Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT POLICY, 
PROVIDING THE IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The land is a vital resource to the state. It is essential both for subsistence and development.  Land not 
only supports all living organisms, it also enables economic activity through primary production systems 
such as roads, industries, communication, etc. Land directly contributes to the food production and 
consequently, food security. It also plays a vital role in water management as it serves as a storage for 
surface and ground water.  
Land, however, is considered to be a finite resource. Land supply is inelastic—meaning, it is fixed and 
it cannot be massively produced to meet increasing demands. It is a slowly renewable resource, which 
means that it would take a longer time for this resource to be replenished.  
As an agricultural country, 47% of Philippines’ land area (roughly 30 million hectares) are agricultural 
lands. However, with demands and pressure from industrial development, urbanization, population 
growth, food security, there is an increasing need for more industrial, commercial and residential 
areas—thus the need for land use conversions. In adherence to the concept of intergenerational 
responsibility, it is the duty of the State to rationalize the management of land resources in order to 
ensure the optimal and sustainable use of these resources for this generation and the generations to 
come. 
This proposed bill aims to harmonize existing laws, policies and guidelines that pertain to land use, 
planning and management. It shall provide a comprehensive framework for the allocation, disposition, 
sustainable use, and management of land resources for various purposes.  
Further, this bill shall provide measures for local government units to exercise control over the 
management and maintenance of ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction. It shall also 
enable stakeholders to participate in defining the comprehensive framework for land use and 
management and in decision-making, through mandatory consultations regarding the resolution of 
conflicting policies.  
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the Filipino 
people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
August 24, 2022
1:15 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT POLICY, 
PROVIDING THE IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:  
CHAPTER I 
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "National Land Use and Management 
Act of the Philippines".  
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies and Principles. - It is the policy of the State to: 
(a)
Provide for a rational, holistic and just allocation, utilization, management, and
development of the country's land and water resources so that their use is consistent with
the principles of equity, social justice, environmental integrity and sustainable development
for the common good;
(b)
Hold owners and users of land responsible for developing and conserving their lands
thereby making these productive and supportive of sustainable development and
environmental stability in accordance with the principle that the use of land bears a social
function and that all economic agents shall contribute to the common good;
(c)
Treat groups 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;
(d)
Strengthen the capacity of the local government units (LGUs) to manage and maintain
ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction, in partnership with the national
government, in accordance with the Philippine Constitution and Republic Act No. 7160 or
the Local Government Code of 1991.
Towards this end, the State shall institutionalize land use and physical planning as a mechanism for 
identifying, determining, and evaluating appropriate land use and allocation patterns that promote and 
ensure: 
1)
Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability;
2)
Sustainable and just management and utilization of natural resources;
3)
Disaster risk reduction and climate risk-based planning;
4)
Protection of prime agricultural lands for food security, with emphasis on self-sufficiency
through efficient and sustainable use of land resources consistent with the principles of
sound agricultural development, natural resources development, and agrarian reform;
5)
Protection and conservation of the country's natural heritage, permanent forest lands,
natural forests, critical watersheds and key biodiversity areas to ensure adequate forest
cover to maintain ecological processes in the country;
4081


6)
Sustainable development and management of water resources;
7)
Settlements, transportation and other infrastructure development in support of inclusive
growth and rural, urban and regional development;
8)
Improved access to affordable housing by increasing the supply thereof through direct
allocation, better access to unutilized lands, and increased production of multiple use and
higher density projects, where appropriate;
9)
Respect for and protection of the traditional resource right of the Indigenous Cultural
Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) to their ancestral domains; compliance with
free and prior informed consent of ICCs/IPs; and recognition of customary laws and
traditional resource use and management, knowledge, and practices in ancestral domains;
10)
Equitable access to land through State intervention that guarantees its affordability to the
basic disadvantaged sectors defined under Republic Act No. 8425 or the Social Reform and
Poverty Alleviation Act;
11)
Energy security or energy self-sufficiency;
12)
Preservation and conservation of parks and protected areas to keep the scenery, the
natural and historic objects, and the biodiversity therein in their natural state and prevent
them from being damaged for purposes of public recreational use and enjoyment; and
13)
Meaningful participation of the basic sectors.
SEC. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply to all lands and all resources therein, whether public, private, 
government-owned, and/or in the possession of any person, whether natural or juridical, and shall 
guide the rational, holistic and just allocation, utilization, development and management of the country's 
land and water resources including such activities that bear impact on said resources. 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
(a)
Agricultural land refers to the subclass of classified agricultural lands devoted to or suitable
for the cultivation of the soil, planting of crops, growing of trees, raising of livestock,
poultry, fish or aquaculture production, including the harvesting of such farm products, and
other farm activities and practices performed in conjunction with such farming operations,
by persons whether natural or juridical, and not classified as residential land, commercial
land or industrial land;
(b)
Agricultural land use conversion refers to the undertaking of any development activity
which modifies or alters the physical characteristics of agricultural lands to render them
suitable for nonagricultural purposes under an approved order of conversion issued by the
appropriate government agency;
(c)
Alienable and disposable lands of the public domain refer to lands of the public domain
which have been delineated, classified, and certified as such and available for disposition
under Commonwealth Act No. 141, otherwise known as the Public Land Act, as amended;
(d)
Ancestral domains refer to all areas generally belonging to ICCs/IPs as defined in Republic
Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997;
(e)
Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) refers to a plan
formulated and pursued in accordance with the rights ofICCs/IPs to manage and develop
the land as well as natural and human resources within their ancestral domains based on
their indigenous knowledge systems and practices on the principle of self-determination;
(f)
Classified agricultural land refers to one of the four ( 4) classifications of land under the
Constitution not classified by law as mineral land, forest land or national park and the only
land classification subject to alienation;
(g)
Coastal area/zone refers to a band of dryland 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 landward limit
of one (I) kilometer from the shoreline at high tide to include mangrove swamps, brackish
water ponds, nipa swamps, estuarine rivers, sandy beaches and other areas within a
seaward limit of two hundred (200) meters isobath to include coral reefs, algal flats,
seagrass beds, and other soft-bottom areas;
(h)
Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) refers to a document embodying a set of policies,
accompanied by maps and similar illustrations that serve as a policy guide for determining


the future use of lands and natural resources within the territorial jurisdiction of the LGU 
s. It represents the community-desired pattern of population distribution and proposes 
future allocation of land and resources to various activities. It includes the processes and 
criteria employed in such determination of allocation of land and resources. It is a plan for 
the long-term management of the local territory covering a period of a minimum of ten (I 
0) years, reviewable not earlier than every five (5) years based on the four (4) categories 
of land use planning provided in Section 6 of this Act; 
(i) 
Comprehensive land use planning refers to the act of defining the allocation, utilization, 
development, and management of all lands within a given territory or jurisdiction according 
to the inherent characteristics of the land itself and supportive of sustainable, economic, 
demographic, sociocultural and environmental objectives as an aid to decision-making and 
legislation; 
(j) 
Critical watershed refers to watersheds or forest lands that have been identified and 
evaluated to provide critical and vital natural, ecological, environmental and physical 
beneficial services such as water, biodiversity, energy, irrigation, social and cultural, among 
others, to a specific area or community and whose biophysical condition demands 
immediate rehabilitation, protection and management to prevent its further denudation, 
deterioration and exploitation; 
(k) 
Cultural heritage refers to the totality of cultural properties, whether natural or human-
made, preserved and developed through time, and passed on for posterity; 
(l) 
Customary laws refer to a body of written and/or unwritten rules, usages, customs and 
practices traditionally and continually recognized, accepted, and observed by respective 
ICCs/IPs consistent with the IPRA; 
(m) 
Danger zones refer to areas with high level of threat to the lives and well-being of people 
that cannot be addressed through scientific, physical and engineering methods, and are 
therefore not suitable for settlement and permanent structures. Areas can only be declared 
as danger zones after proper technical studies and public consultations with affected 
families are conducted; 
(n) 
Development plan refers to a document that defines the activities and measures that the 
national government or LGUs intend to implement over a specified period of time in order 
to achieve the defined set of development goals identified in the national or local physical 
framework plans. It integrates socioeconomic, financial, fiscal, legal and legislative, 
institutional and sectoral plans of the national government or any of its instrumentalities or 
a particular LGU, consistent with the objectives identified in spatial plans such as land use 
plans or physical framework plans. 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; 
(o) 
Disaster-prone areas or Geo-hazard areas refer to areas frequented by and/or vulnerable 
to experience weather, climatic, hydrologic, geologic, and other natural disturbances or 
calamities; 
(p) 
Disaster risk reduction refers to the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through 
systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including reduced 
exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of 
land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events; 
(q) 
Ecologically fragile lands refer to lands within critical watersheds, brackish and freshwater 
wetlands, pasturelands, inland rivers and waterways, coastal and settlement areas, and 
croplands which require rehabilitation, protection and whose continued unsustainable use 
would result in physical risks and threats to life and property, public health and safety, as 
well as adversely affect the productivity of lowland agricultural areas and stability of the 
upland system; 
(r) 
Ecotourism refers to a form of sustainable tourism within a natural and/or cultural heritage 
area where community participation, protection and management of natural resources, 
culture and indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education and ethics, as 
well as economic benefits are fostered and pursued for the enrichment of the host 
community and satisfaction of visitors; 


(s) 
Energy resources refer to surface or subsurface substances that serve as energy sources. 
These are traditionally mineral fuel deposits such as coal, petroleum, natural gas or 
renewable resources from geothermal, hydro reservoirs, or nonconventional sources 
including ocean waves, solar, wind, biomass, and other similar resources which serve the 
same purpose; 
(t) 
Energy resource lands refer to lands where naturally occurring or indigenous energy 
resources exist in sufficient quantity and/or quality as to be economically viable for 
exploration, development, production, utilization, and distribution purposes; 
(u) 
Environmentally critical areas refer to areas declared by law as: (1) areas for natural parks, 
watershed reserves, wildlife preserves, and sanctuaries; (2) areas set aside for aesthetic 
and visual value; (3) areas that constitute the habitat for any endangered or threatened 
species of indigenous Philippine wildlife both flora and fauna; (4) areas of unique historic, 
archaeological, or scientific interests; (5) areas that are traditionally occupied by ICCs/lPs; 
(6) areas with critical slopes; (7) areas frequented and/or hard hit by natural calamities 
such as, but not limited to, geologic hazards, floods, typhoons and volcanic activities; (8) 
recharge areas of aquifers; (9) mangrove areas; (10) coral reefs; (11) mossy and virgin 
forests; (12) rivers and riverbanks; ( 13) swamp forests and marshlands; ( 14) foreshore 
lands; (15) protected areas pursuant to Republic Act No. 7586 or the NIP AS Act ofl992; 
and (16) areas set aside as aesthetic potential tourist spots. 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 LGU s in consultation with 
the concerned stakeholders; 
(v) 
Exhausted mineral resources 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 utilization; 
(w) 
Flood plain refers to the portion of a river valley adjacent to a river channel which is covered 
with water when the river overflows its banks at flood stages, and which usually consists 
of silt deposited by the stream; 
(x) 
Flood-prone areas refer to low-lying areas usually adjacent to large or active water bodies 
and which therefore experience regular or seasonal inundation as a result of changes in 
the mean water level of these bodies or because of land reclamation and other artificial 
interference with the natural processes; 
(y) 
Food security refers to the policy objective of meeting the requirements for food availability, 
accessibility, and affordability of the present and future generations of Filipinos in a 
sustainable manner, through local production or importation in cases of shortage based on 
a micro level situation, or both, and taking into account the country's existing and potential 
resource endowments and related production advantages, and consistent with the overall 
national development objectives and policies; 
(z) 
Food self-sufficiency refers to the policy objective of meeting the food requirements 
through intensive local food production in a sustainable manner based on the country's 
existing and potential resources and related production advantages; 
(aa) 
Foreshore land refers to a string of land margining a body of water, the part of a seashore 
between the low-water line usually at the seaward margin of a low tide terrace and the 
upper limit of wave wash at high tide often marked by a beach scarp or berm; 
(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) 
Forest lands refer to one of the four (4) classifications of land under the Constitution under 
the public domain classified and/or determined as suitable for forest purposes not classified 
as mineral land, national park and classified agricultural land. These include all permanent 
forest, forest reserves, forest reservations, and all the remaining unclassified lands of the 
public domain; 
(dd) 
Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) refers to the allocation of forest lands into their appropriate 
uses consistent with existing biophysical conditions such as topography, soil type, land use, 
climate, water sources and socioeconomic, cultural and political realities. Forest land use 
planning should be able to delineate protection and production forests; 


