NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
of t!lC 'S rtrftnn’
23 MAY -3 P2-.04
SENATE
S.B. No.
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
MANDATING THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL 
LANDS IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippines is an agricultural country with a land area of 30 million 
hectares, 9.7 million or 47% of which are considered agriculture. However, rapid 
urbanization and rampant land conversion of prime agricultural lands have 
significantly reduced the amount of land available for food production which resulted 
in lower farm output across different commodities. According to the Department of 
Agrarian Reform (DAR), a total of 46,339.38 hectares of agricultural land were 
approved for conversion to non-agricultural purposes from 1988 to 2022 (when 
Republic Act No. 6657, as amended, or the "Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law", 
took effect). Said figure does not include pending applications for conversion, 
agricultural land reclassified by local government units and illegally converted lands.
Further, the population of the Philippines increased by more than 57 million 
from 1988 to 2022. As the country's population continues to grow, so will the need 
for food and other goods produced from agricultural commodities. Preserving 
agricultural land from being converted to other uses is necessary to meet the needs 
of Filipinos and support the viability of our agricultural sector and food security.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.
MEEl^ MARCOS


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No.
Senate
of lljf Sfcrrtnrp
23 may-3 P2 :04
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
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AN ACT
MANDATING THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL 
LANDS IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the ''Agricultural Land 
Protection Policy Act’.
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform and food security 
including sufficiency in our staple food as well as empower the agriculture sector to 
develop and sustain itself.
Towards this end, the State shall ensure the preservation and protection of all 
prime agricultural lands from being converted to other uses as well as the development 
of the agriculture sector in accordance with the following principles:
a. Poverty Alleviation and Social Equity - The State shall ensure that the poorer 
sectors of society have equitable access to resources, income opportunities, basic 
and support services and infrastructure especially in areas where productivity is 
low as a means of improving their quality of life compared with other sectors of 
society;
b. Food Security - The State shall assure the availability, adequacy, accessibility 
and affordability of food supplies to all at all times;


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c. Rational Use of Resources - The State shall adopt a rational approach in the 
allocation of public investments in agriculture in order to assure efficiency and 
effectiveness in the use of scarce resources and thus obtain optimal returns on 
its investments;
d. Global Competitiveness - The State shall enhance the competitiveness of the 
agriculture sector in both domestic and foreign markets;
e. Sustainable Development - The State shall promote development that is 
compatible with the preservation of the ecosystem in areas where agriculture 
activities are carried out. The State should exert care and judicious use of the 
country's natural resources in order to attain long-term sustainability;
f. 
People Empowerment - The State shall promote people empowerment by 
enabling all citizens through direct participation or through their duly elected, 
chosen or designated representatives the opportunity to participate in policy 
formulation and decision-making by establishing the appropriate mechanisms 
and by giving them access to information; and
g. Protection from Unfair Competition - The State shall protect small farmers from 
unfair competition such as monopolistic and oligopolistic practices by promoting 
a policy environment that provides them priority access to credit and 
strengthened cooperative-based marketing system.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms are 
defined as follows:
a. Agricultural Land refers to the land of public domain and private land which 
have been devoted to agricultural activity as defined in Republic Act No. 6657, 
as amended, and not further classified for residential, commercial or industrial 
use and such other uses as may be provided by law;
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);


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c. Irrigable Lands/Areas refer to the lands suitable for the conduct of agricultural 
activities which require irrigation and display physical features justifying the 
operation of an irrigation system;
d. 
Project Areas refer to those within irrigable lands/areas comprising the intended or 
design serviceable or irrigation areas/lands of an on-going or in-pipeline irrigation 
construction projects.
e. Irrigated Lands/Areas refer to lands serviced by natural irrigation or irrigation 
facilities. These include lands where water is not readily available as existing 
irrigation facilities need rehabilitation or upgrading or where irrigation water 
is not available year-round;
f. 
Land Use refers to the manner of allocation, utilization, management and 
development of land;
g. Land Use Conversion refers to the act or process of changing the current 
physical use of piece of agricultural land into some other use or for another 
agricultural use other than the cultivation of the soil, planting of crops, 
growing of trees including harvesting of produce therefrom, as approved by 
DAR;
h. Network of Protected Areas for Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development 
(NPAAAD) refers to the agricultural areas identified by the Department of 
Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management 
(BSWM), in coordination with the National Mapping and Resource 
Information Authority, 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 
plain lands highly suitable for agriculture, whether irrigated or not; agro­
industrial croplands or lands presently planted to industrial crops that support 
the viability of existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises; 
highlands or areas located at an elevation of five hundred (500) meters and 
above that have 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; all mangrove areas and fish 
sanctuaries;


