This CPBRD Policy Brief delves into the current land use policies in the Philippines against the backdrop of interconnecting areas of concern and how the proposed National Land Use Act (NLUA) will address policy gaps, issues and challenges of the present structures and framework governing land use management.
The current land use policies in the country are administered by various agencies with different mandates specific to use and purpose such as housing and urban development, economic and commercial uses, agrarian reform, agriculture and fisheries, natural resources, and ancestral domains. Each agency is guided by its own requirements and standards of operation in carrying out respective mandates, policies and programs. Consequently however, these result in policies that are multifaceted, fragmented and conflicting. With the fast-changing development in the way people move and live given the competing needs for food, housing, business and environmental conservation with associated healthrisk concerns, legislating a comprehensive and responsive national land use policy has never been more urgent and relevant than it is today. The impact of deforestation and urbanization on food security, disaster mitigation, economic growth and community health, among others, all point to the crucial need to effectively regulate land use management.