(ee) 
Forest land subclassification refers to the process of determining the most appropriate and 
sustainable use of forest lands primarily as protection forest and production forest. They 
may be further subclassified as grazing/pasture land, recreational areas and other uses 
taking into account ecological, social and economic considerations; 
(ff) 
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) refers to the consensus of all members of the 
ICCs/IPs to be determined in accordance with their respective customary laws and 
practices, free from any external manipulation, interference and coercion, and obtained 
after fully disclosing the intent and scope of the activity, in a language and process 
understandable to the community; 
(gg) 
Geo-hazards refer to nature and human-induced geological processes that have potential 
to cause destruction and which pose a threat or risk to a person's life and property. These 
may include, but are not limited to, ground, water and weather-related conditions, volcanic 
and earthquake induced hazards such as ground shaking, ground rupture, earthquake-
induced landslides, liquefaction and tsunami; 
(hh) 
Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) refer to groups of people 
or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, who have 
continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined territory, 
and who have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and 
utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other 
distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural 
inroads of colonization, nonindigenous religions and cultures, became historically 
differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. ICCs/IPs shall likewise include peoples who 
are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the populations which 
inhabited the country at the time of conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of 
nonindigenous religions and cultures, or the establishment of present State boundaries, 
who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions, but 
who may have been displaced from their traditional domains, or who may have resettled 
outside their ancestral domains; 
(ii) 
Inland waters refer to waters, which are not coastal and marine waters, and not subject to 
acquisitive prescription consistent with the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1067 or 
the Water Code of the Philippines; 
(jj) 
Integrated watershed management refers to a planning strategy or program for watershed 
areas that complement environmentally sound soil and water management practices with 
mechanisms for ensuring greater responsibility, involvement, or participation of individuals, 
groups, communities and other stakeholders benefiting from these areas and water-related 
infrastructure; 
(kk) 
Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) refer to the present most important sites for biodiversity 
conservation worldwide. These are places of international importance for the conservation 
of biodiversity through protected areas and other governance mechanisms. They are 
identified nationally using simple, standard criteria, based on their importance in 
maintaining species populations; 
(ll) 
Land refers to resources, both artificial and natural, found on the surface, below, and above 
the ground including inland waters and the air therein; 
(mm) 
Land subclassification refers to the act of determining and assigning specific uses of 
classified lands such as forest lands, classified agricultural lands, mineral lands and national 
parks in accordance with existing laws and this Act; 
(nn) 
Land use refers to the manner of allocation, utilization, management and development of 
land; 
(oo) 
Land use classification refers to the act of delineating or allocating lands according to 
protection land use, production land use, settlements development and infrastructure 
development as defined and provided for in this Act; 
(pp) 
Mandatory public hearings/consultations refer to the mechanism to ensure the involvement 
of concerned stakeholders and communities in land use planning, from the barangay to the 
national level, to ensure the social acceptability of the plans. It should involve giving notice 
of hearing/consultation to concerned stakeholders through publication or posting in 
conspicuous places, conduct of a reasonable number of hearings, and solicitation of 


positions to arrive at a consensus. Public presentation and validation of the planning results 
shall also be undertaken before the final adoption of the plans; 
(qq) 
Marine Protected Area (MPA) refers to a defined area of the sea established and set aside 
by law, administrative regulation or any other effective means in order to conserve and 
protect a part of or the entire enclosed environment, through the establishment of 
management guidelines. It includes all declared areas governed by specific rules or 
guidelines in order to protect and manage activities within the enclosed area; 
(rr) 
Mineral exploration refers to the systematic searching or prospecting for mineral resources 
including energy resources; 
(ss) 
Mineral lands refer to lands of the public domain, excluding those in permanent forestlands 
and protection lands, where mineral resources are found in sufficient quantity and quality 
for extraction, development and utilization; 
(tt) 
Multiple use of land resources refer to the utilization or management strategy for any land, 
which allows any activity, involving one or more of its resources, depending on the result 
of prior evaluation on its numerous beneficial use, that will produce the optimum benefits 
to the development and progress of the country and the public welfare without impairment 
or with the least injury to its other resources; 
(uu) 
Municipal waters refers to not only streams, lakes, inland bodies of water and tidal waters 
within the municipality which are not included within the protected areas as defined under 
Republic Act No. 7586 of the National Integrated Protected Areas System or the NIPAS Act 
of 1992, public forest, timber lands, forest reserves or fishery reserves, but also marine 
waters included between two (2) lines drawn perpendicular to the general coastline from 
points where the boundary lines of the municipality touch the sea at low tide and a third 
line parallel with the general coastline including offshore islands and fifteen (I 5) kilometers 
from such coastline. Where the territory of a municipality includes several islands, the 
outermost points of such islands shall be used as base points and connected by archipelagic 
baselines, irrespective of the lengths of such baselines from the main coastlines. Where 
two (2) municipalities are situated on opposite shores that there is less than thirty (30) 
kilometers of marine waters between them, the third line shall be equally distant from 
opposite shore of the respective municipalities; 
(vv) 
National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) refers to the classification and 
administration of all designated protected areas to maintain essential ecological processes 
and life-support systems, to preserve genetic diversity, to ensure sustainable use of 
resources found therein, and to maintain their natural conditions to the greatest extent 
possible; 
(ww) 
National Land Use Policy Council (NLUPC) refers to the administrative, policy- making, and 
regulatory body created under this Act; 
(xx) 
National park refers to forest reservation essentially of natural wilderness character which 
has been withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or any form of exploitation except in 
conformity with approved management plan and set aside as such exclusively to conserve 
the area or preserve the scenery, natural and historic objects, wild animals and plants 
therein and to provide enjoyment of these features in such areas. It shall also refer to lands 
and waters of the public domain classified as such in the 1987 Constitution which include 
all areas under the NIPAS, pursuant to Republic Act No. 7586 or the NIPAS Act of 1992, 
primarily designated for the conservation of native plants and animals and associated 
habitats and cultural diversity; 
(yy) 
Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-industrial Development (NPAAAD) 
refers to agricultural areas identified by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the 
Bureau of Soils and Water Management (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 to promote sustainable growth. 
The NPAAAD covers all irrigated areas; all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation 
projects; all alluvial plains; lands highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigated or not; 
agro-industrial croplands or lands planted 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; 
(zz) 
Permanent forests or Forest reserves refer to lands of the private or public domain which 
have been identified and determined to be needed for protection, conservation, 
preservation and management as forests and shall be reserved, conserved and protected 
into perpetuity for such purpose; 
(aaa) 
Permanent forestlands refer to forestlands, within public 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; 
(bbb) 
Physical framework plans refer to the national, regional or provincial indicative plans that 
outline the overall and macro-level physical development objectives, priorities, directions 
and strategies in its respective levels as prepared, reviewed, integrated and finalized by 
the national, regional and provincial land use councils/boards, respectively, based on the 
Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) of the LGUs and the national policy guidelines 
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; 
(ccc) 
Premature or illegal conversion refers to any activity that modifies or alters the physical 
characteristics of agricultural lands to render them suitable for nonagricultural purposes 
without an approved order of conversion from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) 
Secretary; 
(ddd) 
Prime agricultural lands refer to all contiguous irrigated areas and irrigable lands already 
covered by irrigation projects; all alluvial plain lands highly suitable for agriculture whether 
irrigated or not that have been identified to satisfy the country's needs for food self-
sufficiency and security; agro-industrial croplands or lands presently planted and suitable 
to industrial and high value crops; highlands, or areas located at an elevation of five 
hundred (500) meters or above and have the potential for growing semi-temperature and 
high value crops outside of declared permanent forestlands and protection forests, and are 
not located in ecologically fragile and environmentally critical areas; 
(eee) 
Production forest refers to forestland located in production lands managed primarily for the 
production of timber and other tree products; 
(fff) 
Production land use refers to the direct and indirect utilization of land to generate outputs 
resulting from the following activities: agricultural, fish farming or aquaculture, timber or 
agro-forestry, grazing and pasture, mining, indigenous energy resource development, 
industry, and tourism; 
(ggg) 
Protected areas 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 human exploitation. For purposes of this Act, these shall also include all natural 
forests and agricultural lands identified and delineated under this Act; 
(hhh) 
Protection forests refer to forests and forestlands, in both public and private lands, that 
have been identified and determined by the State for the beneficial use of present and 
future generations and shall be preserved, conserved, protected and maintained as such 
free from any form of utilization, exploitation or development; 
(iii) 
Protection land use refers to the use of land primarily reserved for rehabilitation, 
conservation, and protection purposes and the promotion of the country's ecological and 
life-support systems; 
(jjj) 
Public domain refers to lands belonging to the State which may be classified as agricultural, 
forest or timber, mineral, or national park as provided for in the Constitution; 
(kkk) 
Reclassification of agricultural lands refer to the act of specifying how agricultural lands 
shall be utilized for nonagricultural uses such as for residential, industrial, or commercial 
purposes, through the local planning and zoning processes pursuant to the Local 
Government Code of 1991, and subject to the requirements and procedure for conversion; 
(lll) 
Resettlement sites 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) of 1992; 
(mmm) Restoration refers to returning forestland to its original forested state in terms of species' 
composition, structure, function and productivity; 
(nnn) 
Restoration zones refer to forest areas where activities are conducted to restore its forested 
state; 
(ooo) 
River basin refers to the horizontal projection of area from which a river and its tributaries 
receive surface water originating from precipitation; 
(ppp) 
Settlements refer to communities or built-up environment areas where people prefer to live 
in; 
(qqq) 
Settlements development refers to any improvement on existing settlements or any 
proposed development of certain areas for 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 settlement areas or growth centers; 
(rrr) 
Shoreline refers to a strip of land covering at least one (1) kilometer from the point where 
seawater reaches during the highest high tide; 
(sss) 
Spatial data infrastructure refers to a system consisting of spatial data, technology, policies, 
practices, relationships, people and resources necessary to acquire, process, store and 
distribute spatial information to improve sharing and use throughout all levels of the 
government and private sector, among others, which shall be operationalized through 
electronic system that provides access to a network of spatial data sources and users and 
shall serve as the official linkage of the government to international and regional spatial 
data infrastructure; 
(ttt) 
Socialized housing refers to housing programs and projects covering home lots, houses 
and lots, or low-rise to medium-rise buildings, or high-density housing 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, direct subsidy 
programs, liberalized terms on interest payments, and such other benefits in accordance 
with the UDHA and Batas Pambansa Big. 220; 
(uuu) 
Socialized housing sites refer to lands identified and designated by LGUs as sites for 
socialized housing pursuant to Article IV of the UDHA and its implementing guidelines; 
(vvv) 
Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones (SAFDZs) refer to areas within the 
NP AAAD identified for production, agro-processing and marketing activities to help develop 
and modernize, with the support of government, the agriculture and fisheries sectors in an 
environmentally and sociocultural sound manner; 
(www) Subclassification or Reclassification of Agricultural Lands refers to the process undertaken 
by the LGU s of allocating declared agricultural lands in their respective territorial 
jurisdictions to specific uses such as residential, industrial or commercial purposes and may 
be used as a basis for application for land conversion by the owners thereof; 
(xxx) 
Sustainable development refers to the development objective of meeting the needs of the 
present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their 
own needs, consistent with the principles of social equity, efficiency, and environmental 
integrity; 
(yyy) 
Sustainable traditional resource rights refer to the rights of ICCs/IPs to sustainably use, 
manage, protect and conserve: (I) land, air, water, and minerals; (2) plants, animals and 
other organisms; (3) collecting, fishing and hunting grounds; ( 4) sacred sites; and ( 5) 
other areas of economic, ceremonial and aesthetic value in accordance with their 
indigenous knowledge, beliefs, systems and practices; 
(zzz) 
Tourism development areas refer to specific sites for tourism development located in areas 
identified as priorities in the national and regional tourism master plans as well as those 
designated through legislative and executive issuances as tourist spots and tourist zones 
which can be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, leisure, recreation 
complexes, and other tourism related facilities; 
(aaaa) Tourism ecozone refers to tourism development areas, outside protection lands, which 
have been granted Special Economic Zone status, through the Philippine Export Zone 
Authority (PEZA) registration and issuance of the required Presidential Proclamation, with 


its metes and bounds delineated by said Proclamation, pursuant to Republic Act No. 7916 
or The Special Economic Zone Act (SEZA) of 1995, as amended; 
(bbbb) Tourism estates refer to large tracts of land with well-defined boundaries in any area, 
excluding those in protection lands, identified in the Philippine tourism master plan and 
regional tourism master plan, by proclamation of the President and/or by acts of Congress 
and/or by local legislation and declared suited for the development of an integrated tourism 
and resort complex with prescribed carrying capacities and limits for its facilities and 
activities; 
(cccc) Tourist spot refers to a particular area/site/spot, human-made or natural, known for its 
unique tourist/visitor-drawing attributes and activities and which may be classified 
according to its social, cultural, natural, historical, aesthetic, visual, scientific, religious, and 
recreational significance; 
(dddd) Tourist zone refers to a geographic area 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 the 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; 
(eeee) Urban areas refer to all cities regardless of their population density and to municipalities 
with a population density of at least five hundred (500) persons per square kilometer; 
(ffff) 
Urbanizable areas 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; 
(gggg) Urban forestry or Green space refers to the establishment or setting-up of areas for mini-
forest, eco-parks or small nature parks, in both public and private lands: wetlands, human-
made lagoons and lakes systems, riverbanks and shores, grasslands, roof and rock 
gardens: lining roads and highways with trees, shrubs, or ornamental plants, and ground 
landscaping of schools, hospitals, and other government agencies in order to improve the 
environment in urban areas; 
(hhhh) Water security refers to the sufficient access throughout the year to the minimum daily 
requirement of clean water to maintain a healthy life; 
(iiii) 
Water use refers to the appropriation of water for domestic, municipal, irrigation, power 
generation, inland fisheries, poultry and livestock, industrial and commercial, 
environmental, and recreational use; 
(jjjj) 
Watershed refers to a topographically delineated area of land from which rainwater can 
drain as surface run-off vis-a-vis a specific stream or river system to a common outlet point 
which may be a dam, irrigation system or urban water supply take-off point, or where the 
stream discharges into a river, lake, or the sea; 
(kkkk) Zoning refers to the regulatory tool for delineating the specific land uses in accordance with 
the approved 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  
(llll) 
Zoning ordinance (ZO) refers to a local law passed by the Sangguniang Bayan or 
Panlungsod approving the development control/zoning plan in accordance with an 
approved or adopted CLUP of the city/municipality, providing for the regulations and other 
conditions on the land uses including the limitation on the infrastructure that may be placed 
within the city's/municipality's territorial jurisdiction. It incorporates the protected areas, 
protected agricultural lands and ancestral lands as provided for in this Act. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING 
 


