NEDA chief bats for comprehensive land use policy to sustain growth

MANILA, Philippines -  One of the critical elements for the Philippine economy to achieve sustainable growth is through a comprehensive land use policy, the country’s top economic planner said.

In a speech before the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan pointed out that achieving sustainable and inclusive growth as well as poverty reduction requires rational use of land as embodied in the proposed National Land Use and Management Act.

“This proposed Act aims to harmonize the existing conflicts in land use such as agrarian reform, protected areas, ancestral domain, fisheries, forestry, agriculture, mining, and settlements, to enable the proper use of our resources now and in the coming years,” he said.

Balisacan, who is also director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said there must be a conscious effort to balance economic development and ecological integrity to ensure the sustainability of the country’s natural resources.

He said the reality of climate change and the impact of recent typhoons and other forms of natural catastrophes made the comprehensive plan even more urgent.

“By setting in place appropriate use of our resources, particularly our lands and waters, the damage caused by natural disasters to lives and properties could be significantly reduced, if not totally prevented,” he added.

In fact, the comprehensive land use policy is also part of the country’s medium term plan for the 2010-2016 period.

In its Socio-Economic Report 2010-2012, NEDA said the comprehensive land use policy would provide legal and other mechanisms not only for land reform areas, but also zoned areas for water and water uses, especially for agriculture.

The policy will serve as a guide to the optimum allocation of land among competing uses within the framework of sustainable development.