Land Use experts blast Senate favor of CREBA lobby contra land use bill

By CLUP Now!
February 8, 2013

QUEZON CITY – “KANIN o SEMENTO ang kakainin niyo?”

This was the cry of land use experts, government officials with farmers, fishers, urban poor in a press conference to the Senators and realtors that derailed the passing of the National Land Use Act (NLUA) last Wednesday, February 6.

Carrying a plate of rice and a plate of cement, the group firmly said that if we want our future generations to be fed, the NLUA must be passed!

Present at the press conference were Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano, Climate Change Commissioner Yeb Sano, land use expert and environmental planner Dr. Elmer Mercado, former Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor Percy Chavez, and sector leaders from the farmers, fisherfolk and urban poor sectors.

The NLUA bill was stalled on second hearing after Senator Bongbong Marcos was nowhere to be found in the Plenary hall to deliver his amendments on the Bill.

His absence led Senate Majority Floor Leader Tito Sotto to suspend the deliberations on the Bill. He said there are 53 amendments from CREBA (Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association, Inc.) coursed through Senator Marcos for the NLUA.

Senators Villar, Enrile and Recto, who also reserved to interpellate did not proceed anymore. Senator Enrile reasoned the day before that he wanted to study the bill further.

Environmental planner Dr. Elmer Mercado said, “It’s actually no question why we need NLUA. It’s a global concern, it addresses disaster and climate change mitigation, food security and safe settlements as well. I don’t believe present land use plans of LGUs do not have national perspective. The national land use act will give an overall framework to the country’s sustainable use of resources.”

Mercado continues that it’s good that it’s certified as priority bill by President Aquino but the politicians in Congress are blocking it. “If CREBA understands the law, it will know that NLUA does not give away local autonomy from the LGUs. It recognizes different situations for every local government but there is a need for an overall framework and guide in land use planning. Parang holen na dapat hindi titirahin na sabog-sabog para iisa lang ang direksyon,“ he added.

USec. Fred Serrano said that there is limited land, and if we do not protect it and save it from conversion, food security is put in peril.

“At the Department of Agriculture, we have always supported the prioritization of the land use bill. The bill pushes to protect prime agricultural lands based on the definition in the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act. Unfortunately, it’s the same senators opposing AFMA who seem to be working against NLUA,” said the USec. Serrano.

In other countries, USec. Serrano said that Thailand and Vietnam is protecting even more lands than the Philippines. Vietnam uses 7 million hectares for rice land alone due to national security.

Percy Chavez who formerly sat in the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor said that housing sector and the urban poor sector recognizes food security needs and that prime land cemented cannot be reverted to agriculture.

“3.7 million units of housing are needed. With NLUA, there will be selected places for appropriate housing for all sectors. There is opportunity loss in the lands that we can use for the benefit of all,” stressed Chavez.

Members of the Campaign for Land Use Policy Now! (CLUP Now!) were highly dismayed by the result of the Senate session. Last Monday, February 4, the Certification as Urgent of the NLUA bill from Malacanang was delivered and read at the Senate floor. This boosted CLUP Now’s hopes for the passage of a law that was first filed in the 9th Congress.

The Marcos and Villar amendments have already reached Senator Gringo Honasan, NLUA’s sponsor, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Senator Honasan was ready to answer all the amendments. But Senator Marcos openly defied the Presidential order to pass the NLUA urgently by not showing up at all. We would have welcomed a debate to refine the bill further. Bong-bong’s absence has put this nation and all our children’s future food security and safety at risk. As a parent, I got very upset,” said Anthony Marzan, CLUP Now! convenor.

The “CREBA” amendments centered on striking out the coverage of prime agricultural lands under the Protection Areas land use category. They also question the conversion and reversion clauses and penalties in the bill, saying it was sounding too much like another CARP Extension Law.

“Makitid po ang analysis na iyan dahil higit na malawak ang sakop ng batas NLUA sa paggamit ng lupa. Di lang Protection land use ang sinisiguro niyan kundi ang mga tamang lugar na panirahan. Kailangan wala ito sa lugar na madaling naapektuhan ng pagbaha at pagguho ng lupa upang maiwasan ang mga aksidente na kumikitil ng napakaraming buhay,” stressed Audie Lavador of the Urban Land Reform Movement.

Marzan adds, “Senator Marcos, if you would have studied the NLUA suince the oo, local autonomy is NOT being compromised. There are processes involved in formulating the National Land Use Plan. Only the framework and guidelines to formulate the plan will be set at the National level. The CLUPs will then be formulated from the ground and consolidated by the National Land use Committee to make the National Land Use Plan.”