SEC. 5. Basic Land Use Considerations. -Various land uses as categorized in the succeeding section 
shall be determined in a manner that promotes the policies and principles defined in Section 2 of this 
Act and shall consider the following elements of the framework therefor, among others: 
 
(a) 
Protection land use category as defined in Section 6 shall prevail over existing production 
land use category. The State shall undertake the necessary action in changing the 
classification of these production areas; 
(b) 
Preservation, conservation, rehabilitation and protection to perpetuity of permanent 
forestlands, critical watersheds, key biodiversity areas, environmentally critical and 
ecologically fragile areas and prime agricultural lands from any other land use, conversion, 
disposition, intrusion, utilization and development aside from their determined use and 
limits; 
(c) 
Protection of natural forests and natural resources ensures environmental stability, 
conserve biological diversity, improve ecosystem functions and provide long-term 
ecological and economic benefits. Designated restoration areas are designed to revive the 
ecosystem functions and services of forests as well as improve the economic and ecological 
benefits of local communities; 
(d) 
Protection of forest and wetlands from infrastructure development to preserve the 
ecological services they provide which are essential to economic development. These 
activities include, but not limited to, river channelization and dredging, large-scale irrigation 
and river diversions which reduce riverine habitat and alter flood patterns and natural flow 
regimes, reduce downstream water availability for agriculture and contribute to salinization 
through saltwater intrusion in coastal areas; 
(e) 
Resolution of land use conflicts which are life-threatening or threatening to public safety, 
sustainability of key production resources or employment activities and the delivery of basic 
services which are harmful or destructive to protected areas, flora, fauna, and other 
protected natural resources. Greater consideration shall be given to the human and tenurial 
rights of vulnerable groups in resolving land use conflicts; 
(f) 
Identification of geo-hazard prone areas and high-risk/danger zones and corresponding 
risk reduction measures to ensure the prioritization of life and safety: Provided, That 
specifically identified and assessed as extremely hazardous and high-risk/danger zones 
shall be similarly protected and cleared from all forms of human-made obstacles, 
obstructions and instructions to ensure and secure public health and safety; 
(g) 
Respect for existing customary rights and traditional land uses of ICCs/IPs; 
(h) 
Identification of settlement areas to check the demand for land and establish the location 
of employment-generating industries and basic services; and 
(i) 
The availability of natural resources including indigenous energy resources for energy 
security and self-sufficiency. However, infrastructure energy projects such as dams with 
large reservoirs in natural ecosystems shall not be allowed if it would interrupt the 
connectivity of river systems, disrupt fish spawning and migration, and alter seasonal flood 
regimes. 
 
SEC. 6. Categories of Land Uses for Planning Purpose. In determining and defining the 
national, regional and provincial framework plans, and CLUPs, land uses shall be grouped into four 
(4) major functional uses as follows: 
 
(a) 
Protection Land Use refers to the use of land primarily reserved for rehabilitation, 
conservation, and protection purposes and the promotion of the country's ecological and 
life-support systems. Planning for protection land use intends to achieve environmental 
stability and ecological integrity, ensure a balance between resource use and the 
preservation of some areas with environmental, aesthetic, educational, cultural and 
historical significance, aid and protect people and human-made structures from the ill-
effects of natural hazards. 
 
Areas under this category are those covered by the NIPAS Act of 1992 and other coastal 
and marine protected areas; areas outside NIPAS, which include, but are not limited to: 
 


1) 
Natural and restored forests, which consist of: 
 
i. 
All existing areas within forestland containing primary and secondary forests of 
whatever types or species; 
ii. 
All existing areas within forestland containing secondary-growth or residual 
forests of whatever type or specie; 
iii. 
Areas identified as key biodiversity areas (KBAs); 
iv. 
Restoration areas; 
v. 
All mangrove forests; 
vi. 
All easement areas as defined under Presidential Decree No. 1067, otherwise 
known as the Water Code of the Philippines; and 
vii. 
All other areas that would be deemed appropriate for protection, as designated 
by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), subject to the 
approval of the NLUPC created pursuant to Section 55 hereof. 
 
2) 
Rehabilitated and/or reforested degraded mining areas; 
 
3) 
Critical ecosystems for protection, such as: 
i. 
Coral reefs; 
ii. 
Marshes and wetlands; 
iii. 
Lakes and rivers; 
iv. 
Caves; and 
v. 
Waterfalls. 
 
4) Disaster-prone areas that include areas subject to, or may be subject to: 
 
i. 
Recurrent flooding; 
ii. 
Liquefaction; 
iii. 
Tsunamis; 
iv. 
Storm surges; 
v. 
Polar vortex; 
vi. 
Mass wasting; 
vii. 
Volcanic eruption; 
viii. 
Direct impact of seismic activity; 
ix. 
Other disasters caused by climatic conditions; and 
x. 
Other areas that pose a high degree of hazard to human occupation and activity. 
 
5) 
Critical watershed areas; 
6) 
Marine protected areas; 
7) 
All prime agricultural lands as defined under this Act; 
8) 
Ecologically fragile and environmentally critical areas whose conversion will result to 
serious environmental problems and threats to public health and safety; 
9) 
Natural and human-made areas/sites of cultural, historical and anthropological 
significance, which are declared as such by internationally recognized institutions; and 
10) All other areas not included and declared as production areas shall become protected 
areas. 
 
(b) 
Production Land Use refers to the most efficient, sustainable, and equitable utilization, 
development and management of land for productive purposes which are not classified for 
protection land use as defined in this section. Areas included in this category are agricultural 
lands, coastal and marine zones, production forest, mineral lands, energy resource lands, 
industrial, and tourism development areas where productive activities could be undertaken 
to meet the country's requirements for economic growth and development. Production land 
use shall comprise of, but shall not be limited to: 
 
1) 
Other agricultural lands not identified as prime agricultural lands. They shall consist of, 
but shall not be limited to: 


 
i. 
Lands whose soils are suitable for agricultural development; 
ii. 
All alluvial plain lands that are suitable for agricultural production and/or can 
be devoted to food production; 
iii. 
All lands that are traditional sources of staple food; 
iv. 
All croplands required to attain a certain scale of production to sustain the 
economic viability of existing agro-based industries in the municipality, city or 
province; and 
v. 
All lands in areas not highly prone to natural hazards that are suitable for the 
production of tree crops and other cash crops. 
 
2) 
Coastal, inland water and marine zones, such as fishponds; 
3) 
Production forests, such as: 
 
i. 
All areas within forestland not classified as protection forests under Section 
6(a) and shall be devoted to the production of timber and/or non-forest 
products or the establishment of industrial tree plantations, tree farms, 
woodlots, agro-forestry, or as multiple-use forests; 
ii. 
All areas within forestlands considered as rangelands for grazing purposes; and 
iii. 
All areas within forestlands managed under the community-based forest 
management in areas not classified as protection forests. 
 
4) 
Rangelands for grazing; 
5) 
Industrial development areas; and 
6) 
Tourism development areas, including potential small islands for similar purposes. 
 
(c) 
Settlements and Institutional Land Use refers to the use of urban and rural lands for 
settlements development purposes and/or improvements on existing settlements 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 settlements. 
 
It shall also include lands identified for institutional uses such as educational, 
administrative, government, law enforcement, health care and social services. Settlements 
and institutional land uses aim to ensure for the present and future generation the: 
 
1) 
Effective integration of activities within and among settlements, allowing efficient 
movement of people and production of commodities through the provision of 
appropriate land, infrastructure, and facilities; and 
2) 
Access of the population to housing, education, health care, recreation, transportation 
and communication, sanitation, and basic utilities such as water, power, waste 
disposal, and other services; 
 
(d) 
Infrastructure Land Use refers to the use of land dedicated to the provision of basic services 
that foster 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 includes, among others, subsectors like: road networks, 
transportation and communication facilities, social services, environmental service facilities, 
and utilities. 
Provided, That the determination of the functional uses of lands within ancestral domains should be 
consistent with the land use categories provided for in this Act: Provided, further, That other 
subcategories of land uses in delineated ancestral domains may be formulated by the concerned 
ICCs/IPs themselves in accordance with their particular needs and traditional resource and 
management systems. 
 
SEC. 7. Land Use Plans for Ancestral Domains. Land use plans for ancestral domains shall be 
formulated by the ICCs/IPs themselves in accordance with their particular needs and traditional 


resource and management systems with the assistance of the National Commission on Indigenous 
Peoples (NCIP), the LGUs and civil society organizations (CSOs) concerned. Such plans shall be 
recognized and adopted in the barangay, city/municipal, provincial, regional and national physical 
framework plans.  
 
Physical framework plans made prior to the delineation of ancestral domains included in such plans or 
ordinances shall, without prejudice to the rights of the ICCs/IPs concerned, adopt different land use 
categories in accordance with their particular needs and traditional resource and management systems.  
 
In cases where there are no ADSDPPs, the LGUs and the ICCs/IPs shall jointly formulate the land use 
plan within the ancestral domain until such time that the ICCs/IPs have formulated their ADSDPPs. 
 
SEC. 8. Adoption of Multiple Uses of Land. -The primary and alternative uses of a specific land 
resource shall be determined and evaluated by the respective local land use boards prior to any decision 
for the assignment of its use. Areas feasible for sustainable land resource use may be considered 
multiple-use zones wherein settlements, tourism, agriculture, agro-forestry and extraction activities and 
other income-generating, or livelihood activities may be allowed, except areas under protection land 
use: Provided, That multiple uses of land resources shall be in accordance with priorities in land use 
allocation identified in the approved physical framework and land use plans wherein such multiple uses 
are compatible with the original land use and planning, and that no reclassification shall be allowed: 
Provided further, That, where there are vested rights, titles, and claims prior to the enactment of this 
Act over the areas feasible for sustainable land resource use, the same shall be respected. 
 
CHAPTER III 
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN 
 
ARTICLE ONE. LAND USE CLASSIFICATION 
 
SEC. 9. Review of Land Use Classification. The NLUPC shall review and assess the current land 
use classification system and definitions used in the country to ensure that it reflects the actual use of 
lands in the country. The Land Management Bureau (LMB) shall provide the necessary technical 
information, conduct the needed assessment of the status of the existing land use classification and 
shall submit an assessment report to the NLUPC not later than ninety (90) days from the establishment 
of the latter. 
 
SEC. 10. Consideration of Assessment Report. Upon validation and affirmation by local land use 
boards, the land use classification assessment report submitted by the LMB shall be taken into 
consideration by the NLUPC in the formulation of its planning guidelines. 
 
ARTICLE TWO.NIPAS AREAS 
 
SEC. 11. Integrated Management Strategy. For more effective planning, management, and 
protection of protected areas at the provincial and city/municipal levels, the Protected Area 
Management Plan (P AMP) referred to in the NIP AS Law shall be incorporated in the Provincial Physical 
Framework Plan (PPFP) and CLUPs if applicable, wherein protected area zoning shall be reflected. 
 
ARTICLE THREE. AGRICULTURAL LANDS 
 
SEC. 12. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development. The priority areas for agricultural 
development are the areas distributed under agrarian reform, areas that can be covered by the 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), and those identified as part of the NP AAAD. The 
mapping of the NP AAAD under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) shall be 
completed not later than one (I) year from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SEC. 13. Conversion of Agricultural Lands. All lands considered and identified as prime agricultural 
lands shall be maintained, managed and protected for agricultural use and shall not be subjected to 
any form of conversion or reclassification. 


 
All other agricultural lands not identified as prime agricultural lands can only be converted to 
nonagricultural uses upon issuance of a DAR conversion order: Provided, That such conversion shall 
not drastically change the nature of the overall land uses in the surrounding and adjacent areas from 
its existing land use.  
 
Provided, That consistent with the State policy on giving priority to the completion of the CARP, those 
lands covered under compulsory acquisition/voluntary offer to sell, production or profit-sharing subject 
to CARP shall also be protected from conversion pending the distribution and/or installation of the 
farmer beneficiaries.  
 
Provided, further, That pending the completion of mapping activities of the specific areas under the 
NPAAAD and the SAFDZs under the AFMA and their incorporation in the National Physical Framework 
Plan (NPFP), the application for conversion of these areas shall not be given due course by the 
appropriate government agency. 
 
ARTICLE FOUR. ANCESTRAL DOMAIN 
 
SEC 14. Priority Areas for Agricultural Development Within Ancestral Domain. Agricultural 
lands within ancestral domain shall be developed in accordance with their ADSDPP. 
 
SEC. 15. Respect for Ancestral Domains. The Ancestral Domain Management Plan (ADMP) or 
ADSDPP shall be adopted and integrated into the CLUP and/or other plans that the LGU is mandated 
to produce. The extent of ancestral domains shall be reflected in the land use plan, and shall be zoned 
as such in the zoning ordinance. It shall be comanaged by the LGU and ICC/IP community. Additionally, 
the ADMP/ADSDPP shall be included in the investment plans of the LGU. 
 
SEC. 16. Ancestral Domain Policy Adoption. Ancestral domain policies shall be adopted in the 
LGU's land use policy framework. However, in the event that the ADMP/ ADSDPP is still in the 
formulation stage or remains to be formulated, the right to self-determination, and the observance of 
traditional resource and management systems and processes shall be upheld at all times, as provided 
for under Republic Act No. 3871. 
 
ARTICLE FIVE. FOREST LANDS AND RESERVATION OF WATERSHED 
 
SEC. 17. Permanent Forestlands. All forestlands are classified as forest or timberlands. Titles, 
settlements, permits, leases, and/or agreements within critical habitats, critical watershed areas, 
protected areas and KBAs shall be reviewed, and their legality affirmed. All erroneous titles, settlements, 
permits, leases and/or agreements within permanent forestlands shall be cancelled or revoked in due 
course. Noncompliance with and violations of these instruments shall be grounds for their cancellation 
or revocation: Provided, That the applicable provisions of Republic Act No. 3871 shall be respected. 
 
