EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E  
S. No.
/ r r  
■ -t
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'ey'll Iff ci ilic ist-ff- lavjp
*19 
AUG 13 
A9--18
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR.
AN ACT
INSTITUTING 
A 
NATIONAL 
LAND 
USE 
POLICY, 
PROVIDING 
THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1976 United Nations Conference on Human Settlement recognizes land to 
have a unique nature and critical role in the society which cannot be treated as an 
ordinary asset. Land is considered to be a valuable tool in achieving social justice and 
holistic development, particularly food production, the provision of decent dwellings, 
human mobility and the health of people.
The Philippines has a total land area of thirty (30) million hectares. The lack of 
a comprehensive and unified national land use plan in the country is such as long and 
overdue socio-political and economic policy issue posing great challenges and 
constraints to our country's sustainable growth and development.
At present, there are approximately more than thirty (30) environmental and 
ecological protection laws and policies pertaining to land and water utilization and 
management in the Philippines. Such numerous and decentralized issuances resulted 
in overlapping of functions among the sectors concerned and conflict among different 
sectors due to competing demands of land for economic and commercial uses, food 
production, shelter, environment preservation and indigenous people's preservation.


There is, therefore, an urgent need to legislate a comprehensive national land 
use framework in our country. This was emphasized by no less than the President 
during his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).
This proposed measure seeks to provide for a rational, holistic and just 
allocation, utilization, management and development of the country's land to ensure 
their optimum use, consistent with the principle of sustainable development. This bill 
also provides for the integration and harmonization of all laws, guidelines, and policies 
relevant to land use and physical planning to come up with comprehensive national 
land use framework and to ensure social justice in the equitable sharing and 
distribution of wealth and resources among the citizenry and the sustainable 
management and development of the land resources of our country.
The bill further seeks to create the National Land Use Commission. 
The 
Regional Land Use Council replicates the National Land Use Commission. 
It 
strengthens the responsibilities of the national government agencies and LGUs 
through the national base and geo-hazard mapping programs. 
It promotes 
sustainable management and utilization of national resources, disaster risk-reduction 
and climate change resiliency, water security, respect for and protection of the 
sustainable 
traditional 
resource 
rights 
of 
the 
indigenous 
cultural 
communities/indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs), among other important concerns.
This measure was originally filed by Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II in the 
previous Congresses but was not enacted into law.
The immediate passage of this bill is highly recommended.
RAM
BONG REVILLA, JR.


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E  
S. Nor 
8  8 6
- ^ . ■
r' ri’
*19 
AUG 13 A9M9
Fta.
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, 3R.
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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 o f Representative o f the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shali be known and cited as the n National Land 
Use Policy Act (NALUPA) o f 2019'.
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policies and Principles. -  It is hereby declared the policy 
of the State to instiil in our people, in the hearts and minds of ali Filipinos, a thirty- 
year vision and land use plan for our country we can all aim for, work for, and achieve 
as one Filipino nation. 
All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, 
petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or 
timber, wildlife, fora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the state. 
With the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall not be 
alienated.
Pursuant to the constitutional provision or mandate, it is the policy of the State 
to provide for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, utilization, management, and 
development of the country's land to ensure their optimum use, consistent with the 
principle of sustainable development.


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The State shall recognize the need for rational, optimal and sustainable 
settlements 
development, 
consistent 
with 
the 
principles 
of 
environmental 
management and equitable access to land and water security.
The State shall treat group of islands, including parts of islands, interconnecting 
waters and other natural features which are so closely interrelated, as forming an 
intrinsic geographical, economic and political entity, or which historically have been 
regarded as such entity.
Toward this end, the State shall institutionalize land use and physical planning 
as mechanisms for identifying, determining, and evaluating appropriate land use and 
allocation patterns that promote and ensure:
(a) Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources;
(b) Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability 
specifically the 
perpetual 
protection 
of permanent forests and 
watersheds for the attainment of food, water and energy sufficiency;
(c) Disaster risk-reduction and climate change resiliency;
(d) Protection of prime agricultural lands for food security in basic 
commodities with emphasis on self-sufficiency in rice and corn;
(e) Water security through sustainable development and management of 
water resources;
(f) Settlements, transportation and infrastructure development in support 
of urban, rural and regional development and inclusive growth;
(g) Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino 
within the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social 
justice, and equity;
(h) Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights 
of the Indigenous Cultural Communities / Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) 
to their ancestral domains to ensure their economic, social, and cultural 
well-being as well as recognition of the applicability of customary laws 
and sustainable traditional resource use and management, knowledge, 
and practices in ancestral domains in compliance with free and prior 
informed consent of 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 (LGUs)
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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 and
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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 all
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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, indigenous
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people, or groups of people, including areas declared/designated as special economic
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zones and/or freeports, proclamations and reservations to provide for a rational,
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holistic, and just allocation, development and management of land and water
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resources including such activities that bear impact on said resources.
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CHAPTER I I
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DEFINITIONS
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Sec. 4. Definition o f Terms. -  As used in and for purposes of this Act, the
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following terms shall mean:
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(a) 
'’'Agricultural land’ shall refer to land of public domain and private
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land 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 
residential, commercial or industrial use and such other uses as 
may be provided by law;
(b) 
''AgriculturalLand Use Conversiori' shall refer 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) Landd' shall refer 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 Domaind' shall refer to all areas generally belonging to 
ICCs/IPs as defined in Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as 
the "Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1998";
(e) 
"Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan 
(ADSDPPy 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 Sectord' shall refer to a group of people 
such as but not limited to the farmers, fisherfolks, urban poor and 
indigenous people;
(g) 
"Basic Shelter" shall refer 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)' shall refer 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 resources for


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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' shall refer 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/Zond' shall refer to a band of dry land and the 
adjacent ocean space (water and submerged land) in which 
terrestrial processes and uses directly affect oceanic processes and 
uses, and vice versa. 
Its geographic extent may include areas 
within a landmark limit of one (1) 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 Habitatd' shall refer to areas outside protected areas as 
defined in Republic Act No. 7586, otherwise known as the "National 
Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992", that are known 
habitats of threatened species and designated as such based on 
scientific data taking into consideration species endemicity and/or


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richness, presence of human-made pressures/threats to the 
survival of wildlife living in the area, among others;
(l) 
"Critical Watershed' shall refer 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 Heritagd' shall refer to the totality of cultural properties 
preserved and developed through time and passed on for posterity;
(n) 
"Customary Lawd' shall refer to a body of written and/or unwritten 
rules, usages, customs and practices traditionally and continually 
recognized, accepted, and observed by respective ICCs/IPs 
consistent with the IPRA;
(o) 
"Development P laif shall refer to a document that defies the 
activities or measures that the national government or local 
government units (LCDs) 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 
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


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programs, projects and activities derived from the development 
plans are ranked, prioritized, and matched with investment 
financing capacities;
(p) 
" Ecologically-Fragile L a n d f shall refer to lands within the critical 
watershed, brackish and freshwater wetlands, pasture lands, and 
croplands which require rehabilitation and whose continued 
unsustainable use would adversely affect the productivity of 
lowland agricultural areas and the stability of the upland 
ecosystem;
(q) 
" Ecotourisnl' shall refer 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 Landd' shall refer to lands where naturally 
occurring or indigenous energy resources exist in sufficient quantity 
or 
quality 
as 
to 
be 
economically 
viable 
for exploration, 
development, production, utilization, and distribution process;
(s) 
"Energy Resourced' shall refer to surface or subsurface substances 
that serve as energy sources. These are traditionally mineral fuel 
deposits such as coal, petroleum, natural gas or renewable 
resources from geothermal, hydro reservoirs, or non-conventional 
sources such as ocean waves, solar, wind, biomass, and other 
similar resources which serve the same purpose;
(t) 
"Environmentally CriticalAread' shall refer to areas declared by law 
as: (a) protected areas pursuant to Republic Act No. 7586 or the 
NIPAS Act of 1992; (b) areas for natural parks, watershed reserves, 
wildlife preserves, and sanctuaries; (c) areas set aside as aesthetic 
potential tourist spots; (d) areas which constitute the habitat of any


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(U)
(V)
(w)
(X)
endangered or threatened species or indigenous Philippine wildlife 
(flora and fauna); (e) areas of unique historic, archaeological, or 
scientific interests; (f) areas which are traditionally occupied by 
ICCs/IPs; (g) areas with critical slopes; (h) areas frequented and/or 
hard hit by natural calamities such as but not limited to geologic 
hazards, floods, typhoons and volcanic activities; (i) areas exposed 
to geologic and hydro-meteorologic hazards; (j) prime agricultural 
lands; (k) recharge areas of aquifers; (I) water bodies; (m) 
mangrove areas; (n) coral reefs; (o) mossy and old-growth forests; 
(p) rivers and river banks; (q) swamp forest and marshlands; and 
(r) 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 LCDs in consultation with 
the concerned sectors;
''Estuary shall refer to a wetland type where the river mouth 
widens into a marine ecosystem, the salinity of which is 
intermediate between salt and freshwater where tidal action is an 
important biophysical regulator;
"Exhausted Energy Resource Landd' shall refer to specific energy 
resource sites whose energy reserves of the desired type(s) are no 
longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional 
expenditure for their extraction and utilization as certified by the 
Department of Energy;
"Exhausted Mineral Landd' shall refer 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;
"Exhausted Mineral Resourced' shall refer 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


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Utilization as determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau 
(MGB) and approved by the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources (DENR);
(y) 
"Floodpairi' shall refer 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 Aread' shall refer 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' shall refer 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;
(cc) 
" Food Self-Sufficiency shall refer 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) 
" Foresdandd' shall refer 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;


