House members and CSO Coalition call on Senate to pass the Land Use Act

By Angelica Carballo

Senate Committee on Agrarian Reform chairman Senator

Gringo Honasan showed his support for the passage of the

National Land Use Bill when he attended the High-level

Discussions on Land Use and its Impact on Food Security,

Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction

last October 18, 2012 at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati City.

The event was organized by Campaign for Land Use Policy

Now! (CLUP Now!), a group of people's organizations (POs)

 and non-government organizations (NGOs) who push for

the passage of the National Land Use Bill. (By Angelica

Carballo)

MANILA - The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations will be frustrated again on their campaign if the author of National Land Use Bill would be failed to submit some recommendations from High-level Discussion today; they need to wait for another series of meetings for additional inputs so that the senate can come up in their final version.

“This is the mother of all plans that cuts across landscapes and generations. We need to pass this Bill NOW as our legacy to our children and children's children.”

This statement was made by Senator Gringo Honasan during the High-level Discussion on Land Use and its Impact on Food Security, Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction today at the Mandarin Hotel.

Honasan is the chairman of the Senate committee on agrarian reform and sponsor of the Senate Bill 3091 or the National Land Use Act.

“More than a voters' list, we need an updated inventory of land and water resources, where we can base our policies,” the Senator added, as he gave perspectives and prospects of the passage of the senate version of the National Land Use Bill, and called on his colleagues to give notice and pass the bill.

At present, the National Land Use Act, which was already passed by the Congress last September 11, 2012, is awaiting for the senate leadership to schedule the bill for plenary deliberation.

“By 2050, the world needs to feed around 9 billion people with almost 10% coming from urban megacities.  And yet, even with the rising demand for food, farmers may not be able to increase their area to grow food. Governments continue to ignore the loss of farmland and water sources to rapid urbanization and even to climate change. We need to preserve our agricultural resources and farmers as soon as possible if we will survive this century. And this is what the National Land Use Policy being lobbied in Congress, aims to achieve.” This was heavily emphasized by AKBAYAN Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, who served as Vice-Chair of the Special Land Use Committee in the Lower House.

“We need to preserve our topsoil and water resources to continue with agricultural production. We need to protect our forests and critical watersheds. We need to support and reward our small holder farmers and fishers, including indigenous peoples, which comprise around 50-60% of the country’s 90 million population,” added Ifugao Representative Teddy Brawner Baguilat, who co-sponsored House Bill 6545 or an Act Instituting a National Land Use and Management Policy.

Senate Committee on Agrarian Reform chairman Senator

Gringo Honasan and Akbayan Representative and National

Land Use Bill author Kaka Bag-ao attended the High-level

Discussions on Land Use and its Impact on Food Security,

Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction last

October 18, 2012 at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati City.

The event was organized by Campaign for Land Use Policy

Now! (CLUP Now!), a group of people's organizations (POs)

and non-government organizations (NGOs) who push for the

passage of the National Land Use Bill. (Angelica Carba

Bag-ao and Baguilat join the Campaign for Land Use Policy NOW! (CLUP Now!) in calling on the Senate to pass its version of the National Land Use Policy Act. This comes almost a month since the Lower House approved House Bill 6545 under the active sponsorship of Rep. Bag-ao and Rep. Baguilat.

“The Senate needs to act on the NLUA Bill NOW! It is high time for the passage of a land use policy law that will provide for a rational, holistic and just use and management of the country's land and water resources,” said CLUP Now! convenor Anthony Marzan.

Speaking on behalf of the poor farmers and fishefolk, Ruperto Aleroza of Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan (PKSK) remarked, “Bukod sa masisiguro ng batas na ito ang pananatili ng panakahan at palaisdaan, makakatulong din ang NLUA sa pagsagip ng mga nanganganib ang buhay sa peligro ng sakuna, lalo sa mga lugar na madali nang gumuho. Kung mapaplano nang maigi ang tamang lugar ng pabahay, produksyon ng pagkain at kabuhayan, di malayong maibsan natin ang masamang epekto ng pagbabago ng klima.”

CLUP Now! is a  loose coalition of Non- Government Organizations and People’s Organizations dedicated to the passage of a national land use law. It was an active member of the Technical Working Group on the National Land Use Act in the Lower House.

“This law is very important, and that is even to say the least. We are being faced by climate change, worsening of disasters, and looming food and water crises, and we should be more intelligent on how we use our land. We need to cater to the needs of everybody,” Marzan adds.

Aside from Honasan, Baguilat and Bag-ao, the event gathered leading advocates of the land use management policy act, including League of Provinces President Governor Alfonso Umali of Mindoro Oriental ,  Dr. Esteban Godilano of the Policy Planning Research and Development and Regulations, and Ms. Leonor Lava of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement.

(By Angelica Carballo Mobile: 0927 2877 264 email:  akcarballo@gmail.com)

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