DA suspends reclassification of agri lands until June
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a moratorium on reclassifying agricultural lands until June as a safeguard against “undue conversion.”
The DA issued Department Circular No. 1 dated Jan. 5, which temporarily suspended the acceptance and processing of applications for its certification on the land-use reclassification.
All appeals already filed and pending before the Office of the Secretary will be held in abeyance. These will be acted upon once the moratorium has been lifted.
During the five-month suspension, the DA will revisit and review relevant policies to strengthen its oversight, ensure consistency and protect agricultural lands from undue conversion.
It will also ensure that all current and future land-use reclassification policies are aligned with national food security, based on the circular.
The DA said the rapid demand for urban expansion, infrastructure development and local land-use zoning revisions resulted in an increase in land-use reclassification applications.
This “may adversely affect agricultural production areas, agribusiness investments and long-term national food supply stability if not properly regulated,” it added.
Per existing laws, all lands intended for agricultural production should be preserved to protect national food supply stability and uphold the long-term welfare of Filipino farmers and consumers.
However, the Local Government Code allows cities and towns to reclassify agricultural lands, provided that the land is no longer economically feasible and sound for agricultural purposes or it has substantially greater economic value for residential, commercial or industrial purposes.
A joint memorandum circular promulgated in 1995 states that a DA certification is one of the requirements for the reclassification of agricultural lands.
Based on the joint issuance, cities and towns may apply for land-use reclassification to accommodate urban expansion and human settlements. This, taking into account the current and projected increase in population and socio-economic activities.
