FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
Senate Bill No. 141 
m-cr '1{\ • I 
~, 
----------------------------------------~~-------'~'-~' 
Introduced by SENATOR PIA S. CAYETANO 
The proposed National Land Use Act (NLUA) seeks to bring to fruition the full 
implementation and strict compliance of the country's national land use policy, It aims to 
institutionalize land use and physical planning for the promotion of responsible 
allocation and proper administration of land resources and our environment, in general. 
There are already many existing laws and statutes with regard to the proper use 
of land including the utilization of natural resources, However, there are still many 
violations committed by many people due to the lack of strict national policy of land use 
resulting in the devastation of our environment and natural resources, 
Many disastrous accidents and tragedies happened in the last few years which 
cost many lives. Most of these were brought about by the improper use of our 
environment and natural resources. It should be noted that if we will continue to do this, 
our children and the succeeding generations will be affected, or worse, become the 
unwitting victims. 
With this measure, national and local Comprehensive Land Use Plans will be 
formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down approach, A Land Use Policy 
Council (LUPC) will be created as a committee under the National Economic 
Development Authority (NEDA) Board. the committee is responsible, among others, to 
prepare, periodically review, and update the national framework for physical planning to 
provide the general framework for the spatial development directioJ;ls and policy 
guidelines on settlement development, production land use, protection land use and 
infrastructure development for the entire country and sUb-national levels. 
A national land use policy is needed to harmonize the reasonable claims of all 
those who hold interest on land, and to safeguard and promote the general welfare of 
both present and future generations through the proper management of land resources, 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly urged, 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
) 
Senate BilirNo. 14.1 
, ""'..-. 
Introduced by SENATOR PIA S. CAYETANO 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY, PROVIDING THE 
IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
CHAPTER I 
1 
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS 
2 
3 
SECTION 1. Title.-
This Act shall be known and cited as the "National Land 
4 
Use Act of the Ph ilippines." 
5 
6 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies and Principles.- It is the policy of the State to 
7 
provide for a rational, holistic, and just allocation, utilization, management, and 
8 
development of the country's land resources to ensure their optimum use is consistent 
9 
with the principle of sustainable development. 
10 
11 
The state recognizes the need for rational, optimal, and sustainable settlements 
12 
development and shall allocate lands for urban uses and new town development, 
13 
consistent with the principles of environmental management and equitable access to 
14 
land and security. 
15 
16 
Toward this end, the State shall institutionalize land use and physical planning as 
17 
a mechanism for identifying, determining, and evaluating alternative land use and 
18 
allocation patterns that promote and ensure: 
19 
20 
a) Sustainable and just management and utilization of natural resources; 
21 
b) Maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity and stability; 
22 
c) Food and energy security in basic food commodities with emphasis on self-
23 
sufficiency in rice and corn production through efficient and sustainable use of 
24 
land 
resources consistent with the principles of sound 
agricultural 
25 
development, natural resources development, and agrarian reform; 
26 
d) Protection of prime agricultural lands for food production activities and highest 
27 
priority to the completion- of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program 
28 
(CARP); 
29 
e) Sustainable development and management of water resources towards water 
30 
security; 
31 
f) Rational population distribution and settlements development that will ensure 
32 
adequate land allocation for government mass housing programs; 
33 
g) Spatial integration that links consumption and production areas to achieve 
34 
physical and economic integration through appropriate infrastructure systems; 
35 
1 


1 
h) Equitable and sustainable economic growth and balanced and dispersed 
2 
industrial and tourism development guided by the principles of agrarian 
3 
reform, urban land reform, and rural development; 
4 
i) 
Private-public partnership where governrnent provides the appropriate policy, 
5 
legal and institutional framework to guide the private sector's management of 
6 
resources; 
7 
j) Harmony between the rights and the varied interests of every Filipino within 
8 
the framework of people empowerment, decentralization, social justice, and 
9 
equity; 
10k) Respect for and protection of the sustainable traditional resource rights of the 
1 I 
Indigenous Cultural Communitiesllndigenous Peoples (lCCsIIPs) to their 
12 
ancestral domains to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being as 
13 
well as recognition of the applicability of customary laws and sustainable 
14 
traditional resource use and management, knowledge, and practices in 
15 
ancestral domains; 
16 
I) Protection of the rights of basic sectors to equitable access to the country's 
17 
land and other resources through State regulation of land valuation to prevent 
18 
uncontrolled land speculation resulting in tremendous increase in land pricing; 
19 
m) Protection, conservation, and preservation of the Filipino historical, cultural, 
20 
and built heritage and resources for the deeper understanding of our history 
21 
and culture as a people; 
22 
n) Attainment of energy security or energy self-sufficiency through sustainable 
23 
and priority development of indigenous energy resources; 
24 
0) Market orientation where the interplay of market forces within the framework 
25 
of ecological and intergenerational factors is encouraged and adopted as the 
26 
basic parameter in achieving efficiency in land use and allocation. 
27 
28 
It is also the policy of the State to ensure that local government units (LGUs) 
29 
share with the national government the responsibility of managing and maintaining 
30 
ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction as stated in the Constitution and the 
3 I 
1991 Local Government Code or RA 7160. 
32 
33 
Guided by the principle that the use of land bears a social function and that all 
34 
economic agents shall contribute to the common good, landowners, land tenure 
35 
holders, in the case of forestlands, be it an individual, communal, corporate or group 
36 
shall be held responsible for developing and conserving their lands thereby making their 
37 
lands productive and supportive of environmental stability. 
38 
39 
SEC. 3. 
Scope.- This Act shall apply to all lands whether public, private, 
40 
government-owned, and/or in the possession of individuals, communities, indigenous 
41 
peoples, or groups of people, to guide and govern the use, allocation, development and 
42 
management of land resources including such activities that bear impact on said 
43 
resources. 
44 
45 
CHAPTER II 
46 
DEFINITIONS 
47 
48 
SEC. 4. Definitions. As used in and for purposes of this Act, the following 
49 
terms shall mean: 
50 
51 
a) 
"Agricultural Land" shall refer to lands devoted to or suitable for the 
52 
cultivation of the soil, planting of crops, growing of fruit trees, raising of livestock, 
53 
poultry, fish or aqua-culture production, including the harvesting of such farm products, 
54 
and other farm activities and practices performed in conjunction with such farming 
55 
operations done by persons whether natural or juridical and not classified by law as 
56 
mineral land, forest land, residential land, commercial land, or industrial land; 
57 
b) 
"Agricultural Land Use Conversion" shall refer to the undertaking of 
2 


1 
any development activity which modifies or alters the physical characteristics of 
2 
agricultural lands to render them suitable for non-agricultural purposes with an 
3 
approved order of conversion issued exclusively by the Department of Agrarian Reform 
4 
(DAR); 
5 
c) 
"Alienable and Disposable (A&D) lands" shall refer to lands of the 
6 
public domain which have been delineated, classified, and certified as open and 
7 
available for disposition under the provisions of Commonwealth Act No.141, otherwise 
8 
known as the "Public Land Act," as amended; 
9 
d) 
"Ancestral Domains" shall refer to all areas generally belonging to 
10 
ICCs/lPs as defined in Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the "Indigenous 
11 
Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1998;" 
12 
e) 
"Coastal Area/Zone" shall refer to a band of dry land and the adjacent 
13 
ocean space (water and submerged land) in which terrestrial processes and uses 
14 
directly affect oceanic processes and uses, and vice versa. Its geographic extent may 
15 
include areas within a landmark limit of one (1) kilometer from the shoreline at high tide 
16 
to include mangrove swamps, brackish water ponds, nipa swamps, estuarine rivers, 
17 
sandy beaches and other areas within a seaward limit of 200 meters isobath to include 
18 
coral reefs, algal flats, seagrass beds, and other soft-bottom areas. For purposes of 
19 
initiating and implementing sustainable coastal resources protection and management, 
20 
it shall include foreshore lands; 
21 
f) 
"Comprehensive Land Use Plan or CLUP" shall refer to a document 
22 
embodying a set of policies, accompanied by maps and similar illustrations, that serves 
23 
as principal basis for determining the future land use of lands and natural resources for 
24 
production and protection purposes within the territorial jurisdiction of the city or 
25 
municipality. It represents the community-desired pattern of population distribution and 
26 
proposes future allocation of land resources to various land-using activities. It identifies 
27 
the allocation, character, and extent of the areas of land resources to be used for 
28 
different purposes and includes the processes and the criteria employed in the 
29 
determination of the land use. 
It has a long-term perspective, encompassing a 
30 
minimum of three (3) terms of local elective officials. 
31 
g) 
"Critical Habitats" shall refer to areas outside protected areas under the 
32 
National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992 or RA 7586 that are 
33 
known habitats of threatened species and designated as such based on scientific data 
34 
taking into consideration species endemicity and/or richness, presence of human-made 
35 
pressures/threats to the survival of wildlife living in the area, among others; 
36 
h) 
"Critical Watershed" shall refer to a drainage area of a river system 
37 
supporting existing and proposed hydro-electric power, irrigation works or existing water 
38 
facilities needing immediate protection and rehabilitation as it is being subjected to fast 
39 
denudation causing accelerated erOSion, destructive floods and polluted water; 
40 
i) 
"Cultural Heritage" shall refer to the totality of cultural properties 
41 
preserved and developed through time and passed on for posterity; 
42 
j) 
"Customary Laws" shall refer to a body of written and/ or unwritten 
43 
rules, usages, customs and practices traditionally and continually recognized, accepted, 
44 
and observed by respective ICCs/IPs consistent with the IPRA; 
45 
k) 
"Development Plan" shall refer to a document that defines the activities 
46 
or measures that the national government or local government units (LGUs) intend to 
47 
implement in order to achieve a defined set of development goals. It integrates the 
48 
socio-economic and sectoral plans of the national government or its instrumentality or a 
49 
particular LGU with spatial plans such as land use or physical framework plans. It may 
50 
include an analysis of problems and resources, definition of goals and objectives, policy 
51 
guidelines, project and target achievements, and an implementation mechanism which 
52 
defines the roles and contributions expected from the government and the private 
53 
sector; 
54 
I) 
"Ecologically.fragile Lands" shall refer to lands within the critical 
55 
watershed, brackish and freshwater wetlands, pasture lands, and croplands which 
56 
require rehabilitation and whose continued unsustainable use would adversely affect 
57 
the productivity of lowland agricultural areas and the stability of the upland ecosystem; 
3 


