Creba housing confab to muster support for land use bill

THE country’s largest organization of real estate developers supports the passage of the proposed national land use act ( NLUA) to put the country’s economic and physical development in order.

The bill, tagged as a priority measure in President Rodrigo Duterte’s last SONA, is the third in the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc. ( Creba)’ s 5- point agenda for housing serving as the centerpiece of its 28th national convention set from October 9 to 12 this year at Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City where at least 500 industry players are set to converge and discuss solutions to the country’s housing concerns.

The proposed NLUA under Senate Bill No. 38 sets 4 major categories of land uses for planning purposes: Protection, Production, Settlements, and Infrastructure.

“A national land use plan has long been needed by this country. If done correctly, it shall be a key policy reference for all local comprehensive land use and development plans in all sectors, including commercial, industrial, housing, and real estate,” said Creba National Chairman Charlie Gorayeb.

But Gorayeb said the NLUA bill should adapt to current laws already used by the business community for important investment decisions. Hewas referring to such laws as RA 7279, or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 (as amended by RA 10884) covering all lands in urban and urbanizable areas; PD 399 limiting the use of strip lands; and RA 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, empowering local government units ( LGUs) to reclassify agri lands if found more economically feasible for non- agri uses.

According to National President Noel Toti Cariño, “NLUA must also resolve the uncertainty as to where and what exactly is the extent of the ‘protected lands’ that are banned from conversion.”