By Manny Piñol
During the Cabinet Meeting on May 7, I brought to the attention of President Rody Duterte and the members of the Cabinet the serious problem of the conflict between national government agencies and local government units over the conversion of prime agricultural lands for industrial or residential uses.
Under the present set up, local government units have the power to reclassify lands within their political boundaries and allow the use of the areas for purposes other than agricultural.
This unfettered power to reclassify lands, however, has resulted in the indiscriminate conversion of prime agricultural lands into industrial and residential areas.
In fact, data gathered by the Department of Agriculture shows that about 50,000 hectares of prime agricultural lands are lost to industrial and residential companies every year.
These areas include irrigated areas which were part of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) service area developed at an estimated cost of P400,000 per hectare.
Finding a loophole in the law which states that agricultural lands which are not utilized for farming for a period of three years could be converted for industrial and residential uses, investors buy prime farm lands and wait out for the 3-year reglamentary period before applying for conversion.
In many cases, housing and industrial companies do not even bother to wait for the end of the 3-year period. Using their connections with local government units, they just proceed with the conversion without getting clearances from the national government committee which handles land conversions.
Over the weekend, I received two urgent requests for help from concerned citizens in two areas – Isabel and Dinagat Islands – who sent photos showing the conversion of irrigated areas into commercial and housing purposes.
The photos from Luna and Mercedes towns in Isabela showed big warehouses reportedly owned by foreigners which were constructed in irrigated areas.
In Cambinliw, Santiago Loreto, Dinagat Islands, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) complained that an irrigated land which his father had been tilling for 28 years was sold to be used for a housing subdivision.
“Agricultural Land 28 years nang sinasaka ng tatay ko binenta ng may ari sa gobyerno ang Lupa walang alam ang tatay ko ngayon tatambakan gagawing pabahay ng NHA napaka sayang umaani ng tatlong beses isang taon kopleto sa irrigation dahil may NIA,” the OFW complained.
Next week, I will submit all of these photos to Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones so these complaints could be acted upon.
I have also directed all Agriculture Regional Directors to document all conversions of agricultural lands for purposes other than farming in their areas.
While I believe that with the growing population, more subdivisions need to be built, I do not agree that the establishment of these subdivisions in prime agricultural lands should be allowed.
(All photos were sent in by concerned citizens from Isabela Province and Dinagat Islands.)
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