Poor groups fear Senate might “neglect” the Land Use Law this 15th Congress
By ANGELICA CARBALLO
0915-9260371/akcarballo@gmail.com
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - As the Senate continues to debate the Sin
Tax Bill and the 2013 National budget, leaders of farmers, fisherfolk and urban
groups are growing anxious whether the Senate can deliberate the 20-year old
Land Use Bill in plenary before it adjourns on December 17.
“Nakikipag-agawan po para sa atensyon ng buong Senado ang
National Land Use Act sa National Budget, Sin Tax, at RH Bills. Dalawang dekada
na ito pinaglalaban sa Kongreso. Ilang bagyo, sakuna, kakulangan sa pagkain,
demolisyon at away sa gamit ng lupa pa ba ang kailangang mangyari para maipasa
ang batas na ito?” Fretted Ruperto Aleroza of the Pambansang Katipunan ng mga
Samahan sa Kanayunan (PKSK), a member of the Campaign for Land Use Policy Now
(CLUP NOW!).
According to CLUP Now!, by 2015 the number of Filipinos will
almost hit the 100 million mark and yet lands used for food production are
continuously threatened by conversion to industrial, residential and
entertainment purposes.
CLUP Now! thus calls for the passage of the National Land Use
Act, which aims to ensure Protection Land Use to guarantee that prime
agricultural lands will be preserved for the needs of future generations of
Filipinos.
“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 is heavily emphasized by AKBAYAN Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, who
served as Vice-Chair of the Special Land Use Committee in the Lower House and
is a primary author of the NLUA.
Bag-ao said this is a crucial piece of legislation that the 15th
Congress must claim as its crowning achievement. Rep. Bag-ao played a key role
in the consolidation of the eight Land Use Bills filed in the Lower House for
this Congress.
She joins 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
or SB 3091 as soon as possible. HB 6545 was passed last September 20 on 3rdReading.
CLUP Now! is a nationwide
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.
In the Senate, Committee Report No.
94, SB 3091 or the National Land Use Act is awaiting for the senate
leadership to schedule the bill for plenary deliberation.
“We support Senator Gringo Honasan
in his efforts to discuss the Bill with us as its main sponsor. But we call on
the other members of the Senate to support the immediate deliberation of the
NLUA. “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.
“Nananawagan kami sa mga Senador na iguhit ang kasaysayan at
mabilis nang pagusapan ang National Land Use Act. Malaki ang maitutulong ng
land use planning sa maayos na pagtalaga ng mga lugar para sa pagtatanim ng
pagkain at maayos at ligtas na pabahay. Dahil sa maligalig na panahon dulot ng
climate change, ang mas masinop na pagpaplano kung paano gamitin ang lupa lalo
na ay napakahalaga,” stressed Audie Lavador of the Urban Land Reform
Movement, another CLUP Now member.
The campaign for the passage of a national land use law started
in 1992. It was heard up to third reading in the 12thCongress but
failed to proceed to Bicameral deliberation. CLUP Now advocates are urging all
legislators to fully support the passage of this Bill for a national framework
for land use to be put in place to guide rationale and just use of the
country’s resources.