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(ee) 
Foreshore Land' shall refer 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' shall refer 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;
(99) 
" Geo-Hazardd shall refer 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 Aread' shall refer to areas frequently visited 
and/or vulnerable or prone to experience weather/climatic, 
hydrologic, geologic, and other natural calamities;
(ii) 
"Heritage Zoned' shall 
refer 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";
Oj) 
"Indigenous 
Cultural 
Communities 
/  
Indigenous 
Peoples 
(ICCs/IPs)' shall refer to groups of people or homogenous societies 
identified under Republic Act No. 8371 or the "Indigenous People's 
Rights Act (IPRA)";
(kk) 
"Inland Waterd' shall refer 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";
(II) 
"Inter-Tidai Sand Fiat' shall refer 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;
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(mm) 
"Integrated Ecosystems Watershed Management' shall refer 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;
(nn) 
"Key Biodiversity Aread' shall refer 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;
(oo) 
"Lagoorf shall refer 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;
(pp) 
"Land' shall refer to resources, both natural and artificial, found on 
the surface, below and above the ground including inland and 
coastal waters;
(qq) 
"Land Usd' shall refer to the manner of allocation, utilization, 
management and development of land;
(rr) 
"Land Use Ciassificatiorf shall refer 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-Ciassificatiod' shall refer to the act of determining and
assigning specific uses of classified lands of the public domain, such 
as forest or timber lands, alienable or disposable agricultural lands, 
national parks, and mineral lands in accordance with existing laws 
and this Act;
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"Mandatory Public Hearings/Consultationf shall refer to the 
mechanism to ensure the active participation of concerned sectors 
in all affected areas in land use planning from the local to the 
national 
level. 
It 
involved 
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;
"Mineral^' shall refer 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;
"Mineral Expioratiorf shall refer to the systematic searching or 
prospecting for mineral resources;
" Mineral Landd' shall refer 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; 
"Mineral Resourced' 
shall 
refer 
to 
any 
concentration 
of 
minerals/rocks with potential economic value;
"M udfiaf shall refer to a wetland type that is usually an 
unvegetated area, dominated by muddy substrate which provides 
rich feeding grounds for vertebrates such as fish and water birds 
and also important in preventing soil erosion;
"Multiple Use o f Land Resourced' shall refer 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
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the development and progress of the country and the public welfare
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without impairment or with the least injury to its resources;
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(aaa)
'''Municipal Waters' shall include not only streams, lakes, inland
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bodies of water and tidal waters within the municipality which are
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not included within the protected areas as defined under Republic
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Act No. 7586 (the NIPAS Law), public forest, timber lands, forest
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reserves or fishery reserves, but also marine waters included
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between two (2) lines drawn perpendicular to the general coastline
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from points where the boundary lines of the municipality touch the
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sea at low tide and a third line parallel with the general coastline
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including offshore islands and fifteen (15) kilometres from such
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coastline. Where two (2) municipalities are so situated on opposite
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shores that there is less than thirty (30) kilometers of marine waters
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between them, the third line shall be equally distant from opposite
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shore of the respective municipalities
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(bbb)
"National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS)' shall refer
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to the classification and administration of all designated protected
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areas to maintain essential ecological processes and life-support
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systems, to preserve genetics diversity, to ensure sustainable use
20
of resources found therein, and to maintain their natural conditions
21
to the greatest extent possible;
22
(ccc)
"Land' shall refer to resources, both natural and artificial, found on
23
the surface, below and above the ground including inland and
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coastal waters;
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(ddd)
"National Parkd' shall refer to a forest reservation essentially of
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natural wilderness character which has been withdrawn from
27
settlement, occupancy or any form of exploitation except in conformity
28
with approved management plan and set aside as such exclusively
29
to conserve the area or preserve the scenery, the natural and
30
historic objects, wild animals and plants therein and to provide
31
enjoyment of these features in such areas;
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(eee) 
"Natural Physical Framework Plarf also referred to as the "National 
Land Use Plarf, shall refer 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;
(fff) 
"Network o f Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-industrial 
Development (NPAAAD)' shall refer 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 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;
(ggg) 
"Patrimonial Propertied' shall refer 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;
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(hhh) 
"People's Organizatiofi' shall refer 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;
(iii) 
"Permanent Forest shall refer 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 resen/ed, conserved and 
protected into perpetuity for such purpose;
(jjj) 
" Permanent Forestland^' shall refer 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;
(kkk) 
" Physical Framework Pland' shall refer 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 
strategies 
necessary to 
carry out development goals and 
objectives;
(III) 
"Premature or Illegal Conversion o f Agricultural Landd' shall refer 
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;
(mmm) "Prime Agricultural Landd' shall refer to all irrigated areas; all 
irrigable lands; all rain-fed areas planted to rice and corn; all lands
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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;
(nnn) 
"Production Land Usd' shall refer 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;
(ooo) 
" ProtectedAread' shall refer 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;
(ppp) 
"Protection Land Usd' shall refer 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;
(qqq) 
"Public Domairf shall refer 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;
(rrr) 
" Public Landd' shall refer 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;
(sss) 
"Reclassification o f Agricultural Landd' shall refer 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
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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;
(ttt) 
"Resettlement Site^' shall refer 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)";
(uuu) 
"River Basirf shall refer 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;
(vw ) 
"Settlement^' shall refer 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;
(WWW) "Settlements Development' shall refer 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 
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;
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(xxx) 
''Shoreline' shall refer to the line where shore and water meet;
(yyy) 
"'Significant Cave^' shall refer 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;
(zzz) 
"Sociaiized Housing' shall refer 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;
(aaaa) "Sociaiized Housing Zoned' shall refer 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;
(bbbb) " Sustainabie Deveiopment shall refer 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;
(cccc) 
"Tourism Deveiopment Aread' shall refer 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 
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;
(dddd) "Tourism Enterprise Zond' shall refer to an area designated as 
tourism enterprise zone by the Tourism Infrastructure and
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Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) pursuant to the provisions of 
Republic Act No. 9593 otherwise known as the "Tourism Act of 
2009";
(eeee) " Tourism Estate^' shall refer 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;
(ffff) 
''Tourist Spot' shall refer 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;
(gggg) "Tourist Zond' shall refer 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 
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;
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(hhhh) "Urban Area^' shall refer to all cities regardless of their population 
density and to municipalities with population density of at least Five 
hundred (500) persons per square kilometer;
(iiii) 
" UrbanizableArea^' shall refer 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;
Qjjj) 
"Urban Forestry or Green Spaed' shall refer to the establishment 
and management of forest in 
urban environment for the 
physiological and psychological well-being of the people;
(kkkk) 
" Water Security1' shall refer to the sufficient access throughout the 
year to the minimum daily requirement of clean water to maintain 
a healthy life;
(IIII) 
"W ater Usd' shall refer 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;
(mmmm) "Watershed' shall refer to a land area drained by a stream or 
fixed body of water and its tributaries having a common outlet for 
surface runoff;
(nnnn) "Zoning' shall refer 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,
(oooo) "Zoning Ordinance or ZO' shall refer to a local law passed by the 
Sangguniang Bayan or Paniungsod approving the development 
control/zoning plan in accordance with an approved or adopted 
CLUP for the city/municipality, and providing for the regulations and 
other conditions on the uses of land including the limitation of the 
infrastructure that may be placed thereon within the territorial 
jurisdiction of a city or municipality. It incorporates the protected
20


1 
areas under Section 13(a) and the protected agricultural lands
2 
under Section 32 of this Act.
3 
CHAPTER I I I
4 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLANS
5 
Sec. 5. 
National Land Use Planning Process. -  The land use and physical
6 
planning process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down
7 
approach. The National Land Use Commission (NLUC) shall draft the National Physical
8 
Framework Plan (NPFP)/National Land Use Plan (NLUP) which shall have a timeframe
9 
of thirty (30) years, with regular review and updating every ten (10) years: Provided,
10 
however, That nothing herein shall prevent the NLUC from reviewing and updating at
11 
anytime the NPFP/NLUP where public interest so requires. The NPFP, which guides
12 
the planning and management of the country's land and other physical resources at
13 
the national and sub-national levels, shall indicate broad spatial directions and policy
14 
guidelines on settlements development, production land use, protection land use, and
15 
infrastructure such as but not limited to social services, and utilities, transportation
16 
and communication. 
The Regional Physical Framework Plans (RPFPs), Provincial
17 
Physical Framework and Development Plans (PPFDPs), and Comprehensive Land Use
18 
Plans (CLUPs), which shall also have a 30-year timeframe and cover the physical
19 
development of their respective territories, shall be consistent with the national
20 
physical framework development of their respective territories, shall be consistent with
21 
the 
national 
physical 
framework 
plan: 
Provided, 
That the 
integration 
and
22 
harmonization of the physical framework plans at all levels shall be iterative to ensure
23 
that the concerns of both top and bottom levels of government are considered. The
24 
physical and land use plans prepared at all levels shall have internal consistency
25 
specifically on, but not limited to, the development, management and conservation of
26 
forestlands found within a given territory and the linkages of the major land use
27 
categories to ensure their complementation in the utilization, development and
28 
management of resources.
29 
All regional, provincial, city and municipal land use plans and zoning ordinances
30 
shall only be amended or revised at the earliest after every ten (10) years except if
31 
an earlier amendment or revision of the CLUP or ZO is authorized by the NLUC due to
32 
extraordinary causes.
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The NLUC shall issue procedural guidelines which shall guide the formulation
2 
and integration/harmonization process: Provided, That the National Economic and
3 
Development Authority (NEDA), the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission
4 
(HSAC) created under Republic Act No. 11201, the Department of the Interior and
5 
Local Government (DILG) and other agencies will continue to issue guidelines on the
6 
content of the plans consistent with their respective agency mandates.
7 
Sec. 6. City and Municipal Land Use Plans. -  All barangays shall provide their
8 
sectoral, temporal and spatial data for the CLUP which shall serve as the foundation
9 
for the formulation of the city/municipal CLUPs. The data shall be provided by the
10 
Sangguniang Pambarangay through stakeholder consultations. 
The CLUP shall
11 
determine the specific use of land and other physical and natural resources, both
12 
private and public, within their territorial jurisdiction including areas co-managed with
13 
the national government and, as appropriate, management plans for ancestral
14 
domains, critical watersheds, river basins, and protected areas.
15 
The CLUP shall delineate actual boundaries on the ground within the territorial
16 
jurisdictions, embody the desired land use patterns of the barangay, city or
17 
municipality, translate and integrate sectoral plans, and provide appropriate policies
18 
for each of the four land use planning categories. The spatial directions prescribed in
19 
the CLUP shall serve as the basis for the preparation and formulation of the
20 
Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and Local Development Investment Plan
21 
(LDIP) of the LGUs.
22 
The CLUP may be formulated as a component of a Comprehensive Land Use
23 
and Development Plan (CLUDP), which merges the traditionally separate CLUP and
24 
Comprehensive Development Plan to address the disconnect between the spatial and
25 
sectoral factors and to ensure the complementation between the medium- and long-
26 
term concerns: Provided, That the CLUDP shall remain consistent with the CLUP.
27 
Consistent with the national standards and guidelines prescribed in Section 5,
28 
the cities and municipalities shall, in consultation with the concerned sectors, prepare
29 
their respective CLUPs. The City/Municipal Land Use Planning and Management Board
30 
(C/MLUPB), created under this Act, shall be responsible for the preparation and
31 
formulation of the CLUP and ensure its consistency with national and regional physical
32 
planning guidelines and standards. Under the general supervision of the respective
22