Upon recommendation by the LGU, or the Forest Board, the DENR Secretary shall revoke the 
abovementioned instruments.  
 
SEC. 18. Additional Areas to be Included as Permanent Forestlands. The following lands are 
needed for environmental protection and forestry purposes and shall not be reclassified as agricultural 
lands or for any other land use: 
 
(a) 
Isolated patches of forest, regardless of size and/or area, with rocky terrain or which 
protect a spring/water source for communal use; 
(b) 
All mangroves and swamplands including twenty (20)-meter wide strips facing oceans, 
lakes and other bodies of water not yet classified as alienable and disposable lands; 
(c) 
Ridge tops and plateaus regardless of size found within or surrounded wholly or partially 
by forestlands where headwaters emanate; 


(d) 
Twenty (20)-meter wide strips of land from the edge of the normal high waterline of rivers 
and streams with channels of at least five (5) meters width which are not yet classified as 
alienable and disposable; 
(e) 
Areas needed for public interest such as research or experimental purposes; and 
(f) 
Areas considered as environmentally critical because of their vulnerability to damage from 
landslides, volcanic eruptions, and other natural causes. 
 
SEC. 19. Reversion of Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands. Upon the 
recommendation of the DENR Secretary, duly reviewed and endorsed by the NLUPC, and after due 
consultations with the concerned LGUs and the affected parties, Congress may authorize the reversion 
of alienable and disposable lands of the public domain or portion thereof to forestlands. 
 
SEC. 20. Critical Watershed Areas. The DENR, in coordination with the DA, the LGUs concerned, 
and other government agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations, and after 
mandatory public hearings/consultations, shall identify and delineate critical watershed areas that need 
to be protected, rehabilitated, enhanced, and/or withdrawn from uses that contribute to their further 
degradation. 
 
SEC. 21. Formulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed Management Plans. 
With the assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory consultations with the concerned sectors and 
communities, the LGU s, through their local land use boards, shall prepare their watershed management 
plans which shall be integrated into their respective CLUPs. The formulation and integration of the plan 
shall be guided, among others, by the principle of the management and development of inland water 
resources at the watershed level and shall be consistent with the National Forestry Master Plan (NFMP). 
 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the watershed management plan subject to 
regular consultations with and involvement of the community and other stakeholders in the 
implementation of the plan. 
 
SEC. 22. Establishment and Management of National Parks. All areas proclaimed by the 
President and Congress to be under the NIP AS, unless disestablished, including those identified initial 
components of the NIPAS as KBAs shall comprise the National Parks classification of the public domain. 
The DENR and concerned LGU s shall ensure that such areas are integrated in the CLUP and physical 
framework plans: Provided, however, That the preparation of management plans of protected areas 
and national parks shall be in accordance with the provisions of the NIPAS Act and other laws 
establishing or declaring specific areas as protected areas.  
 
SEC. 23. Establishment of Restoration Zones. Restoration areas shall be designated in the 
management plan as such. Designation of restoration zones is compulsory in all forest management 
plans and for all LGUs. 
 
ARTICLE SIX. COASTAL ZONES 
 
SEC. 24. Criteria for the Allocation and Utilization of Lands Within the Coastal Zones. The 
allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zones shall be subject to the following guidelines: 
 
(a) 
Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be protected, preserved and managed as 
mangrove forestland and shall not be converted to other uses; 
(b) 
Areas that meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil depth topography, supply 
for successful fishpond development, and are not identified as mangrove protected areas, 
shall be utilized for aquaculture purposes as long as a 4:1 ratio for mangroves and 
fishponds is maintained to support ecological processes in mangrove ecosystems; 
(c) 
Areas subclassified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or due to environmental 
conditions need to be preserved as mangroves but are devoid of mangrove stands, shall 
not be converted to other uses. The DENR shall ensure that these lands shall be reforested 
within a given period of time; 


(d) 
Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and housing but are not 
part of or are not within any protected land use areas shall be allocated to traditional 
fisherfolk who are inhabitants of the coastal communities, members of registered fisherfolk 
organizations, holders of stewardship lease contracts or titles to ancestral domains or any 
form of property right arrangements who participate in coastal resource management 
initiatives, subject to the usual census procedures of the Housing and Urban Development 
Coordinating Council (HUDCC): Provided, That the government shall issue marine tenurial 
rights to organizations concerned based on a criteria to be established by the NLUPC; 
(e) 
Areas that are neither subclassified as mangrove, fisherfolk settlement nor fishpond may 
be devoted to recreational or tourism purposes: Provided, That such undertaking will not 
result in environmental degradation and displacement of small fisherfolk; 
(f) 
Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used primarily for such 
purpose; 
(g) 
Areas shall be allocated for small infrastructure needed by municipal fisherfolk and for 
fishing gear, boats, and post-harvest facilities; and 
(h) 
Areas which form part of foreshore lands as defined in this Act, including those under lease 
agreements or arrangements shall undergo zoning and evaluation so their boundaries, 
actual sizes and corresponding uses can be determined while ensuring that mangrove 
protection or restoration zones are considered to keep the required 4: I ratio between 
mangroves and fishponds. 
 
SEC. 25. Coastal Land Zone Subclassification. All public lands in the coastal zones shall be 
subclassified into any of the following: fishponds, mangroves, protection from tidal surge for 
preservation of biodiversity, habitats and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife, fisherfolk settlement, or 
recreational/tourism areas. No subclassification of coastal zones to different uses shall be done without 
the following: 
 
(a) 
Conduct of a comprehensive inventory and resource and environmental assessment by the 
DENR with respective LGUs and accredited Nongovernment organizations/peoples 
organizations (NGOs/ POs) within their jurisdiction. The result of such assessment along 
with a list of all existing applications and expired Foreshore Lease Agreements shall be 
posted in three (3) conspicuous places in the affected localities; and 
(b) 
Prior consultation with local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARM 
Cs) formed pursuant to Republic Act No. 8550 or The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. 
 
SEC. 26. Zoning of Coastal Areas. The LGUs, in coordination with the DENR, the FARM Cs, local 
fisherfolk organizations and other concerned stakeholders such as women and the youth, shall prepare 
the Coastal Zoning Resource Management Plan (CZRMP) which shall be incorporated in the CLUP. 
Management zones defined in the CZRMP should be reflected in the CLUP and the subsequent ZO. 
 
SEC. 27. Tourism and Recreation Zone. The designation of areas for tourism and resorts near or 
over fishery areas or ports thereof shall be with the consent of the concerned LGUs and FARMCs, and 
shall comply with the policies and guidelines set forth in this Act. 
 
SEC. 28. Protection of Waterways, Easements and Flood Plains. Structures of any kind shall 
not be built in waterways and easements. Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. I 067 or the Water Code 
of the Philippines, the banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout 
their entire length and within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in 
agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins are subject to the easement 
of public use only in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage. 
 
The protection of flood plains shall adopt a river basin management approach, in order to come up with 
integrated flood mitigation interventions. Development within flood plains and other flood-prone areas 
must be controlled or, if allowed, must be so sited, constructed and serviced that the lives of occupants 
are not put at risk and that disruptions during floods are minimized. The identification and 
characterization of flood-prone areas and flood plains shall be an integral part of the CLUP preparation. 
The LGUs shall establish land use regulations to mitigate flood risks through the CLUPs and ZOs. 


 
To promote the best interest and the coordinated protection of flood plains, the Department of Public 
Works and Highways (DPWH), in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 
and the DENR, shall declare flood control areas, as necessary, and shall prohibit or control activities 
that could damage or cause deterioration of lakes and dikes, obstruct the flow of water, change the 
natural flow of rivers, increase flood losses or aggravate flood problems pursuant to the Water Code of 
the Philippines. 
 
SEC. 29. Disposition of Public Lands/or Fishponds. Upon the effectivity of this Act, but subject 
to existing rights and the preceding section, no fishpond lease agreement (FLA) shall be issued for tidal 
swamps, mangroves and oilier swamps, marshes, ponds, foreshore lands, and coastal areas within 
public lands, including those presently declared available for fishpond development. The NLUPC, in 
coordination with the DENR, the DA, the FARM Cs and the LGU s shall set aside a portion of available 
public lands for fish propagation, fish sanctuary, conservation, ecological purposes and fisherfolk 
settlement areas. Fishponds covered by existing FLAs, but are abandoned or are not operating 
efficiently and are found suitable for mangroves shall be reforested with mangroves. 
 
SEC. 30. Immediate Restoration of Converted Mangrove Areas. The DENR, in coordination with 
the FARM Cs and other concerned agencies, shall immediately take steps in the restoration of all 
abandoned, undeveloped and underutilized fishponds to their original state as mangrove forests. 
 
ARTICLE SEVEN. MINERAL LANDS 
 
SEC. 31. Policies on Mineral Lands. Land use policies for mineral lands shall be geared towards the 
rational, ecologically sound, and sustainable use of mineral resources which shall promote economic 
growth for the local economy and uphold the human rights of indigenous peoples and local communities 
in the affected areas. 
 
(a) 
The principles of sustainable development shall be observed at all times; 
(b) 
In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards shall be instituted by 
the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent environmental degradation of the mining 
sites and adjacent areas; 
(c) 
Mineral reservations which have become nonoperational for more than ten (10) years as 
determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) shall be placed under appropriate 
surface management by the DENR; and 
(d) 
Ancestral domains declared as protected by virtue of their ADSDPP as well as all watershed 
areas shall be closed to mining. 
 
SEC. 33. Reversion of Mineral Lands.  All mineral lands with exhausted mineral resources, as 
determined by the MGB, shall automatically revert to their original land classification, that is, as forest 
land or agricultural land. The concerned mining companies shall bear the full cost of rehabilitation of 
these areas. 
 
ARTICLE EIGHT. ENERGY RESOURCES 
 
SEC. 34. Guidelines for the Allocation and Utilization of Lands for fi1ergy Resource 
Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution Purposes. To ensure that 
the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and maximizing the power potential from indigenous 
energy resources in the most economical and environmentally acceptable means are realized, the 
allocation and utilization of lands shall be guided by the following, consistent with existing regulations 
and laws on energy resources: 
 
(a) 
Indigenous energy resource exploration and development, for the purpose of creating a 
National Energy Resource Inventory and Database as well as an Energy Resource Block 
Map shall be allowed subject to the implementation of complementary watershed and other 
land management plans; 


(b) 
Indigenous energy resource exploration, development production, utilization, and 
distribution shall be subject to the appropriate requirements and processes of the Philippine 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) system. Each project shall secure an Environmental 
Compliance Certificate (ECC) prior to project implementation to ensure that adequate and 
appropriate environmental management measures and optimum methods for resource 
access and recovery are used; 
(c) 
Protected areas as defined in Section 4 hereof shall be closed to any kind of energy resource 
development; 
(d) 
Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been established to 
be non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used for energy purposes shall be 
reclassified to other land uses, subject to existing laws covering energy reservations; and 
(e) 
Renewable energy shall be preferred over other energy resource. 
 
SEC. 35. Reversion of Energy Resource Lands. All exhausted indigenous energy resource lands as 
determined by the Department of Energy (DOE), which are not covered by proclamations shall 
automatically revert to the category of forestlands or agricultural lands open to disposition, whichever 
is appropriate, unless the DENR shall classify such areas for other purposes. Exhausted energy resource 
lands 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. 
 
ARTICLE NINE. SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT 
 
SEC. 36. Municipalities, Cities, and Settlements Development. The development of 
municipalities, cities, and settlements through CLUP and implemented by the ZOs of cities and 
municipalities shall be guided by urban zoning standards designed to maximize existing urban spaces 
taking into account studies of pertinent government agencies on climate change. 
 
SEC. 37. Settlements Within Geo-hazard Areas and/or High Risk/Danger Zones. Settlements 
within geo-hazard areas and/or high risk/danger zones shall not be allowed. In cases where there are 
existing settlements within geo-hazard areas and/or high risk/danger zones, the concerned government 
agencies shall provide assistance to concerned LGU s and settlers in instituting safety and corrective 
measures to address the potential danger or risk. 
 
SEC. 38. Designation of Waste and Environment Management Site. Each city or municipality 
shall identify and designate an area to serve as waste and environment management, waste disposal, 
and facilities within one(!) year from the effectivity of this Act. The LGUs, in coordination with the DENR 
or any other competent authority, shall identify sanitary landfill in order to fast-track the conduct of the 
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study and to facilitate the processing of the ECC. The site or 
area shall be identified in the city's or municipality's CLUP. For this purpose, cities and municipalities 
shall establish their solid waste management program, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise 
known as the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of2000". Likewise, as provided under Section 
33 of the Local Government Code of 1991, cities and municipalities may, through appropriate 
ordinances, bind themselves towards the establishment of a common solid waste management 
program. 
 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR, in coordination with concerned 
agencies, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines and standards for the formulation and 
establishment of solid waste management programs by cities and municipalities, and shall submit the 
same to the NLUPC for review and approval. 
 
SEC 39. Designation and Zoning of Socialized Housing Sites. Each city or municipality in urban, 
urbanizable and rural areas shall designate, through the CLUP, adequate lands for housing or residential 
purposes, including socialized housing and resettlement areas for the immediate and future needs of 
the local population as well as the underprivileged and homeless in their territory, pursuant to existing 
laws and regulations. In order to ensure adequate availability of land for the housing needs of the local 
population, the CLUP may be revised at the minimum often (10) years, and reviewable not earlier than 
every five (5) years. 


 
The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential zones, and shall be zoned as 
socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city's or municipality's ZO, duly approved by the 
NLUPC, pursuant to existing laws and regulations. Preference shall be given to lands proximate to public 
transportation facilities which may include inter alia railways and public terminals. 
 