1 
2 
m) "Ecotourism" shall refer to sustainable tourism or travel to a given 
3 
natural area with exotic or threatened ecosystems or a heritage area to observe wildlife 
4 
or to help preserve nature, in the process providing for community participation; 
5 
protection and management of natural resources, culture and indigenous knowledge 
6 
systems and practices; environmental education and ethics; as well as economic 
7 
benefits fostered and pursued for the enrichment of host communities and the 
8 
satisfaction of visitors; 
9 
n) 
"Energy Resource Lands" shall refer to lands where naturally occurring 
10 
or indigenous energy resources exist in sufficient quantity or quality as to be 
11 
economically viable for exploration, development, production, utilization, and distribution 
12 
process; 
13 
0) 
"Energy Resources" shall refer to surface or subsurface substances that 
14 
serve as energy sources. These are traditionally mineral fuel deposits such as coal, 
15 
petroleum, natural gas or renewable resources from geothermal, hydro reservoirs, or 
16 
non-conventional sources such as ocean waves, solar, wind, biomass, and other similar 
17 
resources which serve the same purpose; 
18 
p) 
"Environmentally Critical Areas" shall refer to areas declared by law as: 
19 
(a) areas for natural parks, watershed reserves, wildlife preserves, and sanctuaries; (b) 
20 
areas set aside as aesthetic potential tourist spots; (c) areas which constitute the 
21 
habitat of any endangered or threatened species or indigenous Philippine wildlife (flora 
22 
and fauna); (d) areas of unique historic, archaeological, or scientific interests; (e) areas 
23 
which are traditionally occupied by ICCsIIPs; (f) areas with critical slopes; (g) areas 
24 
frequently visited and/or hard hit by natural calamities (geologic hazards. floods, 
25 
typhoons and volcanic activities); (h) prime agricultural lands; (i) recharge areas of 
26 
aquifers; G) water bodies; (k) mangrove areas; (I) coral reefs; (m) mossy and virgin 
27 
forests; (n) rivers and river banks; (0) swamp forest and marshlands; and (p) foreshore 
28 
lands. This term shall also include other terrestrial, aquatic and marine areas that need 
29 
special protection and conservation measures because they are ecologically fragile or 
30 
they are needed for food security and food self sufficiency as determined by concerned 
31 
agencies and LGUs in consultation with the concerned sectors; 
32 
q) 
"Estuary" shall refer to a wetland type where the river mouth widens into 
33 
a marine ecosystem, the salinity of which is intermediate between salt and freshwater 
34 
where tidal action is an important biophysical regulator; 
35 
r) 
"Exhausted Mineral Resources" shall refer to a situation where the 
36 
mineral resources in specific sites are no longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify 
37 
additional expenditure for extraction or utilization; 
38 
s) 
"Food Security" shall refer to the policy objective of meeting the food 
39 
availability, accessibility, quality and affordability requirements of the present and future 
40 
generations of Filipinos in a sustainable manner, through local production or 
41 
importation, only when there is shortage established based on a micro level situation, or 
42 
both, based on the country's eXisting and potential resource endowments and related 
43 
production advantages, and consistent with the overall national development objectives 
44 
and policies; 
45 
t) 
"Food Self-sufficiency" shall refer to the policy objective of meeting the 
46 
food requirements through intensive local food production in a sustainable manner 
47 
based on the country's existing and potential resource endowments and related 
48 
production advantages; 
49 
u) 
"Forestlands" shall refer to lands of the public domain which have been 
50 
classified or declared as such and all unclassified lands of the public domain. They 
51 
include the public forest, the permanent forest or forest reserves, and forest 
52 
reservations; 
53 
v) 
"Foreshore Land" shall refer to a string of land margining a body of 
54 
water, the part of a seashore between the low-water line usually at the seaward margin 
55 
of a low tide terrace and the upper limit of wave wash at high tide usually marked by a 
56 
beach scarp or berm; 
57 
w) 
"Framework for Physical Planning" shall refer to an indicative plan 
4 


1 
promoting the most appropriate and rational use of land and other physical resources. It 
2 
provides policy guidelines for all decisions relating to land use and environmental 
3 
management to prevent or mitigate the adverse effects of inappropriate resource 
4 
utilization on food security, the people's welfare and their environment. It embodies both 
5 
policies and strategies necessary to carry out goals and objectives; 
6 
x) 
"Geo-hazards" shall refer to natural and human-induced geological 
7 
processes that have potential to cause destruction and pose a threat or risk to human's 
8 
life and property; 
9 
y) "Geo-hazard Areas" shall refer to areas frequently visited and/or 
10 
vulnerable or prone to experience weather/climatic, hydrologic, geologic, and other 
11 
natural calamities; 
12 
z) "Illegal Conversion" shall refer to any activity that modifies or alters the 
13 
physical characteristics of agricultural lands to render them suitable for non-agricultural 
14 
purposes without an approved order of conversion from the DAR Secretary; 
15 
aa) "Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs)" 
16 
shall refer to groups of people or homogenous societies identified under the Indigenous 
17 
Peoples Rights Act or RA 8371; 
18 
bb) "Indigenous Energy Resources" shall refer to energy resources which 
19 
originate or occur naturally in the Philippines; 
20 
cc) "Inland Waters" shall refer to waters which are not coastal and marine 
21 
waters and not subject to acquisitive prescription consistent with the provisions of 
22 
Presidential Decree No.1 067, otherwise known as the "Water Code of the Philippines"; 
23 
dd) "Inter-tidal Sandflat" shall refer to a juvenile fish-feeding area and 
24 
habitat for crustaceans. The littoral gravel and sand biotopes are also used by important 
25 
wintering ground and roosting/feeding grounds of indigenous migratory birds. 
26 
eel "Integrated Watershed Management" shall refer to a planning strategy 
27 
or program for watershed areas that complement environmentally-sound soil and water 
28 
management 
practices 
with 
mechanisms 
for 
ensuring 
greater 
responsibility, 
29 
involvement, or participation of individuals, groups, communities and other stakeholders 
30 
benefiting from these areas and water-related infrastructure; 
31 
ff) "Key Biodiversity Areas" shall refer to sites that are globally significant for 
32 
biodiversity 
conservation 
primarily 
containing 
species 
that 
require 
site-scale 
33 
conservation to prevent extinction in the short-term and medium-term. Such species 
34 
may be globally threatened, restricted-range and/or globally significant congregations of 
35 
species; 
36 
gg) "Lagoon" shall refer to a semi-enclosed coastal basin with limited 
37 
freshwater input, high salinity and restricted circulation which often lies behind sand 
38 
dunes. It is often highly productive, being a habitat for a variety of plants and animals, 
39 
serving as nurseries of prawns and shrimps and also a site for harbor, aquaculture, 
40 
industry and recreation; 
41 
hh) "Land" shall refer to resources, both human-made and natural, found on 
42 
the surface, below, and above the ground including inland waters and the air therein. In 
43 
its broadest sense, it shall include all uses, improvements and developments of such 
44 
resources and may be viewed as a resource, as space, as location, as property and as 
45 
factor or production or capital; 
46 
ii) 
"Land Use" shall refer to the manner of utilization of land, including its 
47 
allocation, development, and management; 
48 
jj) "Land Use Classification" shall refer to the act of delineating or allocating 
49 
lands according to protection land use, production land use, settlements development, 
50 
and infrastructure.development as defined and provided for in this Act; 
51 
kk) "Land Use Sub-classification" shall refer to the act of determining and 
52 
assigning specific uses of classified lands of the public domain; 
53 
II) 
"Land Use Plan" shall refer to a document embodying a set of policies 
54 
accompanied by maps and similar illustrations which represent the community-desired 
55 
pattern of population distribution and a proposal for the future allocation of land to the 
56 
various land using activities. It identifies the allocation, character and extent of the areas 
57 
of land resources to be used for different purposes and includes the process and the 
5 


1 
criteria employed in the determination of the land use; 
2 
3 
mm) "Land Use Planning" shall refer to the act of defining the allocation, 
4 
utilization, development, and management of all land within a given territory or 
5 
jurisdiction according to the inherent qualities of the land itself and supportive of 
6 
sustainable economic, demographic, socio-cultural and environmental objectives as an 
7 
aid to decision-making and legislation; 
8 
nn) "Land Use Policy Council" shall refer to the highest land use policy-
9 
making body created under this Act; 
10 
00) "Mandatory Public Consultations" shall refer to the mechanism to 
11 
ensure the involvement of affected sectors in land use planning from the local to the 
12 
national level. It involves giving notice of hearing/consultation to affected sectors 
13 
through publication or posting in conspicuous places, conduct of a reasonable number 
14 
of hearings, and solicitation of positions and the public presentation and validation of 
15 
the planning results before the final adoption of the plans; 
16 
pp) "Mass Housing" shall refer to residential subdivision and condominium 
17 
projects covered by development permits and licenses to sell, catering to the homeless 
18 
population to include socialized, economic/low-cost and medium-cost housing 
19 
beneficiaries with affordabilities as defined from time to time by the Housing and Urban 
20 
Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC); 
21 
qq) "Minerals" shall refer to all naturally occurring inorganic substance in 
22 
solid, gas, liquid or intermediate state excluding energy materials such as coal, 
23 
petroleum, natural gas, radioactive materials and geothermal energy; 
24 
rr) 
"Mineral Exploration" shall refer to the systematic searching or 
25 
prospecting for mineral resources; 
26 
ss) "Mineral Lands" shall refer to lands in which minerals exist in sufficient 
27 
quantity or quality to justify the investment necessary for their extraction and/or 
28 
development; 
29 
ttl 
"Mudflat" shall refer to a wetland type that is usually an unvegetated 
30 
area, dominated by muddy substrate which provides rich feeding grounds for 
31 
vertebrates such as fish and water birds and also important in preventing soil erosion; 
32 
uu) "Multiple Use of Land Resources" shall refer to the utilization or 
33 
management strategy for public lands, which allows any activity thereat, involving one 
34 
or more of its resources, depending on the result of prior evaluation on its numerous 
35 
beneficial uses, that will produce the optimum benefits to the development and progress 
36 
of the country and the public welfare without impairment or with the least injury to its 
37 
other resources; 
38 
vv) "National Integrated Protected Areas System or "NIPAS" shall refer to 
39 
the classification and administration of all designated protected areas to maintain 
40 
essential ecological processes and life-support systems, to preserve genetics diversity, 
41 
to ensure sustainable use of resources found therein, and to maintain their natural 
42 
conditions to the greatest extent possible; 
43 
ww) "National Parks" shall refer to land of the public domain classified as 
44 
such in the 1987 Philippine Constitution which include all areas under the National 
45 
Integrated Protected Areas System pursuant to Republic Act no. 7586 or the "NIPAS" 
46 
Act of 1992; 
47 
xx) 
"Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-industrial 
48 
Development or "NPAAAD" shall refer to agricultural areas identified by the 
49 
Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) 
50 
in coordination with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority 
51 
(NAMRIA) in order to ensure the efficient utilization of land for agriculture and agro-
52 
industrial development and promote sustainable growth. The NPAAAD covers all 
53 
irrigated areas; all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects with firm funding 
54 
commitments; all alluvial plains; land highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigated or 
55 
not; agro-industrial croplands or lands planted to industrial crops that support the 
56 
validity of existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises; highlands or 
57 
areas located at an elevation of five hundred (500) meters or above and have the 
6 