1 
C/MLUPB, 
the 
City/Municipal 
Planning 
and 
Development 
Coordinator/Office
2 
(C/MPDC/PDO) shall provide technical, secretariat and administrative support in the
3 
preparation, consultation, and integration and formulation process of the respective
4 
CLUPs of each city or municipality.
5 
The CLUPs shall be submitted by the city/municipal Local Development Councils
6 
(LDC) for adoption and approval of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB). The approved CLUPs
7 
shall be submitted to the province for integration into the PPFP.
8 
The CLUP shall be translated into a zoning ordinance by the concerned
9 
Sanggunian to regulate the uses of land, including the limitations on height, density
10 
and bulk of buildings and other infrastructure that may be placed thereon.
11 
Sec. 7. Provincial Physical Framework Plan (PPFP). -  The PPFP shall determine
12 
the physical development of the entire provincial territory, consolidate and harmonize
13 
the comprehensive land use plans of component cities and municipalities, consistent
14 
with the RPFP. 
It shall reflect the indicative land use management and physical
15 
development direction of the province.
16 
Further, the PPFP shall sen/e as basis for other sectoral and development plans
17 
related to land, natural resources, and infrastructure facilities, including the
18 
development plan of the province; reconciliation and rationalization of land use
19 
proposals among component cities and municipalities and with the higher level
20 
framework plan; guiding development agencies and private developers, particularly
21 
those that undertake large-scale projects; and providing a basis for resolving conflicts
22 
arising from the implementation of land use plans and development projects involving
23 
two or more municipalities.
24 
The PPFP shall serve as the basis for the preparation of the Provincial
25 
Development Plan (PDP) and Provincial Development Investment Program (PDIP).
26 
The PPFP, PDP, PDIP and/or Provincial Physical Framework and Development Plan
27 
(PPFDP) shall serve as the basis for the formulation of sectoral action plans of national
28 
government agencies in the province and all LGUs within its jurisdiction. The province
29 
may opt to prepare their PDP alongside the preparation of PPFP and consolidate them
30 
into a PPFDP; Provided, That PPFDP shall remain consistent with the PPFP: Provided,
31 
further, That any review or changes in the PPFP shall coincide with the over-all review
32 
process of the NPFP.
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The Provincial Land Use Planning and Management Board (PLUPMB), created
2 
under this Act, shall ensure that the PPFP is consistent with the national and regional
3 
planning framework and guidelines issued by the NLUPC/RLUPB. The PPFP shall be
4 
presented to the Provincial Development Council (PDC) for endorsement to the
5 
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, who shall formally adopt and approve the PPFP. 
The
6 
approved PPFP shall be submitted to the RLUPB for consolidation and integration into
7 
the RPFP.
8 
Under the general supervision of the PLUPMB, the Provincial Planning and
9 
Development Coordinator/Office (PPDC/PPDO) shall provide technical, secretariat and
10 
administrative support in the preparation, consultation, 
and 
integration 
and
11 
formulation process of the PPFP.
12 
Sec. 8. Regional Physical Framework Plans. — In consultation with concerned
13 
sectors, the Regional Land Use Policy Board (RLUPB) shall define the desired spatial
14 
arrangement of land-using activities in the entire region, consolidating and
15 
harmonizing the provincial physical framework plans of provinces and independent
16 
cities within the territorial jurisdiction of the region. The regional physical framework
17 
plan, which depicts and end-state scenario toward which efforts and activities are
18 
directed, shall consist of spatially-based and area-focused policies, consistent with
19 
those in the national framework for physical planning, to guide detailed physical, socio-
20 
economic, sectoral and investment planning.
21 
Sec. 9. The National Physical Framework Plan /  National Land Use Plan. -  The
22 
National Land Use Commission (NLUC) created in Section 14 herein, in consultation
23 
with 
the 
concerned 
sectors 
through 
the 
conduct 
of 
mandatory 
public
24 
hearings/consultations, 
shall 
formulate, 
periodically 
update 
and 
ensure 
the
25 
implementation of a national physical framework plan that shall prescribe and
26 
influence the country's land use and physical development. 
The NPFP shall
27 
operationalize the policies provided in this Act and will be the basis for adopting land
28 
use and physical planning-related guidelines and standards, including zoning and other
29 
land use control standards that will guide the formulation of city/municipal zoning
30 
ordinances.
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The NPFP strategic objectives and directions shall be the basis for the
2 
preparation, formulation and prioritization of the MTPDP and Medium-Term Philippine
3 
Investment Program (MTPIP).
4 
CHAPTER IV
5 
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING
6 
Sec. 10. Priorities in Land Use Aiiocation and Pianning. -  In projecting spatial
7 
allocation for different land uses, the LGUs shall first exclude areas under protection
8 
land use of Section 13(a) hereof, national parks, energy resource lands, and prime
9 
agricultural lands to ensure ecological integrity, energy supply, and promote food
10 
security. 
Areas with prior rights and those with site-specific resources for basic
11 
services, such as but not limited to, water and indigenous energy resources, shall also
12 
be excluded. Spatial allocation and planning shall then proceed in accordance with
13 
Sections 12 and 13 hereof with priorities given to integrated watershed management
14 
areas, socialized housing sites, fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas, and waste
15 
disposal sites.
16 
Sec. 11. Adoption o f Muitipie Uses o f Land Resources. -  The primary and
17 
alternative uses of a specific land resource shall be determined and evaluated prior to
18 
any decision for the assignment of its use. Areas feasible for sustainable land resource
19 
may be considered multiple-use zones wherein settlements, tourism, agriculture,
20 
forestry, agro-forestry and extraction activities and other income-generating or
21 
livelihood activities may be allowed: Provided, That multiple uses of land resources
22 
shall be excluded in areas identified as protection land use: Provided, further, That
23 
such land resources shall be in accordance with priorities in land use allocation and
24 
planning and that no reclassification shall be allowed.
25 
Sec. 12. Land Use Pians for Ancestral Domains. -  Land use plans of ancestral
26 
domains shall be formulated by the ICCS/IP themselves in accordance with their
27 
particular needs and traditional resource and management systems with the
28 
assistance of the NCIP, the LGUs and civil society organizations (CSOs) concerned.
29 
Such plans shall be recognized and adopted in the barangay, city/municipal, provincial
30 
and national physical framework plans.
31 
Physical framework plans made prior to the delineation of ancestral domains
32 
included in such plans or ordinances shall, without prejudice to the rights of the
25


1 
ICCS/IP concerned, adopt different land use categories in accordance with their
2 
particular needs and traditional resource and management systems.
3 
In cases where there are no ADSDPPS, the LGU and the ICCS/IP shall jointly
4 
formulate the land use plan within the ancestral domain until such time that the
5 
ICCs/IPs have formulated their ADSDPPS.
6 
Sec. 13. Basic Land Use Considerations. -  Various land uses as categorized in
7 
the succeeding section shall be determined in a manner that promotes the policies
8 
and principles defined in Section 2 of this Act and shall consider the following elements
9 
therein, among others:
10 
(a) Protection land use category as defined in Section 14 shall prevail over
11 
existing production land use category. The State shall undertake the
12 
necessary action in changing the classification of these production areas;
13 
(b) Preservation, conservation, rehabilitation and protection to perpetuity of
14 
permanent forestlands, critical watersheds, key biodiversity areas,
15 
environmentally-critical 
and 
ecologically-fragile 
areas 
and 
prime
16 
agricultural lands from any other land use, conversion, disposition,
17 
intrusion, utilization and development aside from its determined use and
18 
limits;
19 
(c) Protection 
of 
natural 
forests 
and 
natural 
resources 
ensures
20 
environmental stability, conserve biological diversity, improve ecosystem
21 
functions and provide long-term ecological and economic benefits.
22 
Designated restoration areas are designed to revive the ecosystem
23 
functions and services of forests as well as improve the economic and
24 
ecological benefits of local communities;
25 
(d) Protection of forest and wetlands from infrastructure development to
26 
preserve the ecological services they provide which are essential to
27 
economic development. These activities include, but not limited to river
28 
channelization and dredging, large scale irrigation and river diversions
29 
which reduce riverine habitat and alters flood patterns and natural flow
30 
regimes, reduce downstream water availability for agriculture and
31 
contribute to salinization through saltwater intrusion in coastal areas;
26


1 
(e) Resolution of land use conflicts which are life-threatening to public
2 
safety, sustainability of key production resources or employment
3 
activities and the delivery of basic services and are harmful or destructive
4 
to protected areas, flora, fauna and other protected natural resources.
5 
Greater consideration shall be given to the human and tenurial rights of
6 
vulnerable groups in resolving land use conflicts;
7 
(f) Identification of geo-hazard prone areas and high risk/danger zones and
8 
corresponding risk reduction measures to ensure the prioritization of life
9 
and safety: Provided, That specifically identified and assessed extremely
10 
hazardous and high-risk/danger zones shall be similarly protected and
11 
cleared from all forms of human-made obstacles, obstructions and
12 
infrastructures to ensure and secure public health and safety;
13 
(g) Respect for existing customary rights and traditional land uses of
14 
ICCS/IPS;
15 
(h) Identification of settlement areas to check the demand for land and
16 
establish the location of employment-generating industries and basic
17 
services; and,
18 
(i) The availability of natural resources including indigenous energy
19 
resources 
for 
energy 
security 
and 
self-sufficiency. 
However,
20 
infrastructure energy projects such as dams with large reservoirs in
21 
natural ecosystems shall not be allowed if it would interrupt the
22 
connectivity of river systems, disrupt fish spawning and migration, and
23 
alter seasonal flood regimes.
24 
Sec. 14. Categories o f Land Uses for Planning Purposes. -  In determining and
25 
defining the national, regional and provincial framework plans, and CLUPs, land uses
26 
shall be grouped into four major functional uses as follows:
27 
(a) Protection Land Use shall refer to the use of land primarily for food,
28 
water and energy security, rehabilitation, conservation, and protection
29 
purposes for the promotion of the country's ecological and life-support
30 
systems. Planning for protection land use intends to achieve food self-
31 
sufficiency in rice and corn, water and energy security, environmental
32 
stability and ecological integrity, ensure a balance between resources
27


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1
use and the preservation of some areas with environmental, aesthetic, 
educational, cultural, heritage and historical significance, and protect 
people and human-made structures from the ill-effects of natural 
hazards. All lands, either public or private, under protection land use 
shall be permanently conserved, preserved, rehabilitated and protected 
from all other land 
uses, disposition, 
intrusion, 
utilization and 
development that is not consistent from its existing uses. Areas under 
this category also include those covered by Republic Act No. 7586 or the 
NIPAS Law and other coastal and marine protected areas, those areas 
outside NIPAS but nonetheless require protection because of their 
outstanding 
physical 
and 
aesthetic 
features, 
anthropological
significance, and biological diversity, and those areas prone to natural 
hazards. Areas outside the coverage of the NIPAS law include, but are 
not limited to the following:
(1) 
Old-growth forest and mossy;
(2) 
Areas with more than 50% in slope gradient;
(3) 
Mangrove and fish sanctuaries, pursuant to Republic Act No. 8435 
or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997" and 
Republic Act No. 8550 or "The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998";
(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;
28


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(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.
(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
29


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1
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.
(d) Infrastructure Development shall refer to the availability or supply of 
basic services and fostering of economic and other forms of integration 
necessary for producing or obtaining the material requirements of 
Filipinos, in an efficient, responsive, safe and ecologically friendly built 
environment. It covers sub-sectors of transportation, communication, 
water 
resources, 
and 
social 
infrastructure: 
Provided, 
That the 
determination of functional uses of lands within ancestral domains shall 
consider traditional resource and management systems that do not 
endanger the lives of the people and property of the local community 
and neighboring areas or increase the vulnerability of the natural 
environment to the effects of natural and human-induced geological 
processes.
CHAPTER V
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISMS
ARTICLE I
30