The location of resettlement areas may either be on-site or off-site and may be within the city or 
municipality: Provided, That designated settlement and socialized housing areas shall consider the 
proximity and accessibility of the affected community to employment, economic activities and social 
services. 
 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the NLUPC, in coordination with concerned 
agencies, pursuant to HUDCC Resolution No. 521, Series of 1992; Executive Order No. 124, Series of 
1993; and other pertinent guidelines on the matter, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines for the 
identification and designation of socialized housing sites. All cities and municipalities in urban and 
urbanizing areas shall identify and designate their socialized housing sites within one (1) year from the 
effectivity of this Act and must submit the list of these sites and their respective areas to the HUDCC. 
These sites shall be used exclusively for socialized housing as defined in the UDHA. 
 
SEC. 40. Zoning of Identified Sites for Socialized Housing. The identified sites for socialized 
housing shall be located in residential zones identified by the city's or municipality's CLUP and ZO duly 
approved by the NL UPC. However, for cities and municipalities where the identified sites are not within 
the said residential zones, the location shall be within the priority sites and conform with the suitability 
criteria as defined in Sections 6.3 and 6.4 of the Guidelines in HUDCC Resolution No. 521, Series of 
1992, or as may be defined in subsequent issuances. The identified sites shall be zoned as socialized 
housing zones as defined herein. 
 
The current ZO of LGUs shall be reviewed and revised such that the socialized housing component shall 
be integrated thereto. 
 
SEC. 41. Valuation of Lands for Socialized Housing. Equitable land valuation guidelines for 
socialized housing shall be set by the Department of Finance (DOF) on the basis of the market value 
reflected in the zonal valuation, or in its absence, on the latest real property tax declaration. For sites 
already occupied by qualified beneficiaries under the UDHA, and sites identified as socialized housing 
zones as defined in this Act, the DOF shall factor into the valuation, the blighted status of the land as 
certified by the LGU or the National Housing Authority (NHA). 
 
SEC. 42. Guidelines for Identification of Settlement Sites. In identifying settlement areas, 
prospective sites should be: 
 
(a) 
Within alienable and disposable lands but not in environmentally critical, geo- hazard or 
other protection areas; 
(b) 
Along established urban growth directions; 
(c) 
With provisions for or can be provided with basic services and utilities; 
(d) 
Within the O to 8% slope range; and 
(e) 
Accessible from existing built-up areas and other employment centers through existing or 
proposed roads and other transportation facilities. 
 
SEC. 43. Urban Forest or Green Space. Each city or highly-urbanizing municipality  
shall identify, designate, and allocate lands owned by the city or municipality as urban forest or green 
space, based on the guidelines and standards to be issued by the DENR and approved by the NLUPC. 
 
SEC. 44. Protection of Ecological Harmony. To ensure the ecological harmony of towns, cities and 
settlements, certain projects that can alter the present use of a zoned area shall not be issued a building 
permit, business permit, and/or development permit. The identification of these projects shall be done 
in coordination with the LGU concerned. All LGUs shall be required to designate restoration areas in 
their forest land use plans. 


 
ARTICLE TEN. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS/SITES 
 
SEC. 45. Criteria for Designating Industrial Development Areas. The identification and 
establishment of industrial development areas shall conform to the provisions of Republic Act No. 7916 
or the SEZA of 1995 as amended by Republic Act No. 8748, Republic Act No. 6657 or the Comprehensive 
Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) as amended by Republic Act No. 9700 or the Comprehensive Agrarian 
Reform Program Extension with Reforms {CARPER), Republic Act No. 8371 or the IPRA, Republic Act 
No. 7279 or the UDHA, Republic Act No. 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code as amended by Republic 
Act No. 10654, and Republic Act No. 8435 or the AFMA, taking into consideration the following: 
 
(a) 
Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected agricultural areas 
pursuant to Republic Act No. 8435; 
(b) 
National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based industrial 
development; 
(c) 
Identified growth areas and corridors in the National Development Plan; 
(d) 
NIP AS and non-NIPAS areas such as, but not limited to, KBAs and restored areas that 
require protection; 
(e) 
National and Urban Development and Housing Framework; 
(f) 
Identified Socialized Housing Zones; and 
(g) 
National Framework for Physical Planning and other existing national programs and 
policies. 
 
The designated industrial development areas shall be located only in production land use areas and 
shall become an integral part of the land use plan and ZO of the city or municipality where these areas 
are located. Republic Act No. 9700, Republic Act No. 8371, Republic Act No. 7279, Republic Act No. 
8550, Republic Act No. 8435, and Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 shall 
apply to all Special Economic Zones and Free Ports. 
 
 
 
 
ARTICLE ELEVEN. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AREAS 
 
SEC. 46. Designating Tourism Development Areas. The identification, selection, and development 
of tourism development areas, and tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) shall be done in consultation and 
coordination with the concerned LGU s, the TIEZA, the DOT, and other concerned national government 
agencies, the private sector and the affected communities, subject to the provisions of Republic Act No. 
No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009. Tourism development areas shall likewise include those covered 
by legislative and executive issuances such as tourist spots, tourist zones and tourism ecozones which 
can be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, leisure and recreation complexes and other 
tourism-related facilities as well as those identified in the national, regional, and area-specific tourism 
master plans and other sector plans, such as ecotourism and agritourism sites: Provided, That such 
sites designated for tourism development are outside of areas identified for protection land use. As 
much as practicable, community-based tourism shall be the principal mode of tourist spot operation. 
Republic Act No. 9700, Republic Act No. 8371, Republic Act No. 7279, Republic Act No. 8550, Republic 
Act No. 8435, and Republic Act No. 7160 shall apply and Executive Order No. 111, Series of 1999 that 
provided for the National Ecotourism Strategy shall likewise apply to all tourist zones and tourist 
development areas. 
 
Designated areas for tourism development shall become part of the CLUPs and ZOs of the cities or 
municipalities where these are located. 
 
SEC. 47. Identification and Preservation of Cultural Heritage. In accordance with Republic Act 
No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, the National Historical Commission of the 
Philippines (NHCP), the National Museum (NM), and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts 
(NCCA) in coordination with other concerned agencies, local communities, and the private sector, shall 


identify and declare areas and structures which shall be protected and preserved as part of Philippine 
cultural heritage. 
 
The NHCP and the NM, in consultation with the NCCA and the HLURB, shall designate heritage zones 
to protect the historical and cultural integrity of a geographical area that is significant to national history. 
 
The LGUs, in consultation with the NHCP, the NM, and the NCCA, shall designate heritage zones to 
protect the historical and cultural integrity of geographical areas and cultural spaces of intangible 
cultural properties, which are significant to a city or municipality and the community. 
 
ARTICLE TWELVE. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 
 
SEC. 48. Allocation and Use of land for Infrastructure Development. Land, whether public or 
private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure projects that are supportive of national 
or local development objectives. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), in 
consultation with the concerned national government agencies, LGUs, and the private sector, shall 
identify and periodically review, update and/or revise the list of priority infrastructure projects under 
an overall national strategic infrastructure development plan subject to the provisions of this Act, 
Republic Act No. 8435 and Republic Act No. 8371: Provided, That such national strategic infrastructure 
development plan shall be consistent and integrated in the objectives and directions of the NPFP. 
 
In determining and evaluating the list of priority infrastructure projects, consideration shall be given to 
those that: 
 
(a) 
Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national and regional economy with 
priority to improving production-market integration, inter-modal transport, conveyance and 
logistics linkages, rural infrastructure and the development of the agriculture and fisheries 
sectors; 
(b) 
Upgrade existing facilities to international public safety standards; 
(c) 
Address the need for sustainable settlements development; and 
(d) 
Mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing phenomena or those that shall 
serve as alternatives to existing infrastructure found in natural hazard-prone areas. 
 
Provided, That the provision and implementation of infrastructure support shall be made compatible 
with existing environmental conditions and the physical, whether natural or human-made, and cultural 
character of the area. Mandatory public consultations pursuant to existing laws and regulations shall 
be held prior to the conduct of all infrastructure projects that will necessarily involve dislocation or 
displacement of people in the area.  
 
Provided. Further, That the proponent of the infrastructure project shall follow the rules on just and 
humane eviction or demolition under Section 28 of Republic Act No. 7279 as a last resort, 
notwithstanding the provisions of Republic Act No. 8975, prohibiting lower courts from issuing 
temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, or preliminary mandatory injunctions, and that 
the proponent shall follow provisions of Republic Act No. 8371, particularly those pertaining to the rights 
ofICCs/IPs in case of displacement. 
 
Provided, finally, That national government infrastructure projects shall provide budgetary allocations 
for the adequate relocation of displaced communities. 
 
SEC. 49. Infrastructure Projects Within Geo-hazard Areas. Construction of priority infrastructure 
projects within hazard-prone areas shall be allowed: Provided, That mitigating and/or preventive 
measures are adopted and implemented to address the potential adverse economic, sociocultural, and 
environmental impacts that will emanate from these infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and 
recommendations of a feasibility study/EIA in accordance with Presidential Decree No. I 586 (EIS 
System) and Republic Act No. 4846 or the Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act.  
 


Existing projects that were undertaken without the required EIA and which pose a threat to the 
environment, or to the integrity of historic, archaeological, or scientifically significant areas, or impinge 
on critical ecosystems, may be terminated immediately, or gradually phased-out and relocated, or 
maintained within their life span subject, however, to mitigating measures: Provided, That the rules on 
mandatory public hearings/consultations and just and humane eviction or demolition shall also be 
observed prior to the termination, gradual phase-out, or relocation of projects that will necessarily 
involve dislocation or displacement of people in the area. 
 
 
CHAPTER IV 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLAN 
 
SEC. 50. National Land Use Planning Process. The physical framework and land use planning 
process shall be participatory, following a combined bottom-up and top-down approach, with 
mandatory public hearings/consultations conducted at all levels, and shall consider available and 
updated multidisciplinary scientific information of land uses.  
A set of national policy guidelines and standards for physical planning shall be formulated by the NLUPC. 
These shall guide the preparation and formulation of the NPFP, Regional and Provincial Physical 
Framework Plans (RPPFPs).  
 
These standards shall give due consideration to conflicting uses and areas being used, declared or 
designated for agrarian reform, protected areas, coastal resource management and/or ancestral 
domains. 
 
The NPFP shall define the national strategy and objectives of the country's urban, rural and regional 
development. It shall guide the rational distribution of population, access to economic opportunities 
and social services, sustainable utilization of resources, and maintenance of environmental integrity.  
 
Furthermore, it shall consider the existing Regional Physical Framework Plans (RPFPs) and the Provincial 
Physical Framework Plans (PPFPs).  
 
The RPFPs, the PPFPs and the CLUPs, which cover the physical development of their respective 
territories, shall be consistent with the NPFP: Provided, That the integration and harmonization of 
physical framework plans at all levels shall be iterative to ensure that the concerns of both top and 
bottom levels of government are considered in the NPFP, the RPFPs, the PPFPs and the CLUPs.  
 
The physical framework and land use plans prepared at all levels shall be consistent with each other, 
specifically on the linkages of the major land use categories to ensure their complementation in the 
utilization, development and management of resources.  
 
The period of coverage of the national, regional and provincial framework plans shall be thirty (30) 
years with regular review and updating every ten (10) years. 
 
SEC. 51. National Physical Framework Plan. The NPFP shall guide the planning and management 
of the country's land and other physical resources at the national and sub-national levels, and indicate 
broad spatial directions and policy guidelines on protection land use, production land use, settlement 
development and infrastructure development. The NPFP shall be the basis for adopting the land use 
and physical planning-related guidelines, including zoning and other land use control standards that 
will guide the formulation of city/municipal ZOs. 
 
The NLUPC, in consultation with concerned sectors and communities shall update the NPFP after such 
period that objectives and goals set by the NPFP have been substantially achieved. It shall also 
formulate and issue the appropriate planning guidelines and standards through which all physical 
planning, land use and management of resources shall be reviewed, prepared, formulated and 
monitored. 
 


The resulting land use plan/physical framework shall be the basis for the identification, formulation and 
development of national and local development plans, programs, projects and activities of government 
at all levels. 
 
SEC. 52. Regional Physical Framework Plan (RPFP). The RPFP shall provide broad spatial 
directions and policy guidelines on protection land use, production land use, settlement development, 
and infrastructure development at the regional level and guide the formulation of the PPFPs. The RPFP 
shall consider the existing PPFPs and the CLUPs ofLGUs within the territorial jurisdiction of the region.  
 
The Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC), created under Section 59 of this Act, shall 
formulate and periodically update the RPFP based on the guidelines issued by the NLUPC, in a manner 
consistent with and following the objective of the NPFP. Likewise, the Medium-Term Regional 
Development Plan (MTRDP) and the Medium-Term Regional Development Investment Program 
(MTRDIP) shall be guided by and made consistent with the objectives identified in the RPFP. 
 
SEC. 53. Provincial Physical Framework Plan (PPFP). The PPFP shall determine the physical 
development of the entire provincial territory, consolidate and harmonize the comprehensive land use 
plans of component cities and municipalities, consistent with the RPFP. It shall reflect the indicative 
land use management and physical development direction of the province.  
 
Further, the PPFP shall serve as basis for other sectoral and development plans related to land, natural 
resources, and infrastructure facilities, including the development plan of the province; the 
reconciliation and rationalization of land use proposals among component cities and municipalities with 
the higher level framework plan; guiding development agencies and private developers, particularly 
those that undertake large-scale projects; and providing a basis for resolving conflicts arising from the 
implementation of land use plans and development projects involving two (2) or more municipalities. 
 