1 
potential for growing semi-temperate and high value crops; all agricultural lands that are 
2 
ecologically fragile the conversion of which will result in serious environmental 
3 
degradation; and all mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries; 
4 
yy) "Non-Government Organization" shall refer to a private, nonprofit 
5 
voluntary organization that is committed to the task of political, socio-economic, 
6 
physical, cultural and environmental development and established primarily to provide 
7 
service to marginalized sectors in these areas; 
8 
zz) 
"People's Organization" shall refer to a private, non-profit, voluntary 
9 
and community-based organization established primarily to provide service to its 
10 
members and the community in general; 
11 
aaa) "Physical Framework Plans" shall refer to the national, regional or 
12 
provincial indicative plans embodying both pOlicies and strategies that are prepared by 
13 
the national, regional and provincial land use policy councils, respectively, to guide the 
14 
desired direction and growth and to promote and advance appropriate resource 
15 
utilization as a way of sustaining food security, promoting people's welfare and 
16 
protection of the environment; 
17 
bbb) "Prime Agricultural Land" shall refer to all irrigated areas, all irrigable 
18 
lands already covered by irrigation projects with firm funding commitments; all alluvial 
19 
plain land highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigated or not; agro-industrial 
20 
croplands or lands presently planted to industrial crops that support the viability of 
21 
existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises, highlands, or areas 
22 
located at elevation of 500 meters or above and have the potential for growing semi-
23 
temperature and high value crops; all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile, the 
24 
conversion of which will result in serious environmental degradation; and mangrove 
25 
areas and fish sanctuaries; 
26 
ccc) "Production Land Use shall refer to the direct and indirect utilization of 
27 
land to generate outputs resulting from the following activities: agricultural, fish 
28 
farming or aquaculture, timber or agro-forestry, grazing and pasture, mining, 
29 
indigenous energy resource development, industry, and tourism; 
30 
ddd) "Protected Areas" shall refer to portions of land set aside by reason of 
31 
their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological 
32 
diversity, and protected against destructive human exploitation. For purposes of this 
33 
Act, it shall include agricultural lands identified and delineated under Section 29 
34 
hereof; 
35 
eee) "Protection 
Land 
Use" 
shall 
refer 
to 
the 
use 
of 
land 
36 
primarily for rehabilitation, conservation, and protection purposes and the promotion of 
37 
the country's ecological and life-support systems; 
38 
fff) "Public Domain" shall refer to lands that belong to the State which may be 
39 
any of the following: agricultural, forest or timber, mineral, or national park as provided 
40 
for in the Constitution; 
41 
ggg) "Public Lands" shall refer to lands which have not been subject to private 
42 
property rights or subject to sale or other modes of acquisition or concession under 
43 
the general laws, and are devoted to public use; 
44 
hhh) "Reclassification/Sub-classification of Agricultural Lands" shall refer 
45 
to the act of specifying how agricultural lands shall be utilized for non-agricultural uses 
46 
such as residential, industrial, or cbmmercial purposes through the local planning and 
47 
zoning processes pursuant to Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code 
48 
(LGC) of 1991 and subject to the reqUirements and procedure for conversion; 
49 
iii) "Resettlement Sites" shall refer to areas identified by the appropriate 
50 
national agency or by the local government unit, with respect to areas within its 
51 
jurisdiction, which shall be used for the relocation of the underprivileged and 
52 
homeless, as defined under Republic Act No. 7279 or the Urban Development and 
53 
Housing Act (UDHA); 
54 
jjj) "Settlements" shall refer to formal and informal communities or built-up 
55 
residential areas where people prefer to live in and land areas classified, zoned, or 
56 
converted for current or future residential or housing development purposes, including 
57 
socialized housing zones for the homeless and underprivileged; 
7 


1 
kkk) "Settlements Development" shall refer to any improvement on existing 
2 
formal or informal residential or housing settlements or any proposed development of 
3 
certain areas for residential or mass housing settlement purposes. It also involves the 
4 
spatial distribution of population, identification of the roles and functions of key urban 
5 
centers, determination of relationships among settlement areas, and the provision of 
6 
basic services and facilities of identified major residential or housing settlement areas 
7 
or growth centers; 
8 
III) "Shoreline" shall refer to a strip of land covering at least one (1) kilometer 
9 
from the point where sea water reaches during the highest high tide; 
10 
mmm) "Significant Caves" shall refer to caves which contain materials or 
11 
possess features that have archaeological, cultural, ecological, historical or scientific 
12 
value as determined by the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) in coordination 
13 
with the scientific community and the academe; 
14 
nnn) "Socialized Housing" shall refer to housing programs and projects 
15 
undertaken by the government or the private sector for the underprivileged and 
16 
homeless citizens which shall include sites and services development, long-term 
17 
financing, liberalized terms on interest payments, and such other benefits in 
18 
accordance with the UDHA; 
19 
000) "Socialized Housing Zones" shall refer to lands identified and 
20 
designated by local government units as sites for socialized housing pursuant to 
21 
Article IV of Republic Act No. 7279 and its implementing guidelines; these lands to be 
22 
identified and designated shall include areas that are presently occupied by the urban 
23 
poor, as well as those identified as resettlement areas as defined herein; 
24 
ppp) "Sustainable Development" shall refer to the development objective of 
25 
meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future 
26 
generations to meet their own needs consistent with the principles of social equity, 
27 
efficiency, and environmental integrity; 
28 
qqq) "Stakeholder" shall refer to an individual, social group or institution that 
29 
has a direct or indirect interest in activity, project, resources, or decision; 
30 
rrr) "Tourism Development Areas" shall refer to specific sites for tourism 
31 
development located in areas identified as priorities in the national, regional and inter-
32 
regional area specific tourism master plans and other sector plans such as eco-
33 
tourism and agri-tourism sites, including those designated through legislative and 
34 
executive issuances i.e., tourist spots, tourist zones and tourism ecozones which can 
35 
be developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, leisure, and recreation 
36 
complexes, and other tourism related facilities; 
37 
sss) "Tourism Estates" shall refer to large tracts of land with well-defined 
38 
boundaries in any area identified in the Philippine tourism master plan and regional 
39 
tourism master plan, by proclamation of the President and/or by an act of Congress 
40 
including local legislation. 
Such land shall be suitable for the development of an 
41 
integrated tourism and resort complex including but not limited to accommodation 
42 
facilities, food and beverage outlets, convention and meeting areas, sports, 
43 
recreational and leisure centers and commercial outlets among others. It shall be 
44 
provided with roads, water supply facilities, power and utilities like potable water, 
45 
drainage sewerage disposal, solid waste disposal system and other necessary 
46 
infrastructure. The estate shall be under one unified and continuous management; 
47 
ttt) "Tourism Ecozone" shall refer to tourism development areas which have 
48 
been granted Special Economic Zone status, through Philippine Economic Zone 
49 
Authority (PEZA) registration and issuance of the required Presidential Proclamation, 
50 
with its metes and bounds delineated by said Proclamation, pursuant to the Special 
51 
Economic Zone Act of 1995 or RA 7916, as amended; 
52 
uuu) "Tourist Spot" shall refer to a particular area/site/spot, human-made or 
53 
natural, known for its unique tourist/visitor-drawing attributes and activities. It may be 
54 
classified according to its social, cultural, natural, historical, scientific, religious, and 
55 
recreational significance; 
56 
vvv) "Tourist Zone" shall refer to a geographic area with well-defined 
57 
boundaries proclaimed as such by the President of the Philippines and/or by acts of 
8 


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Congress. No development projects for any purpose shall be initiated and introduced 
2 
within the zone prior to the formulation of a tourism master development plan which 
3 
shall be undertaken in coordination with the Department of Tourism and the Philippine 
4 
Tourism Authority. 
A tourist zone is established for the enhancement and/or the 
5 
conservation of cultural and historical heritage and for the appreciation and enjoyment 
6 
of the local population and its visitors; 
7 
www) "Urban Areas" shall refer to all cities regardless of their population 
8 
density and to municipalities with population density of at least five hundred (500) 
9 
persons per square kilometer; 
10 
xxx) "Urbanizable Areas" shall refer to sites and lands which, considering 
11 
present characteristics and prevailing conditions, display marked and great potential 
12 
of becoming urban areas within a period of five (5) years; 
13 
yyy) "Urban Forestry or Green Space" shall refer to the establishment or 
14 
setting-up of areas for mini-forest or small nature parks, lining roads and highways 
15 
with trees, shrubs, or ornamental plants, and ground landscaping of schools, 
16 
hospitals, and other government agencies in order to improve the environment in 
17 
urban areas; 
18 
zzz) "Water Security" shall refer to the sufficient access throughout the year 
19 
to the minimum daily requirement of clean water to maintain a healthy life; 
20 
aaaa) "Water Use" shall. refer to the appropriation of water for domestic, 
21 
municipal, irrigation, power generation, inland fisheries, poultry and livestock, 
22 
industrial and commercial, environmental, and recreational use; 
23 
bbbb) "Watershed" shall refer to a topographically delineated area of land 
24 
from which rainwater can drain as surface run-off vis-a-vis a specific stream or river 
25 
system to a common outlet point which may be a dam, irrigation system or urban 
26 
water supply take-off point, or where the stream discharges into a river, lake, or the 
27 
sea; 
28 
cccc) "Zoning" shall refer to the regulatory tool for delineating the specific 
29 
uses of lands in accordance with the approved CLUP within the territorial jurisdiction 
30 
of a city/municipality and specifying the conditions for their regulation; subject to the 
31 
limitations imposed by law and competent authority; and, 
32 
dddd) "Zoning ordinance or "ZO" shall refer to a local law passed by the 
33 
sangguniang pambayan or pang/unsod approving the development control/zoning 
34 
plan in accordance with an approved or adopted CLUP for the city/municipality, and 
35 
providing for the regulations and other conditions on the uses of land including the 
36 
limitation on the infrastructure that may be placed thereon within the territorial 
37 
jurisdiction of a city or municipality. It incorporates the protected areas under Section 
38 
13(a) and the protected agricultural lands under Section 29 hereof. 
39 
40 
. CHAPTER III 
41 
PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK AND LAND USE PLANS 
42 
43 
SEC. 5. National Land Use Planning Process.-
The land use and physical 
44 
planning process shall be formulated following a combined bottom-up and top-down 
45 
approach. The national framework for physical planning, which guides the planning and 
46 
management of the country's land and other physical resources at the national and sub-
47 
national levels, shall indicate broad spatial directions and policy guidelines on 
48 
settlement development, production land use, protection land use and infrastructure 
49 
development. The regional and provincial framework plans and Comprehensive Land 
50 
Use Plans (CLUPs), which cover the physical development of their respective 
51 
territories, shall be consistent with the national framework for physical planning: 
52 
Provided, That the integration and harmonization of physical framework plans at all 
53 
levels shall be imperative to ensure that the concerns of both top and bottom levels of 
54 
government are considered in the national, regional and physical framework plans and 
55 
CLUPs. The physical and land use plans prepared at all levels shall have internal 
56 
consistency specifically on, but not limited to, the development, management and 
57 
conservation of forestlands found within a given territory and the linkages of the major 
9 