1 
NATIONAL
2 
Sec. 15. Creation o f the National Land Use Commission (NLUC). -  The National
3 
Land Use Commission, hereinafter referred to as NLUC, is hereby created as a
4 
Commission under the Office of the President. 
It shall exercise the powers and
5 
responsibilities of the current NEDA Board-National Land Use Committee which is
6 
hereby abolished and the powers and functions pertaining to land use planning vested
7 
by law to the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC). The NLUC shall
8 
act as the highest policy making body on land use and resolve land use policy conflicts
9 
between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government. It shall integrate
10 
efforts, monitor developments relating to land use and the evolution of policies. It
11 
shall also establish Regional Offices.
12 
Sec. 16. 
Composition o f the NLUC. -  The NLUC shall be composed of the
13 
following:
14 
(a) Chairperson to be appointed by the President for a term of six (6) years,
15 
with a rank of Cabinet Secretary;
16 
(b)The Director-General of the National Economic and Development
17 
Authority (NEDA) and Secretary of the Department of Environment and
18 
Natural Resources (DENR) as Vice-Chairpersons;
19 
The President may designate from among the two Vice-Chairpersons a
20 
Chief Executive Officer who shall supervise the day-to-day affairs of the
21 
NLUC.
22 
The members shall be:
23 
(c) The Secretaries of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban
24 
Development (DHSUD), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the
25 
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Trade and
26 
Industry (DTI), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),
27 
the 
Department 
of Transportation 
(DOTr), 
the 
Department 
of
28 
Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department
29 
of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Interior and Local Government
30 
(DILG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Science and
31 
Technology (DOST), the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department
31


1 
of Energy (DOE), and the Chairperson of the National Commission on
2 
Indigenous Peoples (NCIP);
3 
The Department Secretaries and the Chairperson of the NCIP may
4 
designate a representative with a rank not lower than Assistant
5 
Secretary 
and 
Commissioner, 
respectively: 
Provided, 
That 
the
6 
designated representative shall be on a permanent basis.
7 
(d)A  representative each from the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and
8 
Municipalities;
9 
(e)A  representative each from four (4) basic and marginalized sectors
10 
directly involved in land use, namely: urban poor, farmer-peasants,
11 
fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who shall be appointed by the
12 
President 
of 
the 
Philippines 
based 
on 
the 
nomination 
and
13 
recommendation of the respective sectoral councils of the National Anti-
14 
Poverty Commission (NAPC). At least two (2) sectoral representatives
15 
shall be women;
16 
(f) Two (2) representatives from private subdivisions, and housing
17 
developers; and,
18 
(g)Tw o (2) representatives from the accredited association of professionals
19 
dealing on land use such as but not limited to urban and regional
20 
planners, environmental planners, architects, geologists and geodetic
21 
engineers.
22 
Sec. 17. Powers and Functions. -  The NLUC shall have the following powers
23 
and functions:
24 
(a) Advise the President of the Philippines and the NEDA Board on all
25 
matters concerning land use and physical planning;
26 
(b) Integrate and harmonize all laws, guidelines and policies relevant to land
27 
use and physical planning to come up with a national, cohesive, and
28 
comprehensive national land use framework;
29 
(c) Formulate policies and approve land use and physical planning-related
30 
policies that may be formulated by the Regional Land Use Policy Board
31 
(RLUPB), created under Section 25 of this Act, and concerned agencies
32 
as well as promulgate zoning and other land use control standards and
32


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15
16
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19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
guidelines which shall guide the formulation of land use plans and zoning 
ordinances by local governments;
(d) Prepare, periodically review and if necessary, update the national 
framework for physical planning to provide the general framework for 
the spatial development directions for the entire country and sub­
national levels;
(e) Review and approve all land use physical planning related guidelines;
(f) Monitor and coordinate the gathering of data, the conduct of studies 
pertaining to land use planning including studies on the management of 
identified land uses and such other studies not undertaken by other 
government agencies;
(g) Report and recommend to the President of the Philippines and to 
Congress the adoption, passage, or amendment of laws to ensure that 
sectoral programs, 
plans, 
projects and activities including 
local 
government initiatives affecting land use are consistent with national 
development objectives;
(h) Coordinate with and assist other government agencies and LGUs in 
planning, developing, and implementing their land use classification 
programs, and provide, to the extent possible, technical assistance and 
guidance;
(i) Monitor and coordinate the activities of concerned agencies and entities 
of the government, as well as LGUs, in the enforcement and 
implementation of policies and regulations relating to land use and 
resource management and development;
(j) Monitor and coordinate activities in the establishment of a national land 
resource information and management system of concerned agencies 
that shall integrate and process information on land use and allocation 
generated by the various national government agencies, define 
information requirements at various levels; and standardize information 
inputs and outputs including scales and symbols used in territorial and 
sectoral maps;
33


1 
(k) Be the repository of all RPFPs, PPFDPs and CLUPs and all data and
2 
information pertaining to land and land use;
3 
(I) Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the
4 
government, and/or private entities and organization for cooperation,
5 
support, and assistance in the performance of its functions;
6 
(m) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts and territorial jurisdiction on
7 
land use between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the
8 
government and act on unresolved land use policy conflicts at the
9 
regional level elevated by the Regional Land Use Policy Board (RLUPB);
10 
(n) Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of
11 
meetings and other business of the Council;
12 
(o) Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers
13 
as may be necessarily implied, inherent, incident, or related to the
14 
foregoing; and,
15 
(p) Review and recommend fiscal policies and taxation on different land uses
16 
and classification to achieve national goals.
17 
Sec. 18. NLUC Technical Secretariat (NLUC-TS). -  A Technical Secretariat shall
18 
be created to provide technical support to the NLUC. 
It shall be headed by an
19 
Executive Director with a rank of Undersecretary. Fie shall be a qualified professional
20 
in any of the fields of land use, physical planning, environmental management,
21 
engineering, public governance or law.
22 
Sec. 19. The NLUC Technical Secretariat Executive Director. -  The Executive
23 
Director shall supervise the operations of the NLUC Technical Secretariat and assist
24 
the NLUC Chairperson or his/her designated Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
25 
In the absence of the CEO, he/she shall preside over the meetings of the NLUC-
26 
TS.
27 
He/she shall also perform such other functions as may be tasked by the
28 
Chairperson or CEO-Vice Chairperson.
29 
Sec. 20. Offices, Units and S taff Support. -  The appropriate office in the Human
30 
Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC) created under Republic Act No. 11201
31 
or the "Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act" shall be the
32 
core secretariat of the NLUC. The staff in the HSAC and NEDA Regional Development
34


1 
Office who opted to transfer to the NLUC shall be given priority without diminution in
2 
rank and remuneration. 
The staffing pattern shall be drafted by the NLUC in
3 
coordination with the DBM and Civil Service Commission. Other government agencies
4 
may also be called upon for staff support.
5 
The NLUC technical secretariat shall be divided into the following service units
6 
-  Planning and Policy Services, Technical Advisory and Assistance Service, and
7 
Administrative and Financial Services. Each service unit shall be headed by a Director
8 
with a minimum rank of Director I (Salary Grade 22) and shall possess professional
9 
qualifications that relate to land use, physical planning, management, engineering,
10 
governance and law.
11 
(a) Planning and Policy Services -  shall provide planning and policy support
12 
services to the NLUC. It shall be responsible for preparation, formulation
13 
and issuance of national land use planning guidelines, standards and
14 
policies that would be approved by the NLUC. It shall also be responsible
15 
for assisting the NLUC in monitoring the implementation and compliance
16 
of national and local agencies on the national land use policies,
17 
directives, and guidelines. It shall also maintain and update an open
18 
and publicly accessible national land use plan inventory, information and
19 
database monitoring system that shall collate, integrate and consolidate
20 
the general status of the country's land uses at all LGU levels. It shall
21 
also provide legal and legislative support to the NLUC and other policy-
22 
making bodies on land use policies and land use related issues and
23 
concerns.
24 
(b)Technical Advisory and Assistance Sen^ice -  shall provide technical
25 
advisory services to the NLUC and other policy making bodies related to
26 
land use management and implementation. 
It shall also provide
27 
technical assistance to local and national agencies in the preparation and
28 
formulation of their local land use plans, development and sectoral plans,
29 
and other land use-related concerns that may be raised by these bodies.
30 
It shall maintain a national network of technical capable and qualified
31 
representatives under its supervision and administration that shall
32 
provide technical advisory and secretariat support to local land use
35


1 
planning bodies at the LGU levels. The technical advisory and assistance
2 
service shall develop and provide training and capacity building
3 
programmes on land use planning, land management, zoning, mapping
4 
and other related skills for local government units to enhance and
5 
strengthen their capacity to effectively perform the functions of LGUs
6 
under this Act.
7 
(c) Administrative and financial services -  shall provide day-to-day
8 
administrative, human resources, budgeting, logistical support and
9 
financial services to the NLUC and its technical secretariat. It shall also
10 
perform other administrative and support services necessary for the
11 
effective and efficient operation of the NLUC and NLUC secretariat.
12 
ARTICLE I I
13 
REGIONAL AND LOCAL LAND USE PLANNING BOARDS
14 
Sec. 21. 
City/Municipat Land Use Planning and Management Board
15 
(C/MLUPMB). — The C/MLUPMB is hereby created under this Act in all municipalities
16 
and cities, including highly urbanized and component cities, to oversee the
17 
preparation, integration, adoption and approval of their respective Comprehensive
18 
Land Use Plans (CLUPs) and shall ensure the consistency of such plans with approved
19 
national, regional and provincial planning guidelines. The C/MLUPMB shall also be
20 
directly responsible for the effective management and implementation of the approved
21 
CLUP and for ensuring that any existing and future local policies, including zoning
22 
ordinances, development initiatives, programs and projects introduced within its
23 
jurisdiction are consistent with and supportive of land use resource management and
24 
physical planning objectives, directions and character identified by the approved CLUP.
25 
Sec. 22. Powers and Responsibilities o f the City/Municipai Land Use Planning
26 
and Management Board. -  The following are the powers and responsibilities of the
27 
C/MLUPMB:
28 
(a) In coordination with the city/municipal planning and development
29 
office/coordinator, review and issue the necessary local planning
30 
guidelines and/or implementing policies for the preparation and
31 
formulation of the CLUPs within its jurisdiction as provided for by
36


1 
approved national, regional and provincial planning policies and
2 
guidelines;
3 
(b) Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang
4 
PanlungsodXhe draft CLUP for adoption;
5 
(c) Ensure the input of the barangays within the jurisdiction of the
6 
respective city/municipal on sectoral, temporal and spatial dimensions
7 
of the plan and its consistency with approved national, regional and
8 
provincial planning guidelines;
9 
(d) Review, monitor and assess the implementation and operationalization
10 
of the approved CLUP;
11 
(e) Decide and resolve land use policy and zoning conflicts that may arise
12 
between or among barangays within the LGUs;
13 
(f) Resolve and decide any complaints regarding the 
issuance of
14 
applications for locational clearances, building and zoning permits and/or
15 
other planning-related requirement for any project, both private and
16 
public, by the LGU to ensure consistency and conformity with the
17 
approved CLUP and zoning ordinances;
18 
(g) Advise the local chief executive and Sangguniang Bayan on all matters
19 
pertaining to land use and physical planning;
20 
(h) Promote cooperation and sharing of resources between and among its
21 
barangays and neighboring LGUs to address common land use and
22 
development issues including those related to geo-physical hazards,
23 
watershed and river basins, coastal and marine waters, climate change
24 
impact and disaster risks; and,
25 
(i) Convene a technical working group composed of city/municipal
26 
agriculturist, city/municipal environment and natural resources officer,
27 
city/municipal engineer, city/municipal assessor and such other LGU
28 
officials with land related functions in the preparation of the CLUP. The
29 
TWG may request any field officials of national government agencies
30 
with land administration function to assist for the same purposes.
31 
Sec. 23. Composition o f the C/MLUPMB. -  The C/MLUPMB shall be composed
32 
of five (5) members and shall be headed by a Chairperson:
37


