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Republic of the Philippines RECEIVED ~
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2567

House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO
AND JOCELYN P. TULFO

AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE RIGHT OF GOVERNMENT TO EXPROPRIATE
LANDS FOR SOCIALIZED HOUSING, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTIONS 9,
10, AND 11 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7279, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
"URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING ACT OF 1992"

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In order to uplift the conditions of the underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban
areas and in resettlement areas, Republic Act No. 7279 (RA 7279), otherwise known as the
“Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992”, was passed. This law sought to make
available to them decent housing at affordable cost, basic services, and employment
opportunities.

However, the stringent requirements for the expropriation of lands for public use,
specifically for socialized housing, continue to hinder the speedy and equitable utilization of
residential lands in urban and urbanizable areas for the underprivileged and homeless.

To address the aforesaid issue, we seek the passage of this proposed measure in order
to give local government units (LGUs) authority in determining and utilizing lands for
socialized housing in line with RA 7279's policy of improving the capability of LGUs in
undertaking urban development and housing programs and projects. Further, in dispensing
with an order of priority, the State, through the LGUs, will be able to provide land and
housing to the underprivileged and homeless citizens through a more rationalized system.

In view of the foregoing, the urgent passing of this bill is earnestly sought.

RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO JOCEI (TULFO
Representative Representative
2nd District of Quezon City ACT-CIS Partylist


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._2567

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO
AND JOCELYN P. TULFO

AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE RIGHT OF GOVERNMENT TO EXPROPRIATE
LANDS FOR SOCIALIZED HOUSING, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTIONS 9,
10, AND 11 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7279, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
"URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING ACT OF 1992"

Be It enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Sections 9, 10, and 11 of Republic Act No. 7279 are hereby amended to
read as follows:

"SEC. 9. [Priorities in the] Acquisition of Land FOR SOCIALIZED
HOUSING. — [Lands for socialized housing shall be acquired in the
following order] THE FOLLOWING LANDS MAY BE ACQUIRED
FOR SOCIALIZED HOUSING:

"(a) Those owned by the Government or any of its
subdivisions, instrumentalities, or agencies, including government-
owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries;

"(b) Alienable lands of the public domain;

"(c) Unregistered or abandoned and idle lands;

"(d) Those within the declared Areas for Priority Development,
Zonal Improvement Program sites, and Slum Improvement and
Resettlement Program sites which have not yet been acquired;

"(e) Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services or BLISS sites
which have not yet been acquired; and

"(®) Privately-owned lands.

"[Where on-site development is found more practicable and
advantageous to the beneficiaries, the priorities mentioned in this section
shall not apply. The local government units shall give budgetary priority
to on-site development of government lands.]

"THE POWER TO IDENTIFY AND TO PRIORITIZE
THE PARTICULAR AREA TO BE ACQUIRED SHALL BE WITH
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT OR THE PROPER AGENCY
ACQUIRING LAND FOR SOCIALIZED HOUSING. FOR THIS
PURPOSE, THE ENUMERATION IN THIS SECTION SHALL NOT,



IN ANY WAY, BE INTERPRETED AS SETTING AN ORDER OF
PRIORITY.

"SEC. 10. Modes of Land Acquisition. — The modes of acquiring lands
for purposes of this Act shall include, among others, community
mortgage, land swapping, land assembly or consolidation, land banking,
donation to the Government, joint-venture agreement, negotiated purchase,
and expropriation: Provided, {however, That expropriation shall be resorted
to only when other modes of acquisition have been exhausted: Provided,
further, ] That where expropriation is resorted to, parcels of land owned by
small property owners shall be exempted for purposes of this Act:
Provided, [finally] FURTHER, That abandoned property, as herein defined,
shall be reverted and escheated to the State in a proceeding analogous to
the procedure laid down in Rule 91 of the Rules of Court.

“For the purpose of socialized housing, government-owned and
foreclosed properties shall be acquired by the local government units, or by
the National Housing Authority primarily through negotiated
purchase: Provided, That qualified beneficiaries who are actual
occupants of the land shall be given the right of first refusal."

"SEC. 11. Expropriation of Idle Lands. - All idle lands in urban
and urbanizable areas, as defined and identified in accordance with this
‘Act, shall be expropriated and shall form part of the public domain. These
lands shall be disposed of or utilized by the Government for such purposes
that conform with their land use plans. Expropriation proceedings shall be
instituted if, after the lapse of one (1) year following receipt of notice of
acquisition, the owner fails to introduce improvements as defined in
Section 3(f) hereof, except in the case of force majeure and other
fortuitous events. Exempted from this provision, however, are residential
lands owned by small property owners [or those the ownership of which
is subject of a pending litigation]."

SEC. 2. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules
and regulations, or any part thereof which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 3, Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of national circulation.

Approved,