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land use categories to ensure that they complement in the utilization, development and 
2 
management of resources. 
3 
4 
SEC. 6. National Framework for Physical Planning.-
The Land Use Policy 
5 
Council (LUPC) created in Section 14 herein, in consultation with the concerned sectors 
6 
through the mandatory conduct of public hearings, shall formulate, periodically update 
7 
and ensure the implementation of a national framework for physical planning that shall 
8 
serve as the general long-term framework for the spatial development directions of the 
9 
entire country. A national framework for physical planning shall be the basis for 
10 
adopting land use and physical planning-related guidelines and standards, including 
11 
zoning and other land use control standards that will guide the formulation of 
12 
city/municipal zoning ordinances. 
13 
14 
SEC. 7. Regional Physical Framework Plans.- In consultation with concerned 
15 
sectors, the Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC) shall define the desired spatial 
16 
arrangement of land-using activities in the entire region, consolidating and harmonizing 
17 
the provincial physical framework plans of provinces and independent cities within the 
18 
territorial jurisdiction of the region. The regional physical framework plan, which depicts 
19 
an end-state scenario toward which efforts and activities are directed, shall consist of 
20 
spatially-based and area-focused policies, consistent with those in the national 
21 
framework for physical planning, to guide detailed physical, socio-economic, sectoral 
22 
and investment planning. 
23 
24 
SEC. 8. 
Provincial Physical Framework Plans.-
In consultation with 
25 
concerned sectors, the Provincial Planning and Development Office shall prepare a 
26 
provincial physical framework plan to determine the physical development of the entire 
27 
provincial territory, consolidating and harmonizing the land use plans of component 
28 
cities and municipalities, and defining the uses of land and other resources within the 
29 
province consistent with the policies in the regional physical framework plan. It shall 
30 
submit the 
provincial physical framework plan to the Provincial Land Use Policy 
31 
Council (PLUPC), created under Section 20 of this Act, for review and endorsement to 
32 
the Sangguniang Paniaiawigan, which shall adopt the same pursuant to Section 468 (2) 
33 
(vii) of the LGC. 
34 
35 
SEC. 9. City and Municipal Land Use Plans.- The City/Municipal Planning and 
36 
Development Office, in consultation with concerned sectors through mandatory conduct 
37 
of public hearings, shall prepare the CLUP to determine the specific uses of land and 
38 
other physical resources therein including areas co-managed with the national 
39 
government and, as appropriate, the ancestral domain areas. Guided by a provincial 
40 
physical framework plan, the CLUP shall embody the desired land use patterns and 
41 
mixes of the city or municipal territory and provide appropriate policies for each of the 
42 
four land use planning categories that shall guide and serve as framework for more 
43 
detailed development and sectoral p.lanning. 
44 
45 
The CLUP shall be translated into a zoning ordinance by the concerned 
46 
sanggunian to regulate the uses of land, including the limitations on height, density and 
47 
bulk of buildings and other infrastructure that may be placed thereon. 
48 
49 
50 
CHAPTER IV 
51 
FRAMEWORK FOR LAND USE PLANNING 
52 
53 
SEC. 10. 
Priorities in Land Use Allocation and Planning.-
In projecting 
54 
spatial allocation for different land uses, the LGUs shall first exclude areas under 
55 
protection land use of Section 13(A) hereof, national parks, energy resource lands, and 
56 
prime agricultural lands to ensure ecological integrity, energy supply, and promote food 
57 
security. Areas with prior rights and those with site-specific resources for basic services, 
10 


1 
such as but not limited to, water and indigenous energy resources, shall also be 
2 
excluded. 
Spatial allocation and planning shall then proceed in accordance with 
3 
Sections 12 and 13 hereof with priorities given to integrated watershed management 
4 
areas, socialized housing sites, fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas, and waste 
5 
disposal sites. 
6 
7 
SEC. 11. Adoption of Multiple Uses of Land Resources.- The primary and 
8 
alternative uses of a specific land resource shall be determined and evaluated prior to 
9 
any decision for the assignment of its use. Areas feasible for sustainable land resource 
10 
use may be considered multiple-use zones wherein settlements, tourism, agriculture, 
11 
agro-forestry and extraction activities and other income-generating or livelihood 
12 
activities may be allowed: Provided, That multiple uses of land resources shall be in 
13 
accordance with priorities in land use allocation and planning and that no 
14 
reclassification shall be allowed. 
15 
16 
SEC. 12. 
Basic Land Use Planning Considerations.-
In determining the 
17 
various land uses, the people and their productive activities and the need for functional 
18 
open spaces and preservation areas as well as the various interrelationships of the 
19 
physical characteristics of the land and other elements therein shall be considered, 
20 
among others, the following: 
21 
22 
(a) 
Availability of natural resources including indigenous energy resources for 
23 
energy security and self-sufficiency; 
24 
(b) 
Geology, geomorphology, geologic hazard, climate, soil, vegetative cover, 
25 
demography and slope; 
26 
(c) 
Economic, environmental, social and related development activities; 
27 
(d) 
Existing government poliCies on land and natural resources allocation, 
28 
utilization, management and disposition; 
29 
(e) 
Technological changes/advancement; 
30 
(f) 
Existing customary rights for the protection of indigenous peoples and 
31 
vulnerable groups including women and urban poor; 
32 
(g) 
Inventory of prior and existing rights, to harmonize determination of land 
33 
use. 
34 
35 
SEC. 13. Categories of Land Uses for Planning Purposes. In determining 
36 
and defining the national, regional and provincial framework plans, and CLUPs, land 
37 
uses shall be grouped into four major functional uses as follows: 
38 
(a) Protection Land Use - Planning for protection land use intends to achieve 
39 
environmental stability and ecological integrity, ensure a balance between 
40 
resource use and the preservation of some areas with environmental, 
41 
aesthetic, educational, cultural and historical significance, and protect 
42 
people and human-made structures from the ill-effects of natural hazards. 
43 
Areas under this category are those under the coverage of Republic Act No. 
44 
7586 or the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) law and 
45 
other coastal and marine protected areas; those areas outside NIPAS but 
46 
nonetheless require protection because of their outstanding physical and 
47 
aesthetic features, anthropological significance, and biological diversity; and 
48 
those areas prone to natural hazards. Areas outside the coverage of the 
49 
NIPAS law include, but are not limited to the following: 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
a.1. Reserved old-growth forests above 1,000 meters in elevation and 
those 50% in slope gradient; 
a.2. Mangrove and fish sanctuaries, pursuant to the Agriculture and 
Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 or RA 8435 and the Philippine 
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Fisheries Code of 1998 or RA 8550; 
a.3. Buffer zones or strips/easements, pursuant to the Revised Forestry 
Code of the Philippines or P.O. No. 705 and the Water Code of the 
Philippines or P.O. No. 1067; 
a.4. Salvage zones along foreshore areas, freshwater swamps and 
marshes, plazas and heritage/historic sites, pursuant to p.o. No. 
2146; 
a.5. Watersheds supporting domestic water supply; 
a.6. Utility easement like transmission lines of power companies, oil and 
gas facilities, cell sites, and domestic water lines; 
a.7. Amenity areas or those with high aesthetic values, pursuant to p.o. 
No. 2146. 
a.8 Natural and human-made areas/sites of cultural, historical and 
anthropological significance, which are declared as such by 
internationally recognized organizations and concerned national 
agencies. 
a.9 Critical habitats as provided in the Wildlife Resources Conservation 
and Protection Act or RA 9147. 
a.10 Significant Caves under the National Caves and Cave Resources 
Management and Protection Act or RA 9072. 
a.11 
Key Biodiversity Areas under Executive Order 578 (National 
Biodiversity Policy) 
23 
(b) 
Production Land Use - Planning for production land shall determine the 
24 
most efficient, sustainable, and equitable manner of utilizing, developing 
25 
and managing land for productive purposes. Areas included in this 
26 
category are agricultural lands, fishing grounds, coastal and marine zones, 
27 
production forest which comprise lands 18% to 50% in slope gradient such 
28 
as: residual dipterocarps, rangelands for grazing purposes, industrial tree 
29 
plantation, 
community-based forest management areas and other 
30 
reforestation projects; mineral lands or mining areas and reservations, 
31 
energy resource lands, industrial development areas, and tourism 
32 
development areas where productive activities could be undertaken to 
33 
meet the country's requirements for food security, economic growth and 
34 
development. 
35 
(c) 
Settlements Development - The settlement development plan ensures 
36 
for the present and future generation the following: i) effective integration 
37 
of activities within and among settlements, allowing efficient movement of 
38 
people and production of commodities through the provision of appropriate 
39 
land, infrastructure, and facilities; and ii) access of the population to 
40 
housing, 
education, 
health 
care, 
recreation, 
transportation 
and 
41 
communication, sanitation, and basic utilities such as water, power, waste 
42 
disposal, and other services. 
43 
(d) 
Infrastructure Development -
Infrastructure development seeks to 
44 
provide basic services and foster economic and other forms of integration 
45 
necessary for producing or obtaining the material requirements of 
46 
Filipinos, in an efficient, responsive, safe and ecologically friendly built 
47 
environment. It covers these sUb-sectors: transportation, communications, 
48 
indigenous energy exploration and development, water resources, and 
49 
social infrastructure: 
50 
51 
Provided, That the determination of functional uses of lands within 
52 
ancestral domains shall consider traditional resource and management 
53 
systems that do not endanger the lives and property of the local 
54 
community and neighboring areas or increase the vulnerability of the 
12 