1 
(a) City/municipal planning and development coordinator (C/MPDC);
2 
(b) Chairperson of the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Environment and
3 
Natural Resources who shall serve as the chairperson of the C/MLUPMB;
4 
(c) One 
(1) 
representative 
from 
the 
local 
business/private 
sector
5 
association/chamber of commerce, who shall be appointed from among
6 
the accredited organizations within their respective development
7 
councils;
8 
(d)One (1) representative from the basic sector and marginalized groups
9 
(urban poor, fisherfolk, farmers and indigenous peoples) who shall be
10 
appointed from among the accredited organizations within their
11 
respective development councils; and,
12 
(e) NLUC representative who shall serve as ex-officio member.
13 
Except for ex-officio members, the members of the C/MLUPMB 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 in the LGU, national agency
16 
and/or local business/private sector association or basic and marginalized sector group
17 
representation in the Board. 
The City/Municipal Planning and Development
18 
Coordinator/Office (C/MPDC/0) shall provide technical secretariat and administrative
19 
support and resources for the effective operation of the C/MLUPMB.
20 
Aside from the C/MPDO/C, the C/MLUPMB may call upon other local and
21 
national government offices and agencies such as the local engineer, the assessor and
22 
the local field representatives of the DA, the DPWH, the DOTC, the DOT, the DENR,
23 
the DAR, the DepEd and other concerned national agencies to assist the C/MLUPMB
24 
in the performance of its roles and mandates.
25 
Annual appropriations for the operation and activities of the C/MLUPMB shall
26 
be included in the annual budget proposal of the C/MPDO/C: Provided, That other
27 
funds and resources, including grants, applicable services fees and charges collected,
28 
contributions, donations, and other funds to support its operations and activities may
29 
be accepted and received by the C/MLUPMB, subject to existing auditing and reporting
30 
procedures.
38


1 
LCDs shall create and/or activate their respective C/MLUPMB upon guidelines
2 
issued by the NLUC for such purposes, not later than six (6) months from the effectivity
3 
of this Act.
4 
Sec. 24. Provincial Land Use Planning and Management Board (PLUPMB). -
5 
The PLUPMB is hereby created in all provinces under this Act to oversee the
6 
preparation, integration, adoption and approval of the Provincial Physical Framework
7 
Plan (PPFP) and shall ensure its consistency with approved national and regional
8 
planning guidelines. The PLUPMB shall also be directly responsible for the effective
9 
management and implementation of the approved PPFP and ensure that any existing
10 
and future development initiatives, programs and projects introduced within its
11 
jurisdiction are consistent with and support of the land use resource management and
12 
physical planning objectives, direction and character identified in the approved PPFP.
13 
In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 109 of the Local Government
14 
Code (LGC), the PLUPMB shall:
15 
(a) Advise the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on all matters pertaining to land
16 
use and physical planning;
17 
(b) Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for adoption, the
18 
provincial physical framework plans, prepared and periodically updated
19 
by the Provincial Planning and Development Office and other land use
20 
and physical planning-related policies;
21 
(c) Assist the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in reviewing the CLUPs of
22 
component cities/municipalities to ensure consistency with the provincial
23 
framework plans and compliance with the limits prescribed under the
24 
1991 LGC for reclassifying agricultural lands; and,
25 
(d) Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification,
26 
and allocation that may arise between or among cities/municipalities and
27 
any unresolved land use conflicts at the city/municipal level.
28 
The PLUPMB may call upon any local official concerned such as Provincial
29 
Planning 
and 
Development 
Coordinator, 
Provincial 
Agriculturist, 
Provincial
30 
Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Provincial Engineer, Provincial Assessor,
31 
or any official of national agencies and other relevant agencies during discussion on
32 
land use and physical planning concerns.
39


1 
Sec. 25. Composition o f the PLUPMB. -  The PLUPMB shall be composed of the
2 
following fourteen (14) members to be selected based on the rules to be formulated
3 
by the NLUPC as provided in this Act:
4 
(a) Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator (PPDC);
5 
(b) Chairperson of SP Committee on Environment and Natural Resources;
6 
(c) Provincial Chapter President -  League of Municipalities and/or League of
7 
Cities;
8 
(d) Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO);
9 
(e) Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO);
10 
(f) Provincial Agricultural Officer (PAO);
11 
(g) NCIP Provincial Officer;
12 
(h)NLUC Technical Representative;
13 
(i) One 
(1) 
representative 
from 
the 
local 
business/private 
sector
14 
association/chamber of commerce, who shall be appointed from among
15 
the accredited organizations within their respective development
16 
councils;
17 
(j) Four (4) representatives from the basic and marginalized sector groups
18 
(urban poor, fisherfolk, farmers, indigenous peoples): Provided, That at
19 
least two (2) representatives shall be women: Provided, further, That
20 
the representatives shall be appointed from among the accredited
21 
organizations within their respective development councils; and,
22 
(k) Designated board chairperson to be chosen among the members.
23 
Except for ex-officio members, the members of the PLUPMB shall be appointed
24 
for a term of three (3) years, subject however to the elected office held, government
25 
employment and/or official designation of the local government unit, national agency
26 
and/or local business/private sector association or basic and marginalized sector group
27 
representation in the Board. 
The NLUPC, within ninety (90) days from its
28 
establishment, shall formulate the rules for the selection of the chairperson and the
29 
members 
of 
the 
PLUPMB. 
The 
Provincial 
Planning 
and 
Development
30 
Coordinator/Office (PPDC/0) shall provide technical secretariat and administrative
31 
support and resources for the effective operation of the PLUPMB.
40


1 
Aside from the PPDO, the PLUPMB may call upon other local and national
2 
government offices and agencies such as the local engineer, assessor, and local field
3 
representatives of the DA, DPWH, DOTC, DOT, DENR, DAR, DECS, NCIP and other
4 
concerned national agencies to assist the PLUPMB in the performance of its roles and
5 
mandates.
6 
Appropriations for the regular operation and activities of the PLUPMB shall be
7 
included in the annual budget proposal of the PPDO: Provided, That other funds and
8 
resources, 
including 
grants, 
applicable 
service fees and 
charges collected,
9 
contributions, donations, and other funds to support its operations and activities may
10 
be accepted and received by the PLUPMB subject to existing auditing and reporting
11 
procedures.
12 
Sec. 26. Regional Land Use Policy Board. -  At the regional level, the Regional
13 
Land Use Policy Board (RLUPB) shall be institutionalized, replicating the NLUC
14 
structure and composition which shall include a duly authorized representative from
15 
the NEDA, the DENR, the DA, and the DAR. The RLUPB shall have the following
16 
functions:
17 
(a) Formulate and adopt regional policies on land use and physical planning;
18 
(b) Prepare and periodically update a regional physical framework plan,
19 
taking into consideration national policies and lower level plans;
20 
(c) Assist the provinces in preparing and periodically updating its physical
21 
framework plans to ensure consistency with the regional and national
22 
plans and policies and to facilitate its integration to the regional plans;
23 
(d) Review, prior to adoption by respective Sanggunians, the Provincial
24 
Physical 
Framework Plan 
and 
CLUPs of highly 
urbanized 
and
25 
independent component cities to ensure consistency with the regionai
26 
physical framework plan and national policies set forth by LUPC and
27 
compliance with limits prescribed under the 1991 LGC for reclassifying
28 
agricultural lands;
29 
(e) Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification,
30 
and allocation that may arise between or among regional line agencies,
31 
provinces and cities/municipalities;
32 
(f) Monitor changes in land use and other physical resources in the region;
41


1 
(g) Evaluate consistency of major programs and projects with the regional
2 
physical framework plans and their impact on land use and the
3 
environment;
4 
(h) Undertake the gathering of regional data for the Land Resource
5 
Information and Management System; and
6 
(i) Perform other related functions as may be directed by the LUPC.
7 
ARTICLE I I I
8 
ADOPTION, APPROVAL AND REVIEW OF LAND USE PLANS
9 
Sec. 27. 
Component Cities and Municipalities. -  Component cities and
10 
municipalities shall have the power and authority to adopt and approve their
11 
respective CLUPs and ZOs through their respective SangguniansswbietX to the power
12 
of review of their respective provinces only with respect to the consistency of the
13 
CLUPs and ZOs with Section 7 hereof on the preparation of the provincial physical
14 
framework plan.
15 
Sec. 28. Provinces and Independent and Highly Urbanized Cities. -  Provinces
16 
and independent and highly urbanized cities shall have the power and authority to
17 
adopt and approve their respective CLUPs, ZOs or provincial physical framework plan,
18 
as the case may be, through their respective Sanggunian but subject to the review of
19 
the RLUPB as provided in Section 25 of this Act.
20 
ARTICLE IV
21 
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND
22 
LGUs
23 
Sec. 29. National Base Mapping Program. -  A national mapping program shall
24 
be implemented, coordinated, and monitored through the creation of an Inter-agency
25 
Technical Committee (UC) composed of the NAMRIA, as the lead agency, the Bureau
26 
of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the
27 
Land Management Bureau (LMB), the Land Registration Authority (LRA), the Protected
28 
Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the
29 
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS), the DAR, the
30 
National Water Resources Board (NWRB), the DOE, the NEDA and other concerned
31 
government agencies/bureaus. 
The ITC shall be constituted, and the mapping
32 
program shall be initiated, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act. The
42


1 
agencies mentioned in this Section shall endeavour to finish their base mapping
2 
program within two (2) years upon the effectivity of this Act.
3 
To facilitate land use planning and as a part of the National Base Mapping
4 
Program, the Interagency Technical Committee (ITC) shall establish a nationally
5 
consistent Alphanumeric Grid Reference System based on universally-defined
6 
coordinate and grid systems for accurate and consistent identification and
7 
communication.
8 
The spatial and non-spatial data generated by these activities shall be
9 
downloaded to the LGU as soon as practicable. On the other hand, existing land
10 
information data available to the national government agencies as of the effectivity of
11 
this Act shall be immediately downloaded to the LGU.
12 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, to be assisted by the
13 
appropriate agencies of the national government, shall likewise prepare their
14 
respective territorial maps using scales, symbols, and other indicators to be prescribed
15 
in accordance with this Act. The completed maps shall be integrated in the national
16 
physical framework plan pursuant to Section 5 of this Act.
17 
Sec. 30. National Geo-Hazard Mapping Program. -  Within thirty (30) days from
18 
the effectivity of this Act, a nationwide geo-hazard mapping program shall be initiated
19 
jointly thru the NLUC by the PHILVOLCS, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
20 
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the NAMRIA, the MGB, the BSWM,
21 
and the DOE, in coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
22 
Management Council 
(NDRRMC), the Regional 
Disaster Risk Reduction and
23 
Management Council (RDRRMC), and other concerned government agencies. The
24 
program shall include the generation of indicative geo-hazard zoning maps that will
25 
outline areas in the Philippines which are prone to liquefication, landslides, severe
26 
flooding, lahar, ground rupturing, tsunami, river erosion, coastal erosion, sinkhole
27 
collapse, earthquake, lava flow, pyroclastic flow, base surge, and other natural
28 
hazards.
29 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop an safe-
30 
built environment, the LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the
31 
generated geo-hazard zoning maps in their respective CLUPs. Said geo-hazard maps
32 
shall serve as guide for all the LGUs in the preparation of their own hazards-
43


