Bill allowing LGUs to acquire lands for housing OK’d

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on Monday night a bill seeking to authorize local government units (LGUs) to acquire lands for informal settler families.

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development, said House Bill 6342 grants LGUs the power to identify lands to be acquired as sites for socialized housing. 

Under the measure, the acquisition of lands to build housing projects for the poor shall be through community mortgage, land swapping, land assembly or consolidation, land banking, donation to government joint venture agreement negotiated purchase and expropriation.

The bill allows the expropriation of lands, including those whose ownership are subject of pending cases in court. 

Lands owned by the government, alienable lands of the public domain, unregistered or abandoned lands, areas of priority development as well as  zonal and slum improvement and resettlement program sites are among the areas that can be used as socialized housing sites.

Private lands or BLISS (Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services) areas that have not been awarded may also be converted for socialized housing program.

Prioritization of areas to be developed into socialized housing areas will also depend on concerned government agencies.

The bill was authored by Reps. Walden Bello, Felix William Fuentebella, Winston Castelo, Joaquin Chipeco Jr., Barry Gutierrez and Eric Olivarez.