1 
natural environment to the effects of natural and human-induced 
2 
geological processes. 
3 
4 
5 
CHAPTER V 
6 
IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE AND MECHANISM 
7 
Article 1 
8 
Land Use Policy Council 
9 
10 
SEC. 14. Creation of the Land Use Policy Council (LUPC).-
The LUPC is 
11 
hereby created as 
a committee under the National Economic and Development 
12 
Authority (NEDA) Board. It shall exercise the powers and responsibilities of the National 
13 
Land Use Committee (NLUC). The LUPC shall act as the highest policy-making body 
14 
on land use and resolve land use policy conflicts between or among agencies, 
15 
branches, or levels of the government. It shall integrate efforts, monitor developments 
16 
relating to land use and the evolution of policies. 
17 
18 
SEC. 15. Composition of the LUPC.- The LUPC shall be composed of twenty 
19 
(20) members. 
20 
a) 
The Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning as Chairperson; 
21 
b) 
The Secretaries of Environment and Natural Resources and Agriculture and 
22 
the Chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating 
23 
Council (HUDCC) as Vice-Chairpersons; 
24 
c) 
The Secretaries of Agrarian Reform, Trade and Industry, Public Works and 
25 
Highways, Transportation and Communications, Tourism, Interior and Local 
26 
Government, Justice, Science and Technology, Finance and Energy; 
27 
d) 
A representative each from four (4) basic sectors directly involved in land 
28 
use, namely: urban poor, peasants, fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who 
29 
shall be appointed by, the President of the Philippines based on the 
30 
nomination and recommendation of the respective sectoral councils of the 
31 
National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). 
At least two sectoral 
32 
representatives shall be women. 
33 
e) 
Two representatives from private subdivision and housing developers. 
34 
35 
A conSUltative body shall likewise be convened by the LUPC at least once a year 
36 
or as often as may be necessary. It shall be composed of representatives from the 
37 
Leagues of Municipalities, Cities, and Provinces, other government agencies not 
38 
represented in the LUPC, and from non-government sectors such as the private sector, 
39 
non-government organizations (NGOs) and people's organizations (POs), and the 
40 
academic community. 
41 
42 
SEC. 16. Powers and Functions. The LUPC shall have the following powers 
43 
and functions: 
44 
a) Advise the President of the Philippines and the NEDA Board on all matters 
45 
concerning land use and physical planning; 
46 
b) Formulate policies and endorse land use and physical planning-related policies 
47 
that may be formulated by the RLUPC and concerned agencies as well as 
48 
promulgate zoning and other land use control standards and guidelines which 
49 
shall guide the formulation of land use plans and zoning ordinances by local 
50 
governments; 
51 
c) Harmonize laws, guidelines and pOlicies relevant to land use and physical 
52 
planning to come up with a rational, cohesive, and comprehensive national 
53 
land use framework; 
54 
d) Prepare, periodically review and if necessary, update the national framework 
55 
for physical planning to' provide the general framework for the spatial 
56 
development directions for the entire country and SUb-national levels; 
57 
e) Monitor and coordinate undertaking the gathering of data, the conduct of 
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studies pertaining to land use planning including studies on the management of 
identified land uses and such other studies not undertaken by other 
government agencies; 
f) Coordinate with and assist other government agencies and LGUs in planning, 
developing, and implementing their land use classification programs, and 
provide, to the extent possible, technical assistance and guidance; 
g) Monitor and coordinate the activities of concerned agencies and entities of the 
government, as well as LGUs, in the enforcement and implementation of 
pOlicies and regulations relating to land use and resource management and 
development; 
h) Monitor and coordinate activities in the establishment of a national land 
resource information and management system of concerned agencies that 
shall integrate and process information on land use and allocation generated 
by the various national government agencies; define information requirements 
at various levels; and standardize information inputs and outputs including 
scales and symbols used in territorial and sectoral maps; 
i) 
Call on any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the 
government, and or private entities and organization for cooperation, support, 
and assistance in the performance of its functions; 
j) Decide and resolve policy conflicts on land use between or among national 
government agencies and act on unresolved land use policy conflicts at the 
regional level; 
k) Adopt rules of procedures for the orderly and expeditious conduct of meetings 
and other bUSiness of the Council; and 
I) 
Perform such other acts and functions and exercise such other powers as may 
be necessarily implied, inherent, incident, or related to the foregoing. 
SEC. 17. LUPC Technical Board (LUPC-TB). A Technical Board shall be 
created to provide technical support to the LUPC. It shall be composed of: 
a. 
NEDA 
Deputy 
Director-General 
for 
Regional 
Development 
as 
Chairperson; 
b. 
Representatives of the member agencies/institutions of the LUPC, who 
shall have a rank not lower than Director level; and 
c. 
The representatives of the four (4) basic sectors as enumerated in Section 
15 (d) of this Act. 
SEC. 18. Offices, Units and Staff Support. The NEDA Regional Development 
Office shall continue to provide core secretariat services to LUPC, its Technical Board 
and RLUPC. Other government agencies may also be called upon for staff support. 
Article 2 
Local Development Councils as Local Land Use Policy Councils 
SEC. 19. Regional Land Use Policy Council (RLUPC). At the regional level, 
the RLUPC will be institutionalized, replicating the LUPC structure and composition. A 
representative from the Departmenfof Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform 
(DAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall be 
included in the composition of the RLUPC. The RLUPC shall have the following 
functions: 
a. 
Formulate and adopt regional policies on land use and physical planning; 
b. 
Prepare and periodically update a regional physical framework plan, 
taking into consideration national polices and lower level plans; 
c. 
Assist the provinces in preparing and periodically updating its physical 
framework plans to ensure consistency with the regional and national 
plans and policies and to facilitate its integration to the regional plans; 
d. 
Review, prior to adoption by respective Sanggunian bodies, the provincial 
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57 
physical framework plan and CLUPs of highly urbanized and independent 
component cities to ensure consistency with the regional physical 
framework plan and national policies set forth by LUPC and compliance 
with limits prescribed under the 1991 LGC for reclassifying agricultural 
lands; 
e. 
Resolve and 
recommend 
policy conflicts on 
land 
use planning, 
classification, and allocation that may arise between or among regional 
line agencies; 
f. 
Monitor changes in land use and other physical resources in the region; 
g. 
Evaluate consistency .of major programs and projects with the regional 
physical framework plans and their impact on land use and the 
environment; 
h. 
Undertake the gathering of regional data for the Land Resource 
Information and Management System; and 
i. 
Perform other related functions as may be directed by the LUPC. 
SEC. 20. 
Provincial Land Use Policy Council (PLUPC). 
The Provincial 
Development Council (PDC), created under Section 106 of the LGC, shall act as the 
PLUPC that will tackle land use concerns whenever necessary. 
A representative from 
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR) shall be included in the composition of the PLUPC. 
shall: 
In addition to the functions e~umerated in Section 109 of the LGC, the PLUPC 
a. 
Advise the Sangguniang Pan/a/awigan on all matters pertaining to land 
use and physical planning; 
b. 
Review and endorse to the Sangguniang Pan/a/awigan for adoption, the 
provincial physical framework plan prepared and periodically updated by 
the Provincial Planning and Development Office and other land use and 
physical planning-related policies; 
c. 
Assist the Sangguniang Pan/a/awigan in reviewing the CLUPs of 
component cities/municipalities to ensure consistency with the provincial 
physical framework plans and compliance with the limits prescribed under 
the 1991 LGC for reclassifying agricultural lands; and 
d. 
Resolve and 
recommend policy conflicts on 
land 
use planning, 
classification, and, allocation that may arise between or among 
cities/municipalities and any unresolved land use conflicts at the 
city/municipal level. 
The PLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as Provincial 
Planning and Development Coordinator, Provincial Agriculturist, Provincial Environment 
and Natural Resources Officer, Provincial Engineer, Provincial Assessor, or any official 
of national agencies and other relevant agencies during discussions on land use and 
physical planning concerns. 
SEC. 21. City/Municipal Land Use Policy Council (C/MLUPC). 
The 
City/Municipal Development Council (C/MDC), created under Section 106 of the LGC, 
shall act as the C/MLUPC that will tackle land use concerns whenever necessary. A 
representative frorn the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall be included in the composition of the 
C/MLUPC. 
shall: 
In addition to the functions enumerated in Section 109 of the LGC, the C/MLUPC 
a. 
Advise the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Pan/ungsod on all 
matters pertaining to land use and physical planning; 
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b. 
Review and endorse. to the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang 
Panlungsod for adoption, the CLUP prepared and periodically updated by 
the City/Municipal Planning and Development Office and other land use 
and physical planning-related policies; and 
c. 
Resolve and recommend policy conflicts on land use planning and 
allocation that may arise between and among barangays and any 
unresolved land use conflicts at the barangay level regarding the violation 
of zoning ordinances including opposition to applications for locational 
clearances, permits or certificates. 
For purposes of this Act, the City/Municipal Planning and Development 
Coordinator (C/MPDC) shall (a) act on all applications for locational clearances for all 
projects except those of vital and national economic or environmental significance, and 
(b) monitor on-going/existing projects within their respective jurisdictions and issue 
notices of violation to owners, developers, or managers of projects that are violative of 
zoning ordinances. 
The C/MLUPC may call upon any local official concerned such as C/MPDC, 
City/Municipal Agriculturist, City/Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer, 
City/Municipal Engineer, City/Municipal Assessor, or any official of national agencies 
during discussions on land use and physical planning concerns. 
Local government units without operational C/MDCs as mandated by the 1991 
LGC shall activate their respective Councils within six (6) months from the effectivity of 
this Act. 
Article 3 
Adoption, Approval and Review of Land Use Plans 
SEC. 22. Component Cities and Municipalities.-
Component cities and 
municipalities shall have the power and authority to adopt and approve their respective 
CLUPs and ZOs through their respective sanggunian bodies subject to the power of 
review of their respective provinces only with respect to the consistency of the CLUPs 
and ZOs with Section 9 hereof on the preparation of the provincial physical framework 
plan. 
SEC. 23. 
Provinces and Independent and Highly Urbanized Cities.-
Provinces and independent and highly urbanized cities shall have the power and 
authority to adopt and approve their respective CLUPs, ZOs or provincial physical 
framework plan, as the case may be', through their respective sanggunian but subject to 
the review of the RLUPC as provided in Section 19 hereof. 
Article 4 
Responsibilities of the National Government Agencies and LGUs 
SEC. 24. 
National Base Mapping Program.-
A national mapping program 
shall be implemented, coordinated, and monitored through the creation of an Inter-
agency Technical Committee (ITe) composed of the National Mapping and Resource 
Information Authority (NAMRIA), as the lead agency, the Bureau of Soils and Water 
Management (BSWM), the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the Land Management 
Bureau (LMB), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), the Mines and 
Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology And Seismology 
(PHIVOLeS), DAR, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), DOE, NEDA and 
other concerned government agencies/bureaus. The ITe shall be constituted, and the 
mapping program initiated, within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
16 