1 
constrained development plans. The national physical framev\/ork planning, pursuant
2 
to Section 5 hereof, shall incorporate these geo-hazard maps.
3 
All infrastructure activities including real estates and subdivision projects and
4 
the development of tourist spots requiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate
5 
(ECC) shall be required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-Hazard
6 
Assessment Report (EGGAR).
7 
Sec. 31. Scope and Nature o f Responsibilities o f Other National Government
8 
Agencies. -  All concerned national government agencies/bodies shall periodically
9 
report to the NLUC on the various activities and accomplishments relative to land use.
10 
Likewise, they shall provide their respective sectoral/development plans and render
11 
technical and administrative support if called upon by the NLUC relative to the
12 
implementation of the provisions of this Act.
13 
Sec. 32. Submission o f Annual Report for Agricultural Development -  Priority
14 
areas for agricultural development for purposes of agricultural production shal be
15 
those agricultural areas under protection land use covered under Republic Act No.
16 
6657 or the CARP, as amended, and those covered under Network of Protected Areas
17 
for Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAAD), defined in Section 4 of
18 
this Act and in R.A. No. 8435 or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act".
19 
CHAPTER VI
20 
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN
21 
ARTICLE I
22 
AGRICULTURAL LANDS
23 
Sec. 33. 
Priority Areas for Agricultural Development. -  Priority areas for
24 
agricultural development for purposes of agricultural production shall be those
25 
agricultural areas under protection land use covered under Republic Act No. 6657 or
26 
the CARP, as amended, and those covered under Network of Protected Areas for
27 
Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAAD), defined in Section 4 of this
28 
Act and in Republic Act No. 8435 or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act."
29 
Sec. 34. 
Conversion o f Agricultural Lands. -  Prime agricultural lands and
30 
specific types of lands to the extent necessary for attaining food self-sufficiency in rice
31 
and corn and food security in other basic commodities, as determined by the DA,
32 
subject to mandatory public hearings/consultations with the LGUs, the private sector,
44


1 
the NGOs, and POs, shall be protected from conversion, which shall include but not
2 
limited to areas under the NPAAAD; Provided, That all irrigated and irrigable lands, all
3 
lands developed or possessing the potential for development of high value crops, and
4 
all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile and whose conversion will result in
5 
serious environmental problems cannot be converted, the areas under which are
6 
subject to review every ten (10) years by the DAR, with the mandatory public
7 
hearings/consultations.
8 
Sec. 35. Sub-classification or Re-dassification o f Agricultural Lands by LGUs.—
9 
Sub-classification or re-classification of agricultural lands to other uses under Section
10 
20 of the LGC of 1991 shall exclude the protected agricultural lands as stated in the
11 
preceding 
section. 
Moreover, 
such 
sub-dassification/re-dassification 
is 
not
12 
synonymous to conversion. The DA and DAR shall provide the LGUs with complete
13 
list and maps of protected agricultural lands within their territorial jurisdictions.
14 
ARTICLE I I
15 
ANCESTRAL DOMAIN
16 
Sec. 36. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development within Ancestral Domain.
17 
-  Agricultural lands within ancestral domain shall be developed in accordance with
18 
their Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP).
19 
Sec. 37. Respect for Ancestral Domains. -  The Ancestral Domain Management
20 
Plan (ADMP) or ADSDDP shall be adopted in the CLUP and/or other plans that the LGU
21 
is mandated to produce. The extent of the ancestral domains shall be reflected in the
22 
land use plan, where it will be zoned as such in the zoning ordinance and shall be co-
23 
managed by the LGU and IP community. Additionally, the ADSDPP shall be included
24 
in the investment plans of the LGU.
25 
Sec. 38. Ancestral Domain Policy Adoption. — Ancestral domain policies shall
26 
be adopted in the LGU's land use policy framework. However, in the event that the
27 
ADMP/ADSDPP is still in the formulation stage or remains to be formulated, the right
28 
to self-determination and traditional resource and management systems and
29 
processes shall be upheld at all times as provided for by the IPRA of 1997.
30 
ARTICLE I I I
31 
FOREST LANDS AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
45


1 
Sec. 39. Forestland Boundary Delineation. -  Pursuant to Section 4, Article 12
2 
of the 1987 Constitution which mandates Congress to determine by law the specific
3 
limits of forestlands and national parks, the Secretary of the DENR shall submit to
4 
Congress the final forestland boundaries delineated by province and the Congress shall
5 
consider the same for adoption.
6 
Sec. 40. Reversion o f Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands. -  Upon
7 
the recommendation of the Secretary of the DENR, duly reviewed and endorsed by
8 
the NLUC, and after due consultations with the concerned LGUs and affected parties,
9 
Congress may authorize the reversion of alienable and disposable lands of the public
10 
domain or portion thereof to forestlands. Thereafter, said lands shall be included in
11 
the preparation of land use plans within forestlands.
12 
Sec. 41. Critical Watershed Areas. -  The DENR, in coordination with the DA,
13 
LGUs, and other government agencies, including government-owned and -controlled
14 
corporations, and with mandatory public hearings/consultations, shall review, identify
15 
and delineate critical watershed areas that need to be protected, rehabilitated,
16 
enhanced, and/or withdrawn from uses that contribute to their further degradation.
17 
Sec. 
42. 
Formulation and Implementation o f Integrated Watershed
18 
Management Plans. -  In the absence of a law on the protection and sustainable
19 
management of our forests, the LGUs through their local land use committees and
20 
upon mandatory public hearings/consultations with the concerned sectors, and with
21 
the assistance of DENR, shall prepare their watershed management plans which shall
22 
be integrated with their respective CLUPs. The formulation and integration of the
23 
plans shall be guided, among others, by the principle that the management and
24 
development of inland water resources shall be at the watershed level. A nationwide
25 
mapping of watersheds in the country shall be implemented.
26 
In cases where the watershed areas transcend the boundaries of a particular
27 
municipality, an inter-LGU committee composed of representatives from local land use
28 
committees of the LGUs where the watershed area is located shall be formed. With
29 
the assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory public hearings/consultations with
30 
the concerned sectors, the inter-LGU committee shall formulate the watershed
31 
management plan for the said watershed area.
46


1 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the watershed
2 
management plan subject to regular consultations with and involvement of the
3 
community and other stakeholders in the implementation of the plan.
4 
The preparation of forest land use plans shall make use of the watershed as
5 
the basic planning unit.
6 
ARTICLE IV
7 
COASTAL ZONE
8 
Sec. 43. Criteria on the Allocation and Utilization o f Lands within the Coastal
9 
Zones. — The allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zone shall be guided
10 
by the following:
11 
(a) Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be preserved for mangrove
12 
production and shall not be converted to other uses;
13 
(b) Areas which meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil depth,
14 
topography, supply for successful fishpond development, and are not
15 
identified as mangrove protected areas, shall be utilized for aquaculture
16 
purposes; Provided, That a 4:1 ratio for mangroves and fishponds is
17 
maintained to support ecological processes in mangrove ecosystems;
18 
(c) Areas sub-classified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or
19 
due to environmental conditions need to be preserved as mangrove, but
20 
is devoid of mangrove stands shall not be converted to other uses. The
21 
DENR shall ensure that these lands shall be reforested within a given
22 
period of time;
23 
(d) Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and
24 
housing shall be allocated to traditional fisherfolk who are inhabitants of
25 
the 
coastal 
communities 
and 
members 
of legitimate 
fisherfolk
26 
organizations and/or holders of stewardship lease contracts or titles to
27 
ancestral domains or any form of property right arrangements who
28 
participate in coastal resource management initiatives, subject to the
29 
usual census procedures of the Department of Human Settlements and
30 
Urban Development.
31 
(e) Areas 
which 
are 
neither sub-classified 
as mangrove, 
fisherfolk
32 
settlement nor fishpond may be devoted to recreational or tourism
47


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
1
purposes: 
Provided, That such 
undertaking 
will 
not 
result 
in 
environmental degradation and displacement of small fishers;
(f) Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used 
primarily for such purpose;
(g) Areas which have been allocated for small infrastructure needed by 
fisherfolk shall be allowed; and,
(h) Areas which form part of foreshore lands as defined in this Act including 
those which are under lease agreements or arrangements shall undergo 
zoning and evaluation to determine their boundaries and actual sizes 
and corresponding uses, taking into consideration the protection of 
mangroves or restoration zones and the compliance with the required 
4:1 ratio between mangroves and fishponds.
Sec. 44. Coastal Land Zone Sub-classification. -  All public lands in the coastal 
zones shall be sub-classified into any of the following: estuaries, lagoons, inter-tidal 
flats, mudflats, fishponds, mangroves, protection from tidal surge, for preservation of 
biodiversity, habitats and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife, fisherfolk settlement, or 
recreational/tourism areas. No sub-classification of coastal zone to different uses shall 
be done without the following:
(a) Conduct of a comprehensive resource and environmental assessment by 
the DENR and respective LCDs and accredited NGOs and POs within their 
jurisdiction; and,
(b) Prior consultation with the Local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource 
Management Councils (FARMCs) formed under Republic Act No. 8550 or 
the Philippine Fisheries Code.
Sec. 45. Zoning o f Foreshore Areas. -  Local government units, in coordination 
with the DENR, shall conduct zoning of their respective foreshore areas to assist 
government and community fishers identify priority areas for conservation and 
development, and to enable them to set targets for mangrove reforestation and 
rehabilitation.
Sec. 46. Protection o f Waterways Easements and Hood Plains. -  Structures of 
any kind shall not be built in waterways easements. Pursuant to PD 1067 or the Water 
Code, the banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout
48


1 
their entire length and within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20)
2 
meters in agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins,
3 
are subject to the easement of public use only in the interest of recreation, navigation,
4 
floatage, fishing and salvage.
5 
The protection of flood plains shall adopt a river basin management approach
6 
in order to come up with integrated flood mitigation interventions. 
Development
7 
within flood plains and other flood-prone areas must be controlled or, if allowed, must
8 
be so sited, constructed and serviced that life of occupants are not put at risk and that
9 
disruptions during floods are minimal. The identification and characterization of flood-
10 
prone areas and flood plains shall be an integral part of CLUP preparation. Through
11 
the CLUPs and zoning ordinances, LGUs shall establish land use regulations to mitigate
12 
flood risks.
13 
The DPWH, in coordination with DOST and DENR, shall declare flood control
14 
areas, as necessary, and prohibit or control activities that could damage or cause
15 
deterioration of lakes and dikes, obstruct the flow of water, change the natural flow
16 
of rivers, increase flood losses or aggravate flood problems pursuant to Presidential
17 
Decree 1067.
18 
ARTICLE V
19 
MINERAL LANDS
20 
Sec. 47. Criteria for the Utiiization and Aiiocation o f Land for Mining Purposes.
21 
-  To ensure that ecological balance and sustainable use of mineral resources will
22 
promote economic growth and uphold human rights of indigenous peoples and/or
23 
local communities in areas with mining operations, the allocation and utilization of
24 
lands for mining purposes shall be guided by the following:
25 
(a) The principle/s of sustainable development;
26 
(b) In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards shall
27 
be instituted by the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent
28 
environmental degradation of the mining sites and adjacent areas;
29 
(c) Mineral reservations which have become non-operational for more than
30 
five (5) years as determined by the MGB shall be placed under
31 
appropriate surface management by the DENR;
49