The PPFP shall serve as the basis for the preparation of the Provincial Development Plan (PDP) and the 
Provincial Development Investment Program (PDIP). The PPFP, the PDP, the PDIP and/or the Provincial 
Physical Framework and Development Plan (PPFDP) shall serve as the basis for the formulation of 
sectoral action plans of national government agencies in the province and all LGUs within its jurisdiction. 
The province may opt to prepare their PDP alongside the preparation of PPFP and consolidate them 
into a PPFDP: Provided, That PPFDP shall remain consistent with the PPFP: Provided. Further, that any 
review or changes in the PPFP shall coincide with the overall review process of the NPFP.  
 
The Provincial Land Use Planning and Management Board (PLUPMB) created under this Act shall ensure 
that the PPFP is consistent with the national and regional planning framework and guidelines issued by 
the NLUPC/RLUPC. The PPFP shall be presented to the Provincial Development Council (PDC) for 
endorsement to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, which shall formally adopt and approve the PPFP. The 
approved PPFP shall be submitted to the RLUPC for consolidation and integration into the RPFP.  
 
Under the general supervision of the PLUPMB, the Provincial Planning and Development 
Coordinator/Office (PPDC/PPDO) shall provide technical, secretariat and administrative support in the 
preparation, consultation, integration and formulation process of the PPFP. 
 
SEC. 54. City and Municipal Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs). All barangays shall 
provide their sectoral, temporal and spatial data for the CLUP which shall serve as the foundation for 
the formulation of the city/municipal CLUPs. The data shall be provided by the Sangguniang 
Pambarangay through stakeholder consultations. The CLUP shall determine the specific uses of land 
and other physical and natural resources, both private and public, within their territorial jurisdiction 
including areas comanaged with the national government and, as appropriate, management plans for 
ancestral domains, critical watersheds, river basins, and protected areas. 
 
The CLUP shall delineate actual boundaries on the ground within the territorial jurisdiction, embody the 
desired land use patterns of the barangay, city or municipality, translate and integrate sectoral plans, 
and provide appropriate policies for each of the four (4) land use planning categories. The spatial 
directions prescribed in the CLUP shall serve as the basis for the preparation and formulation of the 


Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) of the 
LGUs.  
 
Consistent with the national standards and guidelines prescribed in Section 50 of this Act, the cities and 
municipalities shall, in consultation with the concerned sectors, prepare their respective CLUPs. The 
City/Municipal Land Use Planning and Management Board (C/MLUPMB) created under this Act shall be 
responsible for the preparation and formulation of the CLUP and ensure its consistency with national 
and regional physical planning guidelines and standards. Under the general supervision of the 
respective C/MLUPMB, the City/Municipal Planning and Development Office/Coordinator (C/MPDO/C) 
shall provide technical, secretariat and administrative support in the preparation, consultation, 
integration and formulation process of the respective CLUPs of each city or municipality. 
 
The CLUPs shall be submitted by the city/municipal local development councils (LDCs) for adoption and 
approval of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB). The approved CLUPs shall be submitted to the province for 
integration into the PPFP. 
 
CHAPTER V 
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISM 
 
SEC. 55. Creation of the National Land Use Policy Council (NLUPC). The National Land Use 
Committee (NLUC) under the NEDA Board (NB) is hereby abolished and in its stead, the NLUPC shall 
be created. It shall exercise the powers and responsibilities identified under this Act and assume the 
functions of the NEDA Board-National Land Use Committee (NB-NLUC). It shall further exercise the 
powers and functions pertaining to land use planning vested by law on the Housing and Land Use 
Regulatory Board (HLURB), except the following which shall remain as official functions of the HLURB: 
 
(a) 
Formulate land use planning guidelines in the preparation of the CLUPs and ZOs of LGUs 
to ensure compliance with the national policies, objectives, priorities and directions set by 
the NLUPC; 
(b) 
Provide technical and other forms of planning assistance to, including capacity building for, 
LGUs and zoning boards; and 
(c) 
Act as the appellate body on decisions of local zoning bodies on locational clearance 
applications and/or oppositions thereto and other zoning issues involving private rights. 
 
The NLUPC shall act as the highest policy-making body on land use and shall resolve land use policy 
conflicts between or among agencies, branches, or levels of the government. It shall integrate efforts, 
and monitor developments relating to land use and the evolution of policies. 
 
SEC. 56. Composition of the NLUPC. The NLUPC shall be headed by the Director General of the 
NEDA as Chairperson. It shall choose a Vice Chairperson from among the members of the Council, who 
shall assume the functions of the Chairperson in case of absence. The NLUPC shall meet at least once 
every quarter. 
 
The members of the Council shall be the following: 
 
(a) 
The Secretary of the DAR; 
(b) 
The Secretary of the DA; 
(c) 
The Secretary of the DENR; 
(d) 
The Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); 
(e) 
The Chairperson of the NCIP; 
(f) 
The Chairperson of the HUDCC; 
(g) 
The Chief Executive Officer of the HLURB; 
(h) 
The Administrator of the NAMRIA; 
(i) 
The President of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP); 
(j) 
The President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP); 
(k) 
Two (2) representatives each from four (4) basic sectors directly involved in land use, 
namely: urban poor, peasants, fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who shall be appointed 


by the respective National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) sectoral councils. Of the eight 
(8) sectoral representatives, at least four (4) shall be women, provided that one of whom 
shall be from the Moro sector; 
(l) 
Four ( 4) representatives from the developers' associations, the accredited associations of 
professionals dealing with land use such as, but not limited to, urban and regional planners, 
environmental planners, architects, geologists and geodetic engineers, the business or 
private sectors; and 
(m) 
The Head of the NLUPC Secretariat who shall be a nonvoting ex officio member. The 
members of the Council who are Cabinet Secretaries may designate their duly authorized 
and permanent representatives whose ranks shall in no case be lower than Undersecretary. 
 
SEC 57. Powers and Functions of the NLUPC. The NL UPC shall have the following powers and 
functions: 
 
(a) 
Guide the determination and identification of the country's strategic land use development 
and physical planning objectives, priorities and direction, as well as recommend the 
adoption, passage, or amendment of laws to ensure that plans, programs, projects, and 
activities, including local government initiatives affecting land use are consistent with 
national development objectives; 
(b) 
Formulate the necessary national policy guidelines in the preparation of the country's 
physical framework plans, including the setting of limits/target key land uses needed for 
protection, production, settlements and infrastructure for present and future needs; 
(c) 
Ensure that policies, guidelines and standards on land use and physical planning, including 
zoning, shall be followed by the RLUPC, local land use boards and concerned national 
agencies, and that the RPFP, the PPFP and the CLUPs shall be consistent with the NPFP; 
(d) 
Ensure the consistency of other national development and sectoral plans and programs, 
including the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) and Public Investment 
Program (PIP), with the NPFP; 
(e) 
Integrate and harmonize all laws and policies relevant to land use in order to come up with 
a rational, cohesive, and comprehensive national land use framework, and if warranted, 
recommend to Congress the adoption, passage or amendment of laws to ensure that 
sectoral plans, projects and activities, including local government initiatives affecting land 
use are consistent with national development objectives; 
(f) 
Resolve policy conflicts on land uses between or among agencies, branches, or levels of 
government and unresolved land use policy conflicts at the regional level; 
(g) 
Issue locational clearances for projects of national significance; 
(h) 
Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the government and 
or private entities and organizations for cooperation, support, and assistance in the 
performance of its functions; 
(i) 
Review the NPFP every ten (10) years; 
(j) 
Advise the President of the Philippines and the NEDA Board on all matters concerning land 
use and physical planning; 
(k) 
Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of meetings and other 
business of the Council; and 
(l) 
Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers as may be 
necessarily implied, inherent, incidental, or related to the foregoing. 
 
SEC. 58. NLUPC Secretariat. The existing unit of the NEDA in charge of Land Use and Physical 
Planning Division shall act as the NLUPC Secretariat which shall perform functions such as, but not 
limited to, managing information, gathering of data, coordinate the monitoring of government agencies 
and LGUs, ensuring multi-stakeholder participation towards formation of local land use policy boards, 
sharing of database and mapping systems, and reinforcing relevant assessment tools and capability-
building programs. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
REGIONAL AND LOCAL LAND USE POLICY BODIES 
 


SEC. 59. Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC). At the regional level, the Regional Land Use 
Committee (RLUC) is hereby abolished and in its stead, the RLUPC shall be created. The RLUPC shall 
be institutionalized, replicating the NLUPC structure and composition. It shall be chaired by the NEDA 
Regional Director and shall exercise the following functions: 
 
(a). 
Formulate regional policies and guidelines which are consistent with the national planning 
guidelines issued by the NLUPC in the preparation and formulation of the respective 
provincial physical planning and CLUPs of LGU s within its jurisdiction; 
(b). 
Prepare and periodically update the RPFP, taking into consideration national policies and 
lower level plans; 
(c). 
Review, prior to adoption by respective Sanggunians, the PPFPs and the CLUPs of highly 
urbanized and independent component cities to ensure consistency with the RPFP and 
national policies set forth by the NLUPC; 
(d). 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification, and allocation that 
may arise between or among regional line agencies, provinces and cities/municipalities; 
(e). 
Monitor changes in land use and other physical resources in the region; 
(f). 
Coordinate and monitor the land use activities of regional line agencies and LGUs; 
(g). 
Evaluate consistency of major programs and projects of regional agencies and entities with 
the RPFP and their impact on land use and the environment; and 
(h). 
Perform other related functions as may be directed by the NLUPC. 
 
 
In forest land use management, where the watershed area/continuum covers several 
municipalities across different provinces, an inter-LGU task force composed of representatives from the 
RLUPC and the concerned municipal LGUs where the watershed area is located shall be formed. With 
the assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory consultations with the concerned sectors, the inter-
LGU task force shall formulate the Watershed Management Plan for the said watershed area. 
 
SEC. 60. Provincial Land Use Planning and Management Board (PLUPMB). The Provincial Land 
Use Committee (PLUC) is hereby abolished. The Provincial Land Use Planning and Management Board 
or PLUPMB is created in all provinces under this Act to oversee the preparation, integration, adoption 
and approval of the PPFP and shall ensure its consistency with approved national and regional planning 
guidelines. The PLUPMB shall also be directly responsible for the effective management and 
implementation of the approved PPFP and ensure that any existing and future development initiatives, 
programs and projects introduced within its jurisdiction are consistent with and supportive of the land 
use resource management and physical planning objectives, directions and character identified in the 
approved PPFP. 
 
SEC. 61. Powers and Responsibilities of the Provincial Land Use Planning and  
Management Board. The following are the powers and responsibilities of the PLUPMB: 
 
(a) 
Formulate necessary provincial planning guidelines and/or implementing policies for the 
preparation and formulation of the respective CLUPs within its jurisdiction consistent with 
approved national and regional planning policies and guidelines; 
(b) 
Submit to the PDC the draft CLUP for its transmission to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan 
and for the PDC to use it as reference for consistency and complementation with other 
development plans; 
(c) 
Review, monitor and assess the implementation and operationalization of the approved 
CLUP and its consistency with physical planning and land use management objectives and 
goals identified in the CLUP; 
(d) 
After an appropriate period of time or upon instruction and advice by the NLUPC, conduct 
and initiate a progress review of the PPFP and the achievement of its stated objectives and 
goals and update the PPFP; 
(e) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification, and allocation that 
may arise between or among cities/municipalities and facilitate the resolution of any 
unresolved land use conflict, including political boundary conflicts, at the city/municipality 
level; 


(f) 
Advise the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on all matters pertaining to land use and physical 
planning; 
(g) 
Promote cooperation and sharing of resources between and among component LGUs of 
the province or with neighboring LGUs to address common land use and development 
issues including those related to geo-physical hazards, watershed and river basin 
management, coastal and marine waters, climate change impact and disaster risks; and 
(h) 
Assist the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in rev1ewmg the submitted CLUPs of component 
cities/municipalities to ensure consistency with the PPFP. 
 
In cases where the watershed areas transcend the boundaries of a particular municipality, an inter-LGU 
task force composed of representatives from the PLUPMB of the municipal LGUs where the watershed 
area is located shall be formed. 
 
SEC. 62. Composition of the PLUPMB. The PLUPMB shall be composed of the following fifteen (15) 
members to be selected based on the rules to be formulated by the NLUPC as provided in this Act: 
 
(a) 
The Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator (PPDC); 
(b) 
The Chairperson of Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Environment and Natural 
Resources; 
(c) 
The Provincial Chapter President-League of Municipalities and/or League of Cities; 
(d) 
The Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO); 
(e) 
The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO); 
(f) 
The Provincial Agricultural Officer (PAO); 
(g) 
The NCIP Provincial Officer; 
(h) 
The HLURB Regional Officer; 
(i) 
Three (3) representatives from the local business or private sector; the developers' 
association and accredited associations of professionals dealing with land use such as, but 
not limited to, urban and regional planners, environmental planners, architects, geologists, 
geodetic engineers, and chamber of commerce, who shall be appointed from among the 
accredited organizations within their respective development councils; 
(j) 
Four (4) representatives from the basic sector groups (urban poor, fisherfolk, farmers, 
indigenous peoples): Provided, That at least two (2) representatives shall be women: 
Provided, further, That the representatives shall be appointed from among the accredited 
organizations within their respective development councils: Provided, finally, That in 
predominantly Muslim areas, one shall be from the Moro sector; and 
(k) 
The designated Board Chairperson to be chosen among the members. 
 