1 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization, the LGUs, to be assisted by the 
2 
appropriate agencies of the national government, shall likewise prepare their respective 
3 
territorial maps using scales, symbols, and other indicators to be prescribed in 
4 
accordance with this Act. 
The completed maps shall be integrated in the national 
5 
framework for physical planning pursuant to Section 6 hereof. 
6 
7 
SEC. 25. National Geo-hazard Mapping Program.-
Within thirty (3~} days 
8 
from the effectivity of this Act, a nationwide geo-hazard mapping program shall be 
9 
initiated jointly thru the LUPC by the PHIVOLCS, the Philippine Atmospheric 
10 
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the NAMRIA, MG8, 
11 
8SWM, and DOE, in coordination with the National Disaster Coordinating Council 
12 
(NDCC), the Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils, and 
other concerned 
13 
government agencies. The program shall include the generation of indicative geo-
14 
hazard zoning maps that will outline areas in the Philippines which are prone to 
15 
liquefaction, land slides, severe flash flooding, lahar, ground rupturing, tsunami, river 
16 
erosion, coastal erosion, sinkhole collapse, earthquake, hazardous volcanic products, 
17 
and other disastrous natural hazards. 
18 
19 
For purposes of uniformity and standardization and in order to develop a safe-
20 
built environment, the LGUs shall subsequently incorporate and integrate the generated 
21 
geo-hazard zoning maps in their respective CLUPs. Said geo-hazard maps shall serve 
22 
as guide for all the LGUs in the preparation of their own hazards-constrained 
23 
development plans. The national framework for physical planning, pursuant to Section 6 
24 
hereof, shall incorporate these geo-hazard maps. 
25 
26 
All infrastructure activities including real estate and subdivision projects and the 
27 
development of tourist spots requiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) 
28 
shall be required to submit an Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard Assessment 
29 
Report (EGGAR). 
30 
31 
SEC. 26. 
Scope and Nature of Responsibilities of Other National 
32 
Government Agencies.-
All concerned national government agencies/bodies shall 
33 
periodically report to the LUPC on the various activities and accomplishments relative to 
34 
land use. Likewise, they shall provide their respective sectoral/development plans and 
35 
render technical and administrative support if called upon by the LUPC relative to the 
36 
implementation of the provisions of this Act. 
37 
38 
SEC. 27. Submission of Annual Report on the Implementation of CLUPs.-
39 
The C/MLUPC shall submit an annual report on the implementation of their land use 
40 
plans to the PLUPC, which shall integrate the same for submission to the RLUPC, 
41 
which shall in turn integrate the provincial reports for submission to the LUPC. 
42 
43 
44 
CHAPTER VI 
45 
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN 
46 
Article 1 
47 
Agricultural Lands 
48 
SEC. 28. 
Priority Areas for Agricultural Development.- Priority areas for 
49 
agricultural development are the CARP, CARPable areas, and the NPAAAD. 
50 
51 
SEC 29. Conversion of Agricultural Lands.- Agricultural lands are deemed 
52 
converted to 
non-agricultural uses upon the recommendation 
of appropriate 
53 
government agencies and the approval by the DAR of the application for conversion. 
54 
Prime agricultural lands and specific types of lands to the extent necessary for attaining 
55 
food self-sufficiency in rice and corn and food security in other basic commodities, as 
56 
determined by the DA, subject to mandatory consultation with the LGUs, the private 
17 


1 
sector, the NGOs, and POs, shall be protected from conversion, which shall include but 
2 
not limited to areas under the NPAMD: Provided, That all irrigated and irrigable lands, 
3 
all lands developed or possessing the potential for development of high value crops, 
4 
and all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile and whose conversion will result in 
5 
serious environmental problems shall be given full protection from conversion, the areas 
6 
under which are subject to review every six (6) years by the DA, DAR and DENR, with 
7 
the mandatory public consultations: Provided, further, That consistent with the State 
8 
policy on giving priority to the completion of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform 
9 
Program (CARP), all lands subject to CARP including those lands covered under the 
10 
notice of compulsory acquisition/voluntary offer to sell, production or profit-sharing, or 
11 
commercial farm deferment shall also be protected from conversion pending the 
12 
distribution and installation of the farmer beneficiaries, but thereafter, Section 65 of 
13 
Republic Act No. 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) shall apply. 
14 
15 
Lands defined under Section 10 of RA No. 6657 shall remain exempted and 
16 
excluded from the coverage of CARP. 
17 
18 
SEC. 30. Re-ciassification/Sub-classification of Agricultural Lands by 
19 
LGUs.- Sub-classification or re-classification of agricultural lands to other uses under 
20 
Section 20 of the LGC of 1991 shall exclude the prime agricultural lands as stated in the 
21 
preceding section. Moreover, such sub-classification/reclassification is not synonymous 
22 
to conversion. The DA and DAR shall provide the LGUs with a complete list and maps 
23 
of prime agricultural lands within their territorial jurisdictions. 
24 
25 
26 
Article 2 
27 
Forestlands and Watershed Management 
28 
29 
SEC. 31. Reversion of Alienable and Disposable Lands to Forestlands.-
30 
Upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the DENR, duly reviewed and endorsed 
31 
by the LUPC, and after due consultations with the concerned LGUs and affected 
32 
parties, Congress may authorize the reversion of alienable and disposable lands of the 
33 
public domain or portion thereof to forestlands. Thereafter, said lands shall be included 
34 
in the preparation of land use plans ~ithin forestlands. 
35 
36 
SEC. 32. Critical Watershed Areas.- The DENR, in coordination with the DA, 
37 
LGUs, and other government agencies, including government-owned and-controlled 
38 
corporations, and with mandatory public consultations, shall identify and delineate 
39 
critical watershed areas that need to be protected, rehabilitated, enhanced, and/or 
40 
withdrawn from uses that contribute to their further degradation. 
41 
42 
SEC. 33. 
Formulation and Implementation of Integrated Watershed 
43 
Management Plans.-
With the assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory 
44 
consultations with the concerned sectors, the LGUs through their local land use 
45 
committees shall prepare their watershed management plans which shall be integrated 
46 
with their respective CLUPs. The formulation and integration of the plan shall be guided, 
47 
among others, by the principle that the management and development of inland water 
48 
resources shall be at the watershed level. A nationwide mapping of watersheds in the 
49 
country shall be implemented. 
50 
In cases where the watershed areas transcend the boundaries of a particular 
51 
municipality, an inter-LGU committee composed of representatives from local land use 
52 
committees of the LGUs where the watershed area is located shall be formed. With the 
53 
assistance of the DENR and upon mandatory consultations with the concerned sectors, 
54 
the inter-LGU committee shall formulate the watershed management plan for the said 
55 
watershed area. 
18 


1 
The DENR and the concerned LGUs shall jointly implement the watershed 
2 
management plan subject to regular consultations with and involvement of the 
3 
community and other stakeholders in the implementation of the plan. 
4 
The preparation of Forest Land Use Plans shall make use of the watershed as 
5 
the basic planning unit. 
6 
7 
8 
Article 3 
9 
Coastal Zones 
10 
11 
SEC. 34. 
Criteria on the Allocation and Utilization of Lands within the 
12 
Coastal Zones.-
The allocation and utilization of lands within the coastal zones shall 
13 
be guided by the following: 
14 
15 
a) Areas vegetated with mangrove species shall be preserved for mangrove 
16 
production and shall not be converted to other uses; 
17 
b) Areas that meet all accepted criteria on elevation, soil type, soil depth, 
18 
topography, supply for successful fishpond development, and are not 
19 
identified as mangrove protected areas, shall be utilized for aquaculture 
20 
purposes; 
21 
c) Areas sub-classified as mangrove and still suitable for use as such, or due 
22 
to environmental conditions need to be preserved as mangrove, but is 
23 
devoid of mangrove stands shall not be converted to other uses. 
The 
24 
DENR shall ensure that these lands shall be reforested within a given 
25 
period of time; 
26 
d) Areas accessible to the sea and identified for fisherfolk settlement and 
27 
housing shall be allocated to traditional fisherfolk who are inhabitants of the 
28 
coastal communities and members of legitimate fisherfolk organizations 
29 
and/or holders of stewardship lease contracts or titles to ancestral domains 
30 
or any form of property right arrangements who participate in coastal 
31 
resource management initiatives, subject to the usual census procedures of 
32 
the HUDCC. 
33 
e) Areas that are neither sub-classified as mangrove, fisherfolk settlement nor 
34 
fishpond may be devoted to recreational or tourism purposes: Provided, 
35 
That such undertaking will not result in environmental degradation and 
36 
displacement of small fishers; 
37 
f) Areas which are considered as traditional fishing grounds shall be used 
38 
primarily for such purpose; 
39 
g) Areas which have been allocated for small infrastructure needed by 
40 
fisherfolk shall be allowed; and 
41 
h) Areas which form part of foreshore lands as defined in this Act including 
42 
those that are under lease agreements or arrangements shall undergo 
43 
zoning and evaluation to determine their boundaries and actual sizes and 
44 
corresponding uses. 
45 
46 
SEC. 35. 
Coastal Land Zone Sub-classification.-
All public lands in the 
47 
coastal zones shall be subclassified into any of the following: estuaries, lagoons, inter-
48 
tidal flats, mudflats, fishponds, mangroves, protection from tidal surge, for preservation 
49 
of biodiversity, habitats and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife, fisherfolk settlement, or 
50 
recreational/tourism areas. No sub-classification of coastal zones to different uses shall 
51 
be done without the following: 
52 
53 
a) Conduct of a comprehensive resource and environmental assessment by 
54 
the DENR and respective LGUs and accredited NGOs and POs within their 
55 
jurisdiction; and 
56 
b) Prior consultation with local Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management 
57 
Councils (FARMCs) formed under Republic Act No. 8550 or the Fisheries 
19 


1 
Code. 
2 
3 
SEC. 36. 
Zoning of Foreshore Areas.-
Local government units, in 
4 
coordination with the DENR, shall conduct zoning of their respective foreshore areas to 
5 
assist government and community fishers identify priority areas for conservation and 
6 
development, and to enable them to set targets for rnangrove reforestation and 
7 
rehabilitation. 
8 
Article 4 
9 
Mineral Lands 
10 
11 
SEC. 37. 
Criteria for the Utilization and Allocation of Land for Mining 
12 
Purposes.- Consistent with Section 5 of this Act and the provisions of Republic Act 
13 
No. 7942 or the Mining Act of 1995, and to ensure that the objectives of maintaining 
14 
ecological balance and maximizing economic returns to mining operations are realized, 
15 
the allocation and utilization of lands for mining purposes shall be guided by the 
16 
following: 
17 
18 
a) The principles of sustainable development and responsible mining; 
19 
b) In case of small-scale mining, adequate and acceptable safeguards shall be 
20 
instituted by the holders of mining rights or permits to prevent environmental 
21 
degradation of the mining sites and adjacent areas; 
22 
c) Mineral reservations which have become non-operational for more than ten 
23 
(10) years as determined by the MGB shall be placed under appropriate 
24 
surface management by the DENR; 
25 
d) Consistent with the Mining Act of 1995, existing mineral reservations shall be 
26 
periodically reviewed by the DENR for the purpose of determining whether 
27 
their continued existence is consistent with the national interest and, if 
28 
warranted, recommend the alteration or modification of its boundaries or revert 
29 
the same to public domain Without prejudice to prior existing rights; and 
30 
e) Protection forest lands and agricultural lands should be exempt from mining 
31 
activities to minimize the effect of natural calamities and to protect food 
32 
security respectively. Small to large scale mining operations should yield and 
33 
recognize the tenurial instrument given by the government such as OCT, TCT, 
34 
CAOT, EP-CLOA and other instruments. If these be present, no mining activity 
35 
should be conducted. 
36 
37 
SEC. 38. 
Reversion of Mineral Lands.-
All mineral lands with exhausted 
38 
mineral resources, as determined by the MGB upon the recommendation of the DENR, 
39 
shall revert to its original land classification, that is, as forest land or agricultural land. In 
40 
the case of forestlands, the DENR may classify such areas for other purposes in 
41 
consultation with concerned LGUs, the DOT, and other national government agencies. 
42 
Exhausted mineral lands shall refer to specific sites whose mineral deposits are no 
43 
longer in sufficient quantity or quality to justify additional expenditure for their extraction 
44 
and utilization. 
45 
46 
47 
Article 5 
48 
Energy Resource Lands 
49 
50 
SEC. 39. Guidelines for the Utilization and Allocation of Lands for Energy 
51 
Resource Exploration, Development, Production, Utilization, and Distribution 
52 
Purposes.-
To ensure that the objectives of maintaining ecological balance and 
53 
maximizing the power potential from indigenous energy resources in the most 
54 
economical and environmentally-acceptable means are realized, the allocation and 
55 
utilization of lands for said purposes shall be guided by the following, consistent with 
56 
existing regulations and laws on energy resources: 
57 
20 