1 
(d) Consistent with the Mining Act of 1995, areas closed to mining
2 
operations shall be periodically reviewed through mineral exploration to
3 
be undertaken by the DENR for the purpose of determining whether or
4 
not their continued closure is consistent with the national interest and,
5 
if warranted, recommend their re-classification as mineral lands;
6 
(e) Land under protection land use shall be exempted from mining activities
7 
to minimize the effect of natural calamities and to protect food security,
8 
respectively.
9 
(f) The small to large scale mining operations shall recognize the tenurial
10 
instrument given by the government such as Original Certificate of Title
11 
(OCT), Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT), Certificate of Ancestral Domain
12 
Title (CADT), Emancipation Patent -  Certificate of Land Ownership
13 
Award (EP-CLOA) and other instruments.
14 
Sec. 48. Reversion o f Mineral Lands. -  All mineral lands with exhausted mineral
15 
resources, as determined by the MGB upon the recommendation of the DENR, shall
16 
revert to its original land classification, either as forestland or agricultural land. The
17 
full cost of rehabilitation shall be borne by the company or entity which undertook the
18 
mining activity in the area. In the case of forestlands, the DENR may classify such
19 
areas for other purposes in consultation with concerned LGUs, the Department of
20 
Tourism (DOT), and other national government agencies.
21 
ARTICLE VI
22 
ENERGY RESOURCE LANDS
23 
Sec. 49. 
Guidelines for the Utilization and Allocation o f Lands for Energy
24 
Resource Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution Purposes.
25 
-  To ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and maximizing the
26 
power potential from indigenous energy resources in the most economical and
27 
environmentally-acceptable means are realized, the allocation and utilization of lands
28 
for said purposes shall be guided by the following, consistent with existing regulations
29 
and laws on energy resources:
30 
(a) Indigenous energy resource exploration and development for the purpose
31 
of a National Energy Resource Inventory and Data Base as well as Energy
50


1 
Resource Block Map shall be allowed subject to the implementation of
2 
complementary watershed and other land management plans;
3 
(b) Indigenous 
energy 
resource 
exploration, 
development, 
production,
4 
utilization, and distribution shall be subject to the appropriate requirements
5 
and processes of the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
6 
System. Each project shall secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate
7 
(ECC) prior to project implementation to ensure adequate and appropriate
8 
environmental management measures and optimum methods for resource
9 
access and recovery are utilized; and,
10 
(c) Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been
11 
established to be non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used
12 
for energy purposes shall be released to give way to other land uses, subject
13 
to existing laws covering energy reservations.
14 
Sec. 50. 
Reversion o f Energy Resource Lands. -  All exhausted indigenous
15 
energy resource lands not covered by proclamations shall automatically revert to the
16 
category of forestlands or agricultural lands open to disposition, whichever is
17 
appropriate. Exhausted energy resource lands shall refer to specific energy resource
18 
sites whose energy reserves of the desired type/s are no longer in sufficient quantity
19 
or quality to justify additional expenditure for their extraction and utilization.
20 
CHAPTER V II
21 
SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT
22 
Sec. 51. 
Town, City, and Settlements Development — The development of
23 
town, city and settlements through the zoning ordinances of cities and municipalities
24 
shall be guided by the CLUPs and urban zoning standards designed to maximize
25 
existing urban spaces. Socialized housing and settlement areas shall be established
26 
only on alienable and disposable lands and which are expressly declared by an act of
27 
Congress or Presidential Proclamation that the same are no longer intended for public
28 
service or development of the national wealth or otherwise been converted to
29 
patrimonial property in order to avoid further degradation of forestlands.
30 
Sec. 52. Settlements Within Geo-Hazard Areas. — Settlements, in particular
31 
housing or residential developments, within geo-hazard areas may be allowed
51


1 
provided that mitigating and/or protective measures are adopted to address the
2 
potential danger or risk to lives and property within such settlements.
3 
Sec. 53. 
Designation o f Sanitary Landfill. -  Each city or municipality shall
4 
identify, designate and allocate an area preferably within their territorial jurisdiction
5 
to serve as sanitary landfill within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. The
6 
LGUs, in coordination with the DENR or any other competent authority, shall identify
7 
sanitary landfill in order to expedite the conduct of environmental impact assessment
8 
study and to facilitate processing of the environmental compliance certificate. The
9 
site or area shall be identified in the city or municipality's CLUP. For this purpose,
10 
cities and municipalities shall establish their solid waste management program,
11 
pursuant to R.A. No. 9003, otherwise known as the "Ecological Solid Waste
12 
Management Act of 2000". Likewise, as provided under Section 33 of the LGC, cities
13 
and municipalities may, through appropriate ordinances, bind themselves towards the
14 
establishment of a common solid waste management program.
15 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR, in
16 
coordination with concerned agencies, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines and
17 
standards for the formulation and establishment of solid waste management programs
18 
by cities and municipalities, and shall submit the same to the LUPC for review and
19 
approval.
20 
Sec. 54. Designation and Zoning o f Socialized Housing Zones. -  Each city of
21 
municipality in urban, urbanizable and rural areas shall designate through the CLUP
22 
adequate lands for housing or residential purposes, including socialized housing and
23 
resettlement areas for the immediate and future needs of the local population as well
24 
as the underprivileged and homeless in their territory, pursuant to existing laws and
25 
regulations. In order to ensure adequate availability of land for the housing needs of
26 
the local population, the CLUP shall be updated, at the earliest after every ten (10)
27 
years for provinces, cities and municipalities.
28 
The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential zones,
29 
and shall be zones as socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city or
30 
municipality's zoning ordinance, pursuant to existing laws and regulations. Preference
31 
shall be given to lands proximate to public transportation facilities which may include
32 
inter alia railways and public terminals.
52


1 
Fishetfolk settlements and housing in coastal municipalities shall be zones near
2 
the sea for easy access to their livelihood pursuant to Section 42 of this Act.
3 
Sec. 55. 
Urban Forest or Green Space. -  Each city or highly urbanizing
4 
municipality shall identify, designate, and allocate lands owned by the city of
5 
municipality as urban forest or green space based on the guidelines and standards to
6 
be issued by the DENR and approved by the NLUC.
7 
CHAPTER V III
8 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS
9 
Sec. 56. 
Criteria for Designating Industriai Deveiopment Areas. — The
10 
identification and establishment of industrial development areas including Special
11 
Economic Zones and/or freeports shall conform with the provisions of R.A. No. 7916,
12 
or the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Act, R.A. No. 6657 or the
13 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Act, as amended by R.A. No. 9700
14 
or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms Act
15 
(CARPER), R.A. No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), R.A. No. 7279
16 
or the Urban Development Housing Act (UDHA), and R.A. No. 8435 or the Agriculture
17 
and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), taking into consideration the following:
18 
(a) Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected
19 
agricultural areas pursuant to the AFMA;
20 
(b) National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based
21 
industrial development;
22 
(c) Identified growth areas and corridors in the National Development Plan;
23 
(d) National Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and non-NIPAS areas that
24 
require protection;
25 
(e) National and Urban Development and Housing Framework;
26 
(f) Identified Socialized Housing Zones;
27 
(g) National framework for physical planning and other existing national
28 
programs and policies;
29 
(h) Local Government Unit (LGU) consent through a resolution from the
30 
affected LGU's respective Sanggunians,
31 
(i) Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and Environmental Impact
32 
Statement (EIS);
53