Except for ex officio members, the members of the PLUPMB shall be appointed for a term of three (3) 
years, subject however to the elected office held, government employment and/or official designation 
of the LGU, national agency and/or local business/private sector association or basic sector group 
representation in the Board. The NLUPC, within ninety (90) days from its establishment, shall formulate 
the rules for the selection of the Chairperson and the members of the PLUPMB. The Provincial Planning 
and Development Coordinator/Office (PPDC/PPDO) shall provide technical secretariat and 
administrative support and resources for the effective operation of the PLUPMB. 
 
Aside from the PPDO, the PLUPMB may call upon other local and national government offices and 
agencies such as the local Engineer, Assessor, and local field representatives of the DA, the DPWH, the 
DOTr, the DOT, the DENR, the DAR, the DepED, the NCIP and other concerned national agencies to 
assist the PLUPMB in the performance of its roles and mandates.  
 
The appropriations for the regular operation and activities of the PLUPMB shall be included in the annual 
budget proposal of the PPDO: Provided, That other funds and resources, including grants, applicable 
service fees and charges collected, contributions, donations, and other funds to support its operations 
and activities may be accepted and received by the PLUPMB subject to existing auditing and reporting 
procedures.  
 


SEC. 63. City/Municipal Land Use Planning and Management Board (CMLUPMB). A 
City/Municipal Land Use Planning and Management Board or C/MLUPMB is hereby created under this 
Act in all municipalities and cities, including highly urbanized and component cities, to oversee the 
preparation, integration, adoption and approval of their respective CLUPs. It shall issue a Certificate of 
Compliance prior to the submission of the CLUP to the Sanggunian to ensure the consistency of such 
plans with approved national, regional and provincial planning guidelines. The C/MLUPMB shall also be 
directly responsible for the effective management and implementation of the approved CLUP and for 
ensuring that existing and future local policies, including ZOs, development initiatives, programs and 
projects introduced within its jurisdiction are consistent with and supportive of the land use resource 
management and physical planning objectives, directions and character identified by the approved 
CLUP. 
 
SEC. 64. Powers and Responsibilities of the City/Municipal Land Use Planning and  
Management Board. The C/MLUPMB shall exercise the following powers and functions: 
 
(a) 
Ensure the inclusion of the input of the barangays within the jurisdiction of the respective 
city/municipality on sectoral, temporal and spatial dimensions of the plan and its 
consistency with approved national, regional and provincial planning guidelines; 
(b) 
Review, monitor and assess the implementation and operationalization of the approved 
CLUP and its consistency with physical planning and land use management objectives and 
goals identified in the CLUP; 
(c) 
Issue a Certificate of Compliance to the Sanggunian as proof that the CLUP is compliant 
with national land use policies, guidelines and standards; 
(d) 
Submit to the LDC the draft CLUP for its transmission to the Sanggunian and for the LDC 
to use it as basis for consistency and complementation with other development plans; 
(e) 
Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use planning, classification, and allocation that 
may arise between or among barangays and facilitate the resolution of any unresolved land 
use conflict, including boundary conflicts, involving barangays; 
(f) 
Based on the CLUP, review and endorse for approval/disapproval applications for locational 
clearances, building and zoning permits and/or other planning-related requirement for any 
project, both private and public, that is submitted to the LGU for issuance; 
(g) 
Advise the Sangguniang Bayan on all matters pertaining to land use and physical planning; 
and 
(h) 
Promote cooperation and sharing of resources between and among its barangays and 
neighboring LGUs to address common land use and development issues including those 
related to geo-physical hazards, watershed and river basins, coastal and marine waters, 
climate change impact and disaster risks. 
 
SEC. 65. Composition of the CIMLUPMB. The C/MLUPMB shall be composed of the following 
thirteen (13) members and shall be headed by a Chairperson: 
 
(a) 
The City/Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (C/MPDC); 
(b) 
The Chairperson, Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; 
(c) 
The President of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC); 
(d) 
The Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer (MARO); 
(e) 
The LGU Environment and Natural Resources Officer (City/Municipal ENRO); 
(f) 
The Municipal Agriculture Officer (MAO); 
(g) 
Three (3) representatives from the local business/private sector, the developers' 
associations, and the accredited associations of professionals dealing with land use such 
as, but not limited to, urban and regional planners, environmental planners, architects, 
geologists and geodetic engineers, and chamber of commerce, who shall be appointed 
from among the accredited organizations within their respective development councils; 
(h) 
Four (4) representatives from the basic sector groups (urban poor, fisherfolk, farmers and 
indigenous peoples): Provided, That at least two (2) representatives shall be women: 
Provided, further, That the representatives shall be appointed from among the accredited 
organizations within their respective development councils: Provided, finally, That in 
predominantly Muslim areas, one shall be from the Moro sector; and 


(i) 
The designated Board Chairperson to be chosen among the members. 
 
Except for ex officio members, the members of the C/MLUPMB shall be appointed to a term of three 
(3) years, subject however to the elected office held, government employment and/or official 
designation in the LGU, national agency and/or local business/private sector association or basic sector 
group representation in the Board. The NLUPC, within ninety (90) days from its establishment, shall 
formulate the rules for the selection of the Chairperson and members of the C/MLUPMB. The 
City/Municipal Planning and Development Office/Coordinator (C/MPDO/C) shall provide technical 
secretariat and administrative support and resources for the effective operation of the C/MLUPMB.  
 
Aside from the C/MPDO/C, the C/MLUPMB may call upon other local and national government offices 
and agencies such as the local Engineer, Assessor, and local field representatives of the DA, the DPWH, 
the DOTr, the DOT, the DENR, the DAR, the DepED and other concerned national agencies to assist 
the C/MLUPMB in the performance of its roles and mandates.  
 
The annual appropriations for the operation and activities of the C/MLUPMB shall be included in the 
annual budget proposal of the C/MPDO/C: Provided, That other funds and resources, including grants, 
applicable service fees and charges collected, contributions, donations, and other funds to support its 
operations and activities may be accepted and received by the PLUPMB subject to existing auditing and 
reporting procedures.  
 
LGUs shall create and/or activate their respective C/MLUPMB upon guidelines issued by the NLUPC for 
such purposes, not later than six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act.  
 
CHAPTER VII 
ADOPTION, APPROVAL AND REVIEW OF LOCAL LAND USE AND PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK 
PLANS 
 
SEC. 66. Approval and Review of PPFP and CLUPs. The PPFP and CLUPs of the respective 
city/municipal LGUs, including highly urbanized cities and independent component cities shall be 
submitted by the local land use boards to the LDCs for transmission to the local Sanggunian for 
approval. 
 
SEC. 67. Approval of RPFP and NPFP. The RPFP and NPFP shall be submitted for review and 
approval of the RLUPC and NLUPC, respectively, upon the conduct of appropriate stakeholder and 
agency consultations: Provided, That such processes and guidelines shall be prepared and issued by 
the NLUPC within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act  
 
CHAPTER VIII 
MAPPING AND DATA MANAGEMENT FOR LAND USE PLANNING 
 
SEC. 68. National Mapping and Spatial Data Infrastructure Program (NMSDIP). A national 
mapping program shall be implemented, coordinated and monitored by the Interagency Technical 
Committee (ITC) which is hereby created. It shall be composed of the NAMRIA as the lead agency, the 
BSWM, the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the LMB, the Land Registration Authority (LRA), the 
Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PA WB), the MGB, the Philippine Institute of Volcano logy and 
Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the DAR, the DA, the NCIP, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), the 
DOE, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the NEDA, and other 
concerned government agencies. The ITC shall be constituted, and the mapping and spatial data 
infrastructure program shall be initiated within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act The 
program shall be responsible for the production of base and decision maps and associated spatial 
databases for all planning levels based on the guidelines of the NLUPC.  
 
Under the program, all government stakeholders concerned in the production of maps of various themes 
shall collaboratively formulate the government's spatial data infrastructure master plan and respective 
government agency/stakeholders' spatial data infrastructure plans which shall be the basis for 
subsequent funding and eventual project implementation and/or operation.  


 
All pertinent and updated thematic maps/data from supporting agencies of the program shall be 
submitted to the N AMRIA for compilation and integration into a national geospatial database 
established under the program. 
 
The NAMRIA shall finish its base mapping program within two (2) years upon the effectivity of this Act 
and provide updates thereof to support the implementation of the spatial data infrastructure program.  
 
The spatial and nonspatial data generated by these activities shall be transmitted to the LGU as soon 
as practicable. Existing land information data available to the national government agencies as of the 
effectivity of this Act shall be immediately transmitted to the LGUs.  
 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, assisted by the appropriate agencies of the 
national government, shall likewise prepare their respective maps using scales, symbols, and other 
indicators to be prescribed in accordance with this Act. The completed maps shall be integrated in the 
NPFP pursuant to Section 51 of this Act.  
 
SEC. 69. Maps for Planning. Within one (1) year after the NLUPC's approval of the Guidelines and 
Standards for planning at all levels, available NAMRIA maps and all maps made available to NAMRIA 
by supporting agencies shall be submitted to the NLUPC for national, provincial, cities and municipalities 
planning. The NLUPC shall forward these maps to the respective PLUPMBs and C/MLUPMBs after it has 
reviewed and approved them. Pertinent maps to be produced through the NMSDIP shall include, among 
others: 
 
(a) 
Topographic Maps; 
(b) 
Geologic Maps; 
(c) 
Hydrologic Maps; 
(d) 
Climate Maps; 
(e) 
Soils Maps; 
(f) 
Slope Maps; 
(g) 
Mineral Resource Maps; 
(h) 
Existing Land Use Maps; 
(i) 
Land Suitability Maps for: 
1) Settlements; 
2) Agriculture; 
3) Industrial areas; and  
4) Others. 
(j) 
Agricultural Maps: 
1) Network of Protected Areas for Agricultural and Agro-industrial Development; 
2) Commodity Specific Development Guide Maps; 
3) Land Limitation Maps; 
4) Cropping System Zones Maps; 
5) Hydro-ecological Conditions Map; and 
6) Irrigation Systems Maps. 
(k) 
Land Classification Maps; 
(l) 
Municipal Waters Delineation Maps and MPAs; 
(m) 
Geo-Hazard Maps: 
1) Flood-Prone Areas; 
2) Hazard Zonation Maps for Volcanoes; 
3) Map of Fault Systems; 
4) Tsunami-Prone Areas; and 
5) Erosion Prone Areas. 
(n) 
Tourism Maps; 
(o) 
Transportation Maps; 
(p) 
Traffic Flow; 
(q) 
Maps Designating Areas Served by: 
1) Power; 


2) Telecommunications; and 
3) Water. 
(r) 
Maps indicating the following facilities: 
1) Health; 
2) Education; and 
3) Power. 
(s) 
Domestic Water Supply; 
(t) 
Industrial Areas; 
(u) 
Population Distribution Map; 
(v) 
Ancestral Domain Map; 
(w) 
NIPAS Areas; 
(x) 
Areas Suitable for Urban Expansion; 
(y) 
Watershed Areas; and 
(z) 
forest Lands: 
1) Protection Areas; 
2) Production Areas; and 
3) Restoration Areas: 
i. Key Biodiversity Areas; and 
ii. Marine Protected Areas. 
 
SEC. 70. Ground Delineation of the Country's Permanent Forest Line. Pursuant to the 
Constitution and as provided under this Act, the final determination and ground delineation of the 
country's permanent forest line shall be completed within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act: 
Provided, That appropriations for the fulfillment of this provision shall be included in the annual 
appropriations of the DENR: Provided, farther, That the complete report on the delineation of the 
country's permanent forest line shall be submitted to the NL UPC for appropriate integration in the 
country's strategic land use development plan and policies.  
 
SEC. 71. Completion and Updating of Existing Cadastral Surveys. The completion of incomplete 
cadastral surveys of LGUs and the updating of existing surveys shall be given priority consideration and 
allocation of resources in the implementation of this Act The DENR shall include in its annual 
appropriations the completion and updating of all incomplete and existing cadastral surveys of all LGUs 
in the country: Provided, That such surveys and maps shall be integrated into the National Spatial 
Database Information and Mapping System.  
 
In cases of ancestral domains, self-delineation by ICCs/IPs of their ancestral lands shall be employed 
to determine boundaries as provided for under Republic Act No. 8371.  
 
SEC. 72. Ground Delineation of Land Use. For effective planning to take place at the local level 
and for easy enforcement of the ZO of each city/municipality, land uses must be identifiable both on 
the map and on the ground. A Joint Committee comprised of the LGU, as represented by its C/MLUPMB, 
and of the national government agency concerned, to be assisted by the C/MPDC, shall identify and 
delineate on the ground the land uses within their jurisdiction. The following shall be given priority: 
 
(a) 
Forest Lands: 
1) Protection; and 
2) Production. 
(b) 
Ancestral Domains: 
(c) 
NIPAS Areas: 
1) Strict Protection Zone; and 
2) Multiple Use Zone. 
(d) 
Watershed Areas: 
1) Critical; and 
2) Multiple Use. 
(e) 
Network of Protected Areas for Agricultural and Agro-industrial Development (NPAAAD); 
(f) 
Socialized Housing Sites and Settlement Expansion Areas; 
(g) 
Extents of Environmentally Constrained Areas; 


(h) 
Easement Areas; 
(i) 
Critical coastal areas: 
1) Mangroves; and 
2) Sea grass. 
 
Critical marine resources shall also be delineated both on the map and in the waters. Perimeters of 
critical offshore areas, such as coral reefs, shall be marked in accordance with the coastal resource 
management plans concerned.  
 
All maps shall be updated as new important information and data become available or as determined 
by urgent need. Updating of maps shall be undertaken not more often than every ten (10) years. 
 