a) Indigenous energy resource exploration and development for the purpose of a 
2 
National Energy Resource Inventory and Data Base as well as Energy 
3 
Resource Block Map shall be allowed subject to the implementation of 
4 
complementary watershed and other land management plans; 
5 
b) Indigenous energy resource exploration, development, production, utilization, 
6 
and distribution shall be subject to the appropriate requirements and 
7 
processes of the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) system. 
8 
Each project shall secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) 
9 
prior to project implementation to ensure adequate and appropriate 
10 
environmental management measures and optimum methods for resource 
11 
access and recovery are utilized; and 
12 
c) Energy reservations or portions thereof which have become or have been 
13 
established to be non-economically viable to operate or are no longer used 
14 
for energy purposes shall be released to give way to other land uses, subject 
15 
to existing laws covering energy reservations. 
16 
17 
SEC. 40. Reversion of Energy Resource Lands.-
All exhausted indigenous 
18 
energy resource lands not covered by proclamations shall automatically revert to the 
19 
category of forestlands or agricultural lands open to dispOSition, whichever is 
20 
appropriate. Exhausted energy resource lands shall refer to specific energy resource 
21 
sites whose energy reserves of the desired type/s are no longer in sufficient quantity or 
22 
quality to justify additional expenditure for their extraction and utilization. 
23 
24 
CHAPTER VII 
25 
SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT 
26 
27 
SEC. 41. Town, City, and Settlements Development.-
The development of 
28 
town, city, and settlements through .the zoning ordinances of cities and municipalities 
29 
shall be guided by urban zoning standards designed to maximize existing urban 
30 
spaces. Socialized housing and settlement areas should be established only on 
31 
alienable and disposable lands in order to avoid further degradation of forestlands. 
32 
33 
SEC. 42. Settlements within Geo-hazard Areas.- Settlements, in particular 
34 
housing or residential developments, within geo-hazard areas may be allowed provided 
35 
that mitigating and/or protective measures are adopted to address the potential danger 
36 
or risk to lives and property within such settlements. In coordination with the concerned 
37 
agencies of the government, the LUPC shall provide assistance to concerned LGUs and 
38 
settlers in instituting safety and corrective measures to address the potential danger or 
39 
risk. 
40 
Residential zones as designated in the CLUP shall be considered as outside the 
41 
geo-hazard areas. For this purpose, housing projects within such areas shall be exempt 
42 
from the ECC as well as the EGGAR and maybe implemented without the need for any 
43 
further certificate of exemption from the DENR or any other government regulatory 
44 
agency. 
45 
46 
SEC. 43. Designation of Sanitary Landfill.-
Each city or municipality shall 
47 
identify, designate and allocate an area within their territorial jurisdiction to serve as 
48 
sanitary landfill within one (1) year from the effectivity of this 
Act. The LGUs, in 
49 
coordination with the DENR or any other competent authority, shall identify sanitary 
50 
landfill sites in order to fast-track the conduct of environmental impact assessment 
51 
study and to facilitate processing of the environmental compliance certificate. The site 
52 
or area shall be identified in the city or municipality's CLUP. For this purpose, cities and 
53 
municipalities shall establish their solid waste management program pursuant to the 
54 
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or RA 9003. 
Likewise, as provided under 
55 
Section 33 of the LGC, cities and municipalities may, through appropriate ordinances, 
56 
bind themselves towards the establishment of a common solid waste management 
57 
program. 
21 


1 
2 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR, in coordination 
3 
with concerned agencies, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines and standards for 
4 
the formulation and establishment of solid waste management programs by cities and 
5 
municipalities, and shall submit the same to the LUPC for review and approval. 
6 
7 
SEC. 44. Designation and Zoning of Socialized Housing Zones.- Each city 
8 
or municipality in urban, urbanizable and rural areas shall designate through the CLUP 
9 
adequate lands for housing or residential purposes, including socialized housing and 
10 
resettlement areas for the immediate and future needs of the local population as well as 
11 
the underprivileged and homeless in their territory, pursuant to existing laws and 
12 
regulations. In order to ensure adequate availability of land for the housing needs of the 
13 
local population, the CLUP shall be updated, at maximum, every nine (9) years for 
14 
provinces, cities and municipalities. 
15 
16 
The designated sites for socialized housing shall be located in residential zones, 
17 
and shall be zoned as socialized housing zones that are integrated in the city or 
18 
municipality's zoning ordinance, pursuant to existing laws and regulations. 
19 
20 
Fisherfolk settlements and housing in coastal municipalities shall be zoned near 
21 
the sea for easy access to their livelihood as provided under Section 35 (d) of this Act. 
22 
23 
The housing or residential lands designated in the CLUPs and ZOs of cities and 
24 
municipalities shall, on one hand, not be subject to further land reclassification by the 
25 
LGU or land conversion procedure under DAR. On the other hand, agricultural lands as 
26 
designated in the CLUP which are no longer economically feasible for agricultural use 
27 
may be SUbject to land reclassification or conversion to housing/residential purposes 
28 
and such conversion, as the case may be, shall be exempt from the coverage of any 
29 
moratorium on land conversion. 
30 
31 
SEC. 45. 
Urban Forest or Green Space.-
Each city or highly urbanizing 
32 
municipality shall identify, designate, and allocate lands owned by the city or 
33 
municipality as urban forest or green space based on the guidelines and standards to 
34 
be issued by the DENR and approved by the LUPC. 
35 
36 
CHAPTER VIII 
37 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS 
38 
39 
SEC. 46. 
Criteria for Designating Industrial Development Areas.-
The 
40 
identification and establishment of industrial development areas shall conform to the 
41 
provisions of Republic Act No.7916, otherwise known as the Philippine Economic Zone 
42 
Authority (PEZA) Law; the CARL, IPRA, UDHA, and the AFMA, taking into 
43 
consideration the following: 
44 
45 
a) Identified network of areas for agricultural development and protected 
46 
agricultural areas pursuant to the AFMA; 
47 
b) National policies on the regional dispersal of industries and agri-based 
48 
industrial development; 
49 
c) Identified growth areas and'corridors in the National Development Plan; 
50 
d) National Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and non-NIPAS areas that require 
51 
protection; 
52 
e) National and Urban Development and Housing Framework; 
53 
f) 
Identified Socialized Housing Zones; 
54 
g) National framework for physical planning and other existing national programs 
55 
and policies. 
56 
57 
The designated industrial development areas shall become an integral part of the 
22 


1 
land use plan and zoning ordinance of the city or municipality where these areas are 
2 
located. 
3 
4 
CHAPTER IX 
5 
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AREAS 
6 
7 
SEC. 47. 
Criteria for Designating Tourism Development Areas.-
The 
8 
identification, selection, and development of tourism development areas and tourism 
9 
estates 
shall be done in consultation and coordination with the concerned LGUs, 
10 
national government agencies, the private sector, and the affected communities. 
11 
Tourism development areas shall likewise include those covered by legislative and 
12 
executive issuances as tourist spots, tourist zones and tourism ecozones which can be 
13 
developed into tourism estates or integrated resort, leisure and recreation complexes 
14 
and other tourism-related facilities as well as those identified in the national, regional 
15 
and inter-regional tourism, and area specific tourism master plans and other sector 
16 
plans such as ecotourism and agri-tourism sites. 
17 
18 
Designated areas for tourism development shall become part of the CLUPs of 
19 
the cities or municipalities where these are located. 
20 
21 
SEC. 48. 
Identification and Declaration of Areas for Protection, 
22 
Conservation and Preservation of Cultural Heritage.-
The National Historical 
23 
Institute (NHI) and/or the National Museum in coordination with other concerned 
24 
agencies, local communities, and the private sector, shall identify declared areas and 
25 
structures which shall be protected and/or preserved as part of the Philippine cultural 
26 
heritage. 
27 
28 
The LGUs in coordination with the NHI, the National Commission for Culture and 
29 
Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) shall designate historical 
30 
zones to protect the historical integrity of said geographical areas and cultural space of 
31 
intangible cultural properties, which are significant to a city/ municipality and the 
32 
community. 
33 
34 
CHAPTER X 
35 
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 
36 
37 
SEC. 49. 
Allocation and Use of Land for Infrastructure Development.-
38 
Land, whether public or private, shall be allocated and utilized for priority infrastructure 
39 
projects that are supportive of national or local development objectives. The NEDA, in 
40 
consultation with the concerned national government agencies, LGUs, and the private 
41 
sector shall identify and periodically review, update and/or revise the list of priority 
42 
infrastructure projects subject to Sections 5 and 29 hereof, and Section 47 of the AFMA. 
43 
In determining and evaluating the list of priority infrastructure projects, consideration 
44 
shall be given to those that: 
45 
46 
(a) 
Respond to immediate and vital requirements of the national economy with 
47 
priority on improving rural infrastructure and the development of the 
48 
agriculture and fisheries sectors; 
49 
(b) 
Upgrade existing facilities to international standards; 
50 
(c) 
Address the need for sustainable settlements development; and, 
51 
(d) 
Help mitigate the destructive effects of natural disaster-causing phenomena 
52 
or those that shall serve as alternatives to existing infrastructures found in 
53 
natural hazard-prone areas: 
54 
55 
Provided, That the provision and implementation of infrastructure support shall 
56 
be made compatible with existing environmental conditions and the physical, whether 
57 
natural or human-made, and cultural character of the area. 
Mandatory public 
23 