1 
(j) Certificate of no overlap from the DENR, DAR and the NCIP; and,
2 
(k) NEDA approval.
3 
The land use plans of all Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and/or freeports
4 
whether created by special laws, through Republic Act No. 7916 (PEZA Law) or
5 
executive proclamations shall conform to the approved Comprehensive Land Use Plans
6 
pursuant to this Act. The NLUC shall order all Special Economic Zones and freeports
7 
to submit revised land use plans, for review and approval by their respective city or
8 
municipal councils where these areas are located.
9 
Any ambiguity in the conflict or overlap in land use shall be resolved in favour
10 
of the preferential rights of the basic and marginalized sectors protected by the
11 
Constitution.
12 
NEDA shall review and evaluate the viability in terms of the volume of
13 
investments against the cost of environment, labor, tax incentive, and maintenance of
14 
peace and order of Special Economic Zones and freeports.
15 
The designated industrial development areas shall become an integral part of
16 
the land use plan and zoning ordinance of the city or municipality where these areas
17 
are located.
18 
CHAPTER IX
19 
TO URISM  DEVELOPMENT AND HERITAGE AREAS
20 
Sec. 57. 
Designating Tourism Deveiopment Areas. — The identification,
21 
selection, and development of tourism development areas, tourism estates and
22 
tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) shall be done in consultation and coordination with
23 
the concerned LGUs, the TIEZA and concerned national government agencies, the
24 
private sector, and affected communities, subject to the provisions of R.A. No. 9593
25 
or Tourism Act of 2009. 
Tourism development areas shall likewise include those
26 
covered by legislative and executive issuances as tourist spots, tourist zones and
27 
tourism ecozones which can be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort,
28 
leisure and recreation complexes and other tourism-related facilities as well as those
29 
identified in the national, regional and inter-regional tourism, and area specific tourism
30 
master plans and other sector plans such as ecotourism and agri-tourism sites.
31 
Designated areas for tourism development shall become part of the CLUPs of
32 
the cities or municipalities where these are located.
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Lands identified as part of a TEZ shall qualify for exemption from the coverage
2 
of Republic Act Nos. 7279 and 6657 subject to rules and regulations to be crafted by
3 
the TIEZA, DHSUD, DAR and DA: Provided, That a certificate shall be obtained from
4 
the DA that said lands are no longer economically feasible and sound for agricultural
5 
purposes, consistent with Section 33 of this Act.
6 
Sec. 58. Identification and Declaration o f Areas for Protection, Conservation
7 
and Preservation o f Cultural Heritage. -  Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10066, the
8 
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and/or the National Museum
9 
in coordination with National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), DHSUD
10 
and other concerned agencies, local communities, and the private sector, shall identify
11 
declared areas and structures which shall be protected and/or preserved as part of
12 
the Philippine cultural heritage subject to the IPRA.
13 
The LGUs in coordination with the NHCP, the NCCA and the Cultural Center of
14 
the Philippines (CCP) shall designate historical zones to protect the historical integrity
15 
of said geographical areas and cultural space of intangible cultural properties.
16 
CHAPTER X
17 
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
18 
Sec. 59. Allocation and Use o f Land for Infrastructure Development. — Land,
19 
whether public or private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure
20 
projects that are supportive of national or local development objectives. The NEDA,
21 
in consultation with the concerned national government agencies, LGUs, and the
22 
private sector shall identify and periodically review, update and/or revise the list of
23 
priority infrastructure projects subject to Sections 5 and 33 of this Act, and Section 47
24 
of Republic Act No. 8435 or AFMA. In determining and evaluating the list of priority
25 
infrastructure projects, consideration shall be given to those that:
26 
(a) Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national economy
27 
with priority on improving rural infrastructure and the development of
28 
the agriculture and fisheries sectors;
29 
(b) Upgrade existing facilities to international standards;
30 
(c) Address the need for sustainable settlements development; and,
31 
(d)Help mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing
32 
phenomena or those that shall serve as alternatives to existing
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1 
infrastructures found in natural hazard-prone areas: Provided, That the
2 
provision and implementation of infrastructure support shall be made
3 
compatible with existing environmental conditions and the physical,
4 
whether natural or human-made, and cultural character of the area.
5 
Mandatory public hearings/consultations pursuant to existing laws and
6 
regulations shall be held prior to the conduct of all infrastructure
7 
projects that will necessarily involve dislocation or displacement of
8 
people in the area: Provided, further, That the proponent of the
9 
infrastructure project shall follow the rules on just and humane eviction
10 
or demolition under Section 28 or R.A. No. 7279 or the Urban
11 
Development Housing Act (UDHA), notwithstanding the provisions of
12 
R.A. 8975, prohibiting lower courts from issuing temporary restraining
13 
orders, preliminary injunctions, or preliminary mandatory injunctions,
14 
and proponent shall follow IPRA: Provided, finally. That national
15 
government infrastructure projects shall allocate budget for the
16 
adequate relocation of displaced communities.
17 
Sec. 60. Infrastructure Projects Within Geo-Hazard Areas. -  Construction of
18 
priority infrastructure projects within hazard-prone areas shall be allowed: Provided,
19 
That mitigating and/or preventive measures are adopted to address the potential
20 
adverse economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts that will emanate from
21 
these infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and recommendations of a
22 
feasibility study/environmental impact assessment in accordance with Presidential
23 
Decree No. 1586 entitled, "Establishing an Environmental Impact Statement System,
24 
Including Other Environmental Management Related Measures", and Republic Act No.
25 
4846 or the "Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act", as amended by
26 
Presidential Decree No. 374.
27 
Existing projects that did not go through the process of an environmental
28 
impact assessment and pose threats to the environment, integrity of historic,
29 
archeological, or scientifically significant areas; 
or are impinging on critical
30 
ecosystems, shall either be, as determined by the concerned agencies: (a) terminated
31 
immediately, (b) required to implement an Environmental Management Plan; (c)
32 
gradually phased-out and relocated; or, (d) maintained up to their life span, subject.
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1 
however, to mitigating measures: Provided, That the rules on mandatory public
2 
hearings/consultations and just and humane eviction or demolition shall also be
3 
observed prior to the termination, gradual phase-out, or relocation of projects that will
4 
necessarily involve dislocation or displacement of people in the area.
5 
CHAPTER XI
6 
TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND VALUE FORMATION
7 
Sec. 61. 
Value Formation. -  In order to create a well-informed, responsible
8 
and committed citizenry who values the protection, conservation and development of
9 
the country's limited land, and other physical resources, the State shall mandate the
10 
inclusion of sustainable land use education or any subject related thereto into the
11 
curricula of primary, secondary and tertiary education.
12 
Sec. 62. Information and Education Campaign. -  The NLUC shall undertake a
13 
nationwide education information campaign in land use and physical planning to be
14 
implemented by local and national government agencies. The DILG and concerned
15 
agencies shall formulate and implement a land use management capability-program
16 
for national and local government officials, community leaders, NGOs, POs, religious
17 
sector, and the general public: Provided, That it shall be mandatory for local
18 
government officials involved in the preparation of CLUPs and PPFDP, including the
19 
municipal, city and provincial development officer to attend the Land Use Management
20 
Capability-Building Program.
21 
CHAPTER X II
22 
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS, AND PENALTIES
23 
ARTICLE I
24 
INCENTIVES AND AWARDS
25 
Sec. 63. Formulation o f a System o f Incentives and Awards. -  The NLUC shall
26 
come out with a system of incentives and awards to LGUs that regularly update their
27 
CLUPs/ZOs within the prescribed period, as follows:
28 
(a) Provinces, Highly Urbanized Cities, and Independent Component Cities
29 
once every ten (10) years; and,
30 
(b) Component cities and municipalities once every ten (10) years.
31 
Sec. 64. Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs. -  In providing technical
32 
assistance and other forms of support related to land use management and the
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1 
implementation of development plans, the national government agencies shall give
2 
priority to cities and municipalities with approved CLUPs/ZOs.
3 
ARTICLE I I
4 
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES
5 
Sec. 65. Fine for Non-Completion and Non-Commencement o f Development o f
6 
Agricultural Lands with Approved Order o f Conversion. -  A landowner and his/her
7 
designated developer or duly authorized representative who fails to commence and/or
8 
complete the development of agricultural lands with approved order of conversion
9 
shall be penalized, jointly or severally, with any of the following fines based on the
10 
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 conversion
12 
order:
13 
(1) 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 CARO
27 
and processed for land distribution as soon as possible.
28 
Sec. 66. Authority to Impose Fine. — The DAR shall impose the penalty provided
29 
for under the preceding section.
30 
Sec. 67. Withdrawal o f Local Development Permits or Licenses. -  Upon receipt
31 
of notice from the DAR, the concerned agencies and the city or municipality shall
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1 
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 o f 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. -
1 
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 regular
18 
capacity, found to be responsible for any of the foregoing acts, after due notice and
19 
hearing by the appropriate body or agency, shall be punished with forfeiture of salaries
20 
and allowances and suspension from:
21 
(l)S ix  (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, causing,
26 
inducing, or abetting illegal conversion shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned from
27 
seven (7) to twelve (12) years and imposed a fine of not less than One hundred
28 
thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both at the discretion of the Court: Provided, That
29 
if the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the
30 
penalty shall, in addition thereto, include dismissal, through permanent separation
31 
from the service and forfeiture of all benefits and entitlements accruing to the public
32 
position and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive
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1 
public office: Provided, further, That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty
2 
of imprisonment shall be imposed on the president, chief executive officer, manager,
3 
chairperson and all the members of the board, and other responsible officers thereof,
4 
and the fine shall be equivalent to the zonal value of the land or forty percent (40%)
5 
of the shareholders equity, as determined at the time of judgment whichever is higher,
6 
plus forfeiture of the land in favour of the State for sale through public auction, the
7 
proceeds of which shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund as provided
8 
for in Section 67 of this Act.
9 
Sec. 71. 
Penalty for Reclassification o f Protected Agricultural Lands and
10 
Exceeding the Limit Areas Allowed for Re-dassification. -  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 the
15 
court: Provided, That if the offender is a public official or employee, the penalty shall,
16 
in addition thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation from the service,
17 
whether elected or appointed, and forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the public
18 
position, and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive
19 
public position: Provided, further. That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty
20 
shall be imposed on the president, chief executive officer, manager, chairperson and
21 
all the members of the board, and other responsible officers thereof.
22 
Sec. 72. 
Payment o f Disturbance Compensation. -  Following the order of
23 
priority as enumerated in Section 22 of the CARP, as amended, qualified beneficiaries
24 
such as agricultural lessees and share tenants, regular farm workers, seasonal farm
25 
workers, other farm workers, actual tillers or occupants of public lands, collective, or
26 
cooperative of the above-mentioned beneficiaries, and others directly working on the
27 
land affected by agricultural land use conversion shall be entitled to the payment of
28 
disturbance compensation equivalent to five (5) times the average of the gross
29 
harvests on the landholding during the last five (5) preceding calendar years, as
30 
determined by the DAR.
31 
CHAPTER X III
32 
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS
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1 
Sec. 73. Convening o f the NLUC. -  Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity
2 
of this Act, the President shall convene the NLUC.
3 
Sec. 74. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  Within six (6) months from
4 
the effectivity of this Act, the NLUC shall promulgate the rules and regulations to
5 
implement the provisions of this Act.
6 
Sec. 75. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act. -  There is
7 
hereby created a Congressional Oversight Committee which shall monitor the
8 
implementation of this Act. It shall be composed of seven (7) members from the
9 
Senate and seven (7) members from the House of Representatives. The Chairpersons
10 
of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and the House of
11 
Representatives Committee on Natural Resources shall be the Chair and Co-Chair of
12 
the Congressional Oversight Committee, respectively. The other members from the
13 
Senate shall be appointed by the Senate President based on proportional
14 
representation of the patties or coalitions therein with at least one (1) senator
15 
representing the minority. The other members from the House of Representatives
16 
shall be appointed by the Speaker also based on proportional representation of the
17 
parties or coalitions therein with at least one (1) member representing the minority.
18 
The secretariat of the Oversight Committee shall be drawn from the existing
19 
secretariat personnel of the committees comprising the oversight and the funding shall
20 
be taken form the appropriations of both the Senate and the House of
21 
Representatives.
22 
Sec. 76. 
Appropriations. -  The appropriations of the National Land Use
23 
Commission shall be taken from the budget office of the President in the General
24 
Appropriations Act in the year following the effectivity of this Act. It shall be used to
25 
carry out the initial operations of the National Land Use Commission. Thereafter,
26 
additional sums as may be necessary for the full implementation of NLUC's functions
27 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
28 
Sec. 77. 
Review o f Existing Land Use Rians. -  Provinces, cities, and
29 
municipalities especially managed/administered areas by government, all Special
30 
Economic Zones and/or freeports with existing land use plans shall review, revise,
31 
reconcile, and harmonize the same with the guidelines and standards set forth under
32 
this Act within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act. Actual use shall be
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3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26 
27
1
preferred over future or reserve use: Provided, That all existing locational clearances 
and zoning permits issued by the LGUs, prior to the effectivity of this Act, shall remain 
valid pending review of the existing CLUPs and zoning ordinances and they shall not 
be invalidated because of the sole reason that the new and approved CLUPs and ZOs 
have determined that they should be properly located in a different land use zoning 
area: Provided, further, That appropriate measures shall be adopted by the local 
government unit concerned, the landowner and the developer should any existing 
structure and facilities are found to be properly covered by a different land use zoning 
category in areas where they are currently located: Provided, finally, That existing 
structures and facilities within extremely hazardous and high-risk/danger zone which 
cannot be addressed by any mitigating and/or protective measures shall be required 
to relocate.
Sec. 78. 
Repealing Clause. -  All republic acts, executive orders, rules and 
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 79. Non-impairment Clause. -  Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to 
diminish, impair, or repeal rights recognized, granted, or available to marginalized or 
basic sectors under existing laws including but not limited to Republic Act Nos. 7279, 
6657, 8371, and 8550.
Sec. 80. 
Separability Clause. — If for any reason or reasons, any part or 
provision of this Act shall be declared or held to be unconstitutional or invalid, other 
parts or provisions hereof, which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full 
force and effect.
Sec. 81. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of 
general circulation.
Approved,
62