SEC. 73. National Geo-hazard Mapping Program. Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, a nationwide geo-hazard mapping program shall be initiated jointly through the NLUPC by the 
PHIVOLCS, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration 
(PAGASA), the NAMRIA, the MGB, and the DOE, in coordination with the NDRRMC, the Regional Disaster 
Risk Reduction and Management Councils, and other concerned government agencies. The program 
shall include the generation of indicative geo-hazard zoning maps that will outline areas in the 
Philippines which are prone to liquefaction, landslides, flooding, lahar, ground rupturing, tsunami, river 
erosion, coastal erosion, sinkhole collapse, earthquake, lava flow, pyroclastic flow, base surge, and 
other natural hazards. 
 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop a safe-built environment, the 
LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the generated geo-hazard zoning maps into their 
respective CLUPs and ZOs. Said geo-hazard maps shall serve as guide for all the LGU s in the 
preparation of their own hazards-constrained development plans. The NPFP shall incorporate these 
geo-hazard maps. 
 
All entities conducting infrastructure activities including real estate and subdivision projects and the 
development of tourist spots requiring an ECC shall submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard 
Assessment Report (EGGAR). 
 
SEC. 74. Scope and Nature of Responsibilities of Other National Government Agencies. All 
concerned national government agencies/bodies shall periodically report to the NLUPC on the various 
activities and accomplishments on land use. Likewise, they shall provide their respective 
sectoral/development plans and provide technical and administrative support if called upon by the 
NLUPC for the implementation of the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC. 75. Submission of Annual Report on the Implementation of CLUPs and ZOs.  The local 
land use boards shall submit their annual report on the implementation of their land use plans to their 
respective Sanggunian which shall submit the same to the RLUPCs for consolidation. The RLUPC shall 
thereafter transmit the consolidated reports to the NL UPC for monitoring and evaluation.  
 
CHAPTER IX 
TRAINING, EDUCATION AND VALUES FORMATION 
 
SEC. 76. Values Formation. In order to develop a well-informed, responsible and committed citizenry 
who value the protection, conservation and development of the country's limited land, and other 
physical resources, the State shall mandate the inclusion of sustainable land use education or any 
subject related thereto in the curricula of primary, secondary and tertiary education. 
 
SEC. 77. Information/Education Campaign and Capacity-Building. The NLUPC shall undertake 
a nationwide information/education campaign on land use and physical planning to be implemented by 
local and national government agencies. The DILG and concerned agencies shall formulate and 
implement a land use management capability-building program for national and local government 
officials, community leaders, representatives of NGOs, POs, the religious sector, and the general public.  
 


CHAPTER X 
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES 
 
ARTICLE ONE. INCENTIVES AND AWARDS 
 
SEC. 78. Formulation of a System of Incentives and Awards. The NL UPC shall come up with a 
system of incentives and awards to LGUs that regularly update their CLUPs/ZOs once every eight (8) 
years.  
 
SEC. 79. Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs. In providing technical assistance and 
other forms of support related to land use management and implementation of development plans, 
national government agencies shall give priority to cities and municipalities with approved CLUPs and 
ZOs.  
 
ARTICLE TWO. SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES 
 
SEC. 80. Fine for Failure to Commence or Complete the Development of Agricultural Lands 
With Approved Conversion Order. For agricultural lands with approved conversion orders, the 
provisions of Republic Act No. 6657 (CARL), as amended by Republic Act No. 9700, shall apply. A 
landowner and/or the designated developer or duly authorized representative who fail to commence 
and/or complete the development plan defined in the conversion order shall be jointly and severally 
penalized. The following fines based on the zonal value or the fair market value of the land, whichever 
is higher, at the time the fine shall be imposed: 
 
(a) 
Failure to commence within three (3) years from the date of the conversion order: 
1) Three percent (3%) for the first three (3) hectares; 
2) Ten percent (10%) for the next three (3) hectares; and 
3) Fifteen percent (15%) for the remaining area. 
 
In such case, the order of conversion shall be revoked by operation of law. The land shall revert to its 
original use as agricultural land and may be covered by the DAR through compulsory acquisition for 
distribution to qualified beneficiaries. 
 
(b) 
Failure to complete sixty percent (60%) of the approved conversion plan within a specified 
time frame shall result to the automatic revocation by the DAR of the conversion plan on 
the undeveloped portion. The land shall be reverted to its original use as agricultural land 
and may be covered under the CARP for land distribution. 
 
SEC. 81. Persons Abetting Illegal Conversion. Any person initiating, causing, inducing, or abetting 
illegal conversion with intent shall be punished with imprisonment or a fine in accordance with Act No. 
3815 or Republic Act No. 3019, or both, at the discretion of the court. 
 
If the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the penalty shall also 
include dismissal from service, forfeiture of all benefits and entitlements accruing to the public position, 
and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive public office.  
 
If the offender is a juridical person, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on the president, 
chief executive officer, manager, chairperson and all the members of the Board, and other responsible 
officers thereof. The imposable fine shall be equivalent to the zonal value of the land or forty percent 
(40%) of the shareholders' equity, whichever is higher. Furthermore, the land shall be forfeited in favor 
of the State and sold through public auction. The proceeds of the sale shall automatically accrue to the 
Agrarian Reform Fund.  
 
SEC. 82. Penalty for Reclassification of Protected Agricultural Lands and Exceeding the 
Limit of Areas Allowed for Reclassification. Any person initiating, causing, inducing, or abetting 
the reclassification to nonagricultural uses of protected agricultural areas as defined in Section 13 hereof 


shall be penalized with imprisonment of twelve (12) years or a fine of not less than one hundred 
thousand pesos (Pl00,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.  
 
If the offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the penalty shall also 
include dismissal from service, forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the public position, and perpetual 
disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive public position.  
 
If the offender is a juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed on the president, chief executive 
officer, manager, chairperson and all the members of the Board, and other responsible officers thereof.  
 
The same penalty shall be applicable to persons who will be responsible for exceeding the limits set 
forth under Section 20 of the Local Government Code pertaining to reclassification of lands. 
 
SEC. 83. Payment of Disturbance Compensation. Following the order of priority stated in Section 
22 of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended by Republic Act No. 9700, agricultural lessees and share 
tenants, regular farmworkers, seasonal farmworkers, other farmworkers, actual tillers or occupants of 
public lands, collective, or cooperative of the above beneficiaries, and others directly working on the 
land affected by agricultural land use conversion, shall be entitled to the payment of disturbance 
compensation equivalent to five (5) times the average of the gross harvests on the landholding during 
the preceding five (5) calendar years or a certain percentage of the converted land, whichever is higher, 
as determined by the DAR. 
 
SEC. 84. Authority to Impose Fine. The DAR shall have the authority to impose the fines provided 
under Sections 80, 81, 82 and 83 of this Act. 
 
SEC. 85. Withdrawal of Local Development Permits and/or Licenses. Upon receipt of notice 
from the DAR, the concerned agencies, cities or municipalities shall withdraw and/or revoke any 
development permit and/or other licenses that may be necessary to develop the agricultural land 
subject of conversion. 
 
SEC. 86. Utilization of Fines. The fines collected under Section 84 hereof shall automatically accrue 
to the Agrarian Reform Fund consistent with the provision of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law.  
 
SEC. 87. Failure to Formulate, Implement and/or Enforce the CLUPs and Zoning Ordinances 
(ZOs). Consistent with due process, the NLUPC, in coordination with the DILG, shall evaluate, review, 
and recommend the filing of charges against local chief executives and other local officials and 
employees responsible for the formulation, implementation and/or enforcement of the CLUPs for the 
following acts: 
 
(a) 
Failure of the CLUPs/ZOs to conform to the guidelines provided in the NPFP; 
(b) 
Failure to complete the preparation of the CLUP despite the availability of funds, resources, 
and support by the Sanggunian concerned; 
(c) 
Failure to provide appropriate budgetary allocation to effect its implementation; and 
(d) 
Failure to implement and enforce the CLUP/ZO due to negligence of duty. 
 
Any public official or employee, whether elected, appointed or holding office/employment 
in a casual, temporary, holdover, permanent, or regular capacity, found to be responsible 
for any of the foregoing acts, shall be punished with forfeiture of salaries and allowances, 
and suspension from: 
 
1) Three (3) to six (6) months, in case of non-completion of the CLUP; or 
2) Three (3) to six (6) months, in case of non-conformity with the NPFP; or 
3) Six (6) to nine (9) months, in case of non-implementation of the CLUP. 
 
Failure to comply with the provisions of Republic Act No. 8371 on the formulation of CLUP shall be 
penalized according to Section 72 of Republic Act No. 8371.  
 


SEC. 88. Illegal Conversion of City or Municipal Parks, Communal Forests, and Tree Parks 
in Subdivisions. Penalties in the amount of one hundred thousand pesos (Pl 00,000.00) to five 
hundred thousand pesos (PS00,000.00), or imprisonment of six (6) years and one (1) day to twelve 
(12) years, or both, at the discretion of the court, shall be imposed for each of the following offenses: 
(a) 
Illegally converting or causing the conversion of a city/municipal park, communal forest, or 
tree parks within subdivisions established pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 953, 
requiring the planting of trees in certain places, into other uses including the construction 
of permanent buildings; 
(b) 
Destroying or causing damage to the timberlands and other forest products found in the 
abovementioned forest and parks; 
(c) 
Setting the abovementioned forest and parks on fire, or negligently permitting a fire to be 
set therein; and 
(d) 
Assisting, aiding or abetting another person to commit the offenses stated in this section. 
 
The offender shall likewise be imposed a fine equivalent to eight (8) times the commercial value of the 
forest products destroyed without prejudice to payment of the full cost of rehabilitation of the areas as 
determined by the DENR.  
 
The maximum penalty prescribed shall be imposed upon the offender who repeats the same offense, 
and double the maximum penalty upon the offender who commits the same offense for the third time 
or more.  
 
All improvements made therein, as well as all vehicles, domestic animals, and equipment of any kind 
used in the commission of the offense shall be forfeited in favor of the government.  
 
If not suitable for use by the DENR, said improvements, vehicles, domestic animals and equipment shall 
be sold at public auction, the proceeds from which shall accrue to the Forest Conservation and 
Development Fund (FCDF). 
 
CHAPTER XI 
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
SEC. 89. Mandatory Review Every Ten (10) Years. The Congress shall undertake a mandatory 
review of this Act at least once every ten (10) years from its effectivity or as often as it may be deemed 
necessary to ensure that land use policies and guidelines remain responsive to changing circumstances.  
 
For this purpose, the Congress may call upon the NLUPC to undertake the necessary researches and 
consultations.  
 
SEC. 90. Convening of the NLUPC.  Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act, the 
Chairperson shall convene the NL UPC and the Head of the NL UPC Secretariat shall immediately assume 
office. 
  
SEC. 91. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this 
Act, the NLUPC shall promulgate its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) including the rules on 
the selection of the members of the C/MLUPMB and the PLUPMB. It shall take effect fifteen (I 5) days 
after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of national 
circulation.  
 
SEC. 92. Transfer of Powers and Functions. The functions of the HLURB on land use planning as 
provided for under Sections Sa, Sb, Sc, 5d, 5e, and 5f of Executive Order No. 648, Series of 1991; and 
Executive Order No. 72, Series of 1993, shall be immediately transferred to the NLUPC and its 
appropriate subnational LGU structures, except as provided in Section 55 hereof Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed to transfer or limit functions embraced within the said provisions that pertain to or 
relate to HLURB non-planning functions.  
 


SEC. 93. Review of Existing Land Use Plans. Provinces, cities, and municipalities with existing land 
use plans shall review, revise, reconcile, and harmonize the same with the guidelines and standards 
issued by the NL UPC within one (I) year from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SEC. 94. Access to Information. Access to records and documents pertaining to official acts, 
transactions, or decisions as well as to data used as basis for policy development by the NLUPC shall 
be made available to the public. 
 
SEC. 95. Appropriations. The amount needed for the initial implementation of this Act shall be 
charged against the current year's appropriations of the NEDA Board-National Land Use Committee 
(NB-NLUC). Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
 
SEC. 96. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act. A Congressional Oversight 
Committee on the Land Use Act shall be created. It shall be composed of seven (7) members from the 
Senate and seven (7) members from the House of Representatives. The Members from the Senate shall 
be appointed by the Senate President based on proportional representation of the parties or coalitions 
therein, with at least two (2) Senators representing the minority. The Members from the House of 
Representatives shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, also based on 
proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein, with at least two (2) Members 
representing the minority. 
  
The Oversight Committee shall function for a period of not more than three (3) years to oversee the 
implementation of this Act. The secretariat of the Oversight Committee shall be drawn from the existing 
secretariat personnel of the committees comprising the oversight.  
 
SEC. 97. Non-impairment Clause. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to diminish or, impair 
rights recognized, granted, or available to marginalized or the basic sectors under existing laws 
including, but not limited to, Republic Acts Numbered 7279 and 665 7, as amended by Republic Acts 
Numbered 7942, 8371, 8550 and 9700.  
 
SEC. 98. Repealing Clause. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8435 and Sections 447 (a2vii) and 458 
(a2viii) of Republic Act No. 7160 and related laws and administrative issuances are hereby modified by 
Section 13 hereof The pertinent provisions of Executive Order No. 648; Executive Order No. 72, Series 
of 1993; and Executive Order No. 770, Series of 2008, amending Letter of Instruction (LOI) No. 1350, 
are also modified accordingly. Section 11 of Republic Act No. 8435 as to the penalty for agricultural 
inactivity and premature conversion is also modified by Section 83 hereof LOI No. 1350, Series of 1983; 
Presidential Proclamation No. 2282, Series of 1983; and all other general and special laws, acts, 
decrees, executive orders, proclamations and administrative regulations, or any part thereof which are 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
All republic acts, executive orders, rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which 
are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.  
 
SEC. 99. Separability Clause. If, for any reason, any section or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force 
and effect.  
 
SEC. 100. Effectivity. 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,