recognized, granted, or available to marginalized
20 
or basic sectors under existing laws including but not limited to Republic Act Nos.
21 
7279, 6657, 8371, and 8550.
22 
Sec. 80. Separabiiity Cause. - If for any reason or reasons, any part or
23 
provision of this Act shall be declared or held to be unconstitutional or invalid, other
24 
parts or provisions hereof, which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full
25 
force and effect.
26 
Sec. 81. Effectivity Cause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
27 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of
28 
general circulation.
Approved,
63