1 
consUltations pursuant to existing laws and regulations shall be held prior to the 
2 
conduct of all infrastructure projects that will necessarily involve dislocation or 
3 
displacement of people in the area: Provided, further, That the proponent of the 
4 
infrastructure project shall follow the rules on just and humane eviction or demolition 
5 
under Section 28 of the UDHA, notwithstanding the provisions of Republic Act No. 
6 
8975, prohibiting lower courts from issuing temporary restraining orders, preliminary 
7 
injunctions, or preliminary mandatory injunctions, and proponent shall follow IPRA: 
8 
Provided finally, That national government infrastructure projects shall allocate budget 
9 
for the adequate relocation of displaced communities. 
10 
11 
SEC. 50. Infrastructure Projects Within Geo-hazard Areas.- Construction of 
12 
priority infrastructure projects within hazard-prone areas shall be allowed: Provided, 
13 
That mitigating and/or preventive measures are adopted to address the potential 
14 
adverse economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts that will emanate from 
15 
these infrastructure projects, subject to the findings and recommendations of a 
16 
feasibility study/environmental impact assessment in accordance with Presidential 
17 
Decree No. 1586 and Republic Act No. 4846. 
18 
19 
Existing projects that did not go through the process of an environmental impact 
20 
assessment and pose threats to the environment, integrity of historic, archeological, or 
21 
scientifically significant areas or are impinging on critical ecosystems, may be: (a) 
22 
terminated immediately; (b) required to implement an Environmental Management Plan; 
23 
(c) gradually phased-out and relocated; or (d) maintained up to their life span, subject, 
24 
however, to mitigating measures: Provided, That the rules on mandatory public 
25 
consultations and just and humane eviction or demolition shall also be observed prior to 
26 
the termination, gradual phase-out, or relocation of projects that will necessarily involve 
27 
dislocation or displacement of people in the area. 
28 
29 
CHAPTER XI 
30 
TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND VALUE FORMATION 
31 
32 
SEC. 51. Value Formation.- In order to create a well-informed, responsible and 
33 
committed citizenry who values the protection, conservation and development of the 
34 
country's limited land and other physical resources, the State shall mandate the 
35 
inclusion of sustainable land use education or any subject related thereto in the 
36 
curricula of primary, secondary and.tertiary education. 
37 
38 
SEC. 52. Information and Education Campaign.- The LUPC shall undertake 
39 
a nationwide education information campaign in land use and physical planning to be 
40 
implemented by local and national government agencies. The DILG and concerned 
41 
agencies shall formulate and implement a land use management capability-building 
42 
program for national and local government officials, community leaders, NGOs, POs, 
43 
religious sector, and the general public. 
44 
45 
CHAPTER XII 
46 
INCENTIVES, SANCTIONS, AND PENALTIES 
47 
48 
Article 1 
49 
Incentives and Awards 
50 
51 
SEC. 53. Formulation of a System of Incentives and Awards.-
The LUPC 
52 
shall come out with a system of incentives and awards to LGUs that regularly update 
53 
their CLUPs within the prescribed period, as follows: 
54 
55 
(a) 
Provinces, Highly Urbanized Cities, and Independent Component Cities -
56 
once every nine (9) ye;3rs; and 
57 
(b) 
Component cities and municipalities once every nine (9) years. 
24 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
SEC. 54. 
Priority in Giving Technical Assistance to LGUs.-
In providing 
technical assistance and other forms of support related to land use management and 
the implementation of development plans, national government agencies shall give 
priority to cities and municipalities with approved CLUPs. 
Article 2 
Sanctions and Penalties 
SEC. 
55. 
Fine 
for 
Non-Completion 
and 
Non-Commencement of 
Development of Agricultural Lands with Approved Order of Conversion.-
A 
landowner and his/her designated developer or duly authorized representative who fails 
to commence and/or complete the development of agricultural lands with approved 
order of conversion shall be penalized, jointly or severally, with any of the following fines 
based on the zonal value of the land at the time the fine is imposed: 
a. 
On failure to commence within one year from the date of conversion order: 
(1) Six percent (6%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the first three 
(3) hectares, 
(2) Fifteen percent (15%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the next 
three hectares, and 
(3) Thirty percent (30%) of the zonal value of the subject land for the 
remaining area. 
Provided, That the order of conversion shall be deemed revoked 
automatically and the land shall revert to its original agricultural use and 
covered by the DLR through compulsory acquisition for distribution to 
qualified beneficiaries. 
b. 
On failure to complete fifty percent (50%) of the approved conversion plan 
within a specified time frame: Fifty percent (50%) of the zonal value of the 
subject land and the revocation of the conversion plan on the 
undeveloped portion which shall automatically revert to its original use as 
agricultural land. The same shall be covered under the CARP and 
processed for land distribution as soon as possible. 
SEC. 56. 
Authority to Impose Fine.-
The DAR shall impose the penalty 
provided for under the preceding section. 
SEC. 57. Withdrawal of Local Development Permits or Licenses.-
Upon 
receipt of notice from the DAR, the concerned agencies and the city or municipality 
shall withdraw or revoke any development permit and other licenses that may be 
necessary to develop the agricultural land subject of conversion. 
SEC. 58. Utilization of Fines.- The fines collected under Sections 55, 60, 61, 
and 62 hereof shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund consistent with 
the provisions of the CARL, as amended. 
SEC. 59. 
Failure to Formulate, Enforce, and/or Implement the CLUPs.-
Consistent with due process, the DILG shall investigate, review, and impose 
appropriate action regarding local chief executives and other local officials and 
employees responsible for the formulation, enforcement, and/or implementation of the 
CLUPs in case of any of the following: 
(a) 
Failure to implement and enforce the CLUP due to negligence of duty; 
25 


1 
(b) 
Failure to 
provide appropriate budgetary allocation to 
effect its 
2 
implementation; and 
3 
(c) 
Failure to complete the preparation of the CLUP despite the availability of 
4 
funds, resources, and support by the Sanggunian concerned. 
5 
6 
Any public official or employee, regardless of whether elected or appointed or 
7 
holding office or employment in a casual, temporary, holdover, permanent, or regular 
8 
capacity, found to be responsible for any of the foregoing acts, after due notice and 
9 
hearing by the appropriate body or agency, shall be punished with forfeiture of salaries 
10 
and allowances and suspension from: 
11 
12 
1. 
Six (6) to nine (9) months., in case of non-implementation of CLUP; or 
13 
2. 
Three (3) to six (6) months, in case of non-completion of the CLUP. 
14 
15 
SEC. 60. 
Person(s) Abetting Illegal Conversion.-
Any person initiating, 
16 
causing, inducing, or abetting illegal conversion shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned 
17 
from seven (7) to twelve (12) years and imposed a fine of not less than one hundred 
18 
thousand (100,000.00) pesos, or both at the discretion of the court: Provided, That if the 
19 
offender is a public official or employee, whether elected or appointed, the penalty shall, 
20 
in addition thereto, include dismissal through permanent separation from the service 
21 
and forfeiture of all benefits and entitlements accruing to the public position and 
22 
perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive public office: 
23 
Provided, further, That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty of imprisonment 
24 
shall be imposed on the president, chief executive officer, manager, the Chairperson 
25 
and all the members of the board, and other responsible officers thereof, and the fine 
26 
shall be equivalent to the zonal value of the land or forty percent (40%) of the 
27 
shareholders equity, as determined at the time of judgment whichever is higher, plus 
28 
forfeiture of the land in favor of the State for sale though public auction, the proceeds of 
29 
which shall automatically accrue to the Agrarian Reform Fund as provided for in Section 
30 
58 of this Act. 
31 
32 
SEC. 61. Penalty for Reclassification of Protected Agricultural Lands and 
33 
Exceeding the Limit of Areas Allowed for Reclassification.-
Any person initiating, 
34 
causing, inducing, or abetting the reclassification of protected agricultural areas into 
35 
non-agricultural uses and exceeding the limits set forth under Section 20 of the LGC of 
36 
1991, shall be penalized with imprisonment of twelve (12) years and a fine of not less 
37 
than One hundred thousand (P100,000.00) pesos, or both at the discretion of the Court: 
38 
Provided, That if the offender is a public official or employee, the penalty shall, in 
39 
addition thereto, include 
dismissal through permanent separation from the service 
40 
whether elected or appointed and forfeiture of entitlements accruing to the public 
41 
position, and perpetual disqualification to run or apply for any elective or appointive 
42 
public position: Provided, further, That if the offender is a juridical person, the penalty 
43 
shall be imposed on the president, chief executive officer, manager, the Chairperson 
44 
and all the members of the board, and other responsible officers thereof. 
45 
46 
SEC. 62. Payment of Disturbance Compensation.-
Following the order of 
47 
priority such as agricultural lessees and share tenants, regular farm workers, seasonal 
48 
farm workers, other farm workers, actual tillers or occupants of public lands, collective, 
49 
or cooperative of the above beneficiaries, and others directly working on the land 
50 
affected by agricultural land use conversion shall be entitled to the payment of 
51 
disturbance compensation equivalent to five (5) times the average of the gross harvests 
52 
on the landholding during the last five (5) preceding calendar years or a certain 
53 
percentage of the converted land, whichever is higher, as determined by the DAR. 
54 
55 
CHAPTER XIII 
56 
TRANSITORY AND FINAL PROVISIONS 
57 
SEC. 63. Convening of the LUPC.- Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity 
26 


1 
of this Act, the Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning shall convene the LUPC. 
2 
3 
SEC. 64. Implementing Rules and Regulations.-
Within sixty (60) days from 
4 
the effectivity of this Act, the LUPC shall promulgate the rules and regulations to 
5 
implement the provisions of this Act. Said rules and regulations shall be submitted to 
6 
the Congressional Oversight Committee for approval. 
7 
8 
SEC. 65. Congressional Oversight Committee on the Land Use Act.- There 
9 
is hereby created a Congressional Oversight Committee composed of seven (7) 
10 
members from the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and 
11 
seven (7) members from the House of Representatives Committees on Natural 
12 
Resources and Housing and Urban Development. The members from the Senate shall 
13 
be appointed by the Senate President based on proportional representation of the 
14 
parties or coalitions therein with at least two (2) senators representing the minority. The 
15 
members from the House of Representatives shall be appointed by the Speaker also 
16 
based on proportional representation of the parties or coalitions therein with at least two 
17 
. (2) members representing the minority. 
18 
19 
The secretariat of the Oversight Committee shall be drawn from the existing 
20 
secretariat personnel of the committees comprising the oversight and the funding shall 
21 
be taken from the appropriations of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. 
22 
23 
SEC. 66. 
Appropriations.-
The appropriations for the National Land Use 
24 
Committee under the National Economic and Development Authority under the current 
25 
General Appropriations Act shall be used to carry out the initial operations of the Land 
26 
Use Policy Council. 
Thereafter, additional sums as may be necessary for the full 
27 
implementation of LUPC's functions shall be included in the annual General 
28 
Appropriations Act. 
29 
30 
SEC. 67. 
Review of Existing Land Use Plans.-
Provinces, cities, and 
31 
municipalities with existing land use plans shall review, revise, reconcile, and harmonize 
32 
the same with the guidelines and standards set forth under this Act within one (1) year 
33 
from the effectivity of this Act. 
34 
35 
SEC. 68. 
Repealing Clause.- All republic acts, executive orders, rules and 
36 
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with the 
37 
provisions of this Republic Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
38 
39 
SEC. 69. Non-impairment Clause.- Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to 
40 
diminish, impair, or repeal rights recognized, granted, or available to marginalized or 
41 
basic sectors under existing laws induding but not limited to Republic Act Nos. 7279, 
42 
6657, 8371, and 8550. 
43 
44 
SEC. 70. 
Separability Clause.-
If for any reason or reasons, any part or 
45 
provision of this Act shall be declared or held to be unconstitutional or invalid other parts 
46 
or provisions hereof, which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and 
47 
effect. 
48 
49 
SEC. 71. Effectivity Clause.-
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
50 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of 
51 
general circulation. 
Approved, 
27