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i. 
Prime Agricultural Land refers to all irrigated areas; ail irrigable lands; all 
rain-fed areas planted to rice and corn; all lands classified by the BSWM 
under its land capability classification system as Class k, 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; and
j. 
Reclassification of Agricultural Land 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.
SEC. 4. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development - Priority areas for 
agricultural development shall be those agricultural areas covered under the 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), as amended, and those covered 
under the NPAAAD as defined in Section 3 of this Act and in Republic Act No. 8435 or 
the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act".
SEC. 5. Conversion of Agricultural Lands. - Prime agricultural lands and specific 
types of lands to the extent necessary for attaining food self-sufficiency in rice, corn, 
crops, sugar, coconut, vegetables, and fruit trees, for food security, and other basic 
commodities, as determined by the DA, subject to mandatory public 
hearings/consultations with the Local Government Units (LGUs), private sector, non­
governmental organizations, and people's organizations, shall be protected from 
conversion, which shall include but not limited to areas under the NPAAAD: Provided, 
That all irrigated and irrigable lands, all lands developed or possessing the potential for 
development of high value crops, and all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile 
and whose conversion will result in serious environmental problems shall be given full 
protection from conversion, the areas under which are subject to review every seven 
(7) years by the DA, with the mandatory public hearings/consultations: Provided, 
further. That consistent with the State policy on giving priority to the completion of the 
CARP, all lands subject to CARP, including those lands covered under the notice of 
compulsory acquisition/voluntary offer to sell, production or profit-sharing, or


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commercial farm deferment shall also be protected from conversion pending the 
distribution and installation of the farmer beneficiaries: Provided, furthermore. That the 
conversion of agricultural lands for use of priority government projects for basic 
services, such as, but not limited, to irrigation and power shall be allowed only upon 
the recommendation of the Secretaries of the DA and the DAR: Provided, furthermore. 
Agricultural lands are deemed converted to non-agricultural uses upon approval by the 
DAR of the application for conversion: Provided, finally. That the mapping of the 
NPAAAD under Republic Act No. 8435 shall be completed within two (2) years from the 
effect!vity of this Act.
Reclassification of lands may be authorized In the following circumstances:
(1) 
When the land ceases to be economically feasible and sound for 
agricultural purposes, as may be determined by the Department of Agriculture (DA);
(2) 
Where the land shall have substantially greater economic value for 
residential, commercial, or industrial purposes, as may be determined by the 
Sanggunian of the Local Government Unit (LGU) concerned; or
(3) 
When the land Is not irrigated or irrigable and not Included among 
agricultural lands identified by Administrative Order No. 20, Series of 1992, as non- 
negotiable for conversion, as identified by the DA.
SEC. 6. Sub-classification or Reclassification of Agricultural Lands by LGUs. - 
Sub-classification or reclassification of agricultural lands to other uses under Republic 
Act No. 7610, or the "Local Government Code of 1991", shall exclude the protected 
agricultural lands as stated in the preceding section. Moreover, such sub­
classification/reclassification is not synonymous to conversion. The DA and DAR shall 
provide the LGUs with complete list and maps of protected agricultural lands within 
their territorial jurisdictions.
SEC. 7. Comprehensive Land Use Plan. - The LGUs shall prepare, revise, and 
update the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) to rationalize the allocation and proper 
use of land resources specifically for agricultural purposes. The plan should be In 
accordance with the resources' spatial organization and possible economic and social 
activities.
SEC. 8. Consolidation of Agricultural Land. - The DA and the DAR may 
consolidate and register agricultural land titles, as may be agreed upon by the 
concerned landowners, to consolidate and cultivate more than five (5) hectares of


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agricultural land, subject to the rules and regulations to be provided by DA and DAR. 
Provided that, the following requirements shall be met:
1. The land will be used exclusively for agriculture;
2. Utilization of mechanized farm technology, advanced methods of farming, 
and/or block farms for increased agricultural production;
3. Proposal on how the proposed activity will be devoted to modern and viable 
farming; and
4. Capable manpower.
SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, the DA and DAR, in consultation with other relevant 
government agencies, shall promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively 
Implement the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act not otherwise affected shall remain in full 
force and effect.
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All existing laws, presidential decrees, executive 
orders, proclamations, or administrative regulations that are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby amended, modified, superseded, or repealed 
accordingly.
SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation.
Approved,