VP Robredo: Land conversion ban to hurt the homeless

A two-year ban on the conversion of agriculture lands for other purposes will hurt the homeless, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Thursday.

That is why the Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chair signed a petition urging President Rodrigo Duterte not to sign an executive order (EO) banning land conversion for two years.

"The proposed blanket two-year ban on land use conversion will introduce further delays in the housing and resettlement processes, which will exacerbate the insurmountable housing backlog that we are working to address,” the Vice President  said.

“This will further delay our efforts in Yolanda-affected and other disaster-stricken areas, since these sites are mostly within agricultural zones,” she added.

In September, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano proposed the measure as part of the efforts to ensure food security.

The moratorium would cover 4.7 million hectares awarded under RA 6657, Presidential Decree 27, and other agrarian reform laws.

With the supply of land for housing under threat, Robredo is concerned this would drive up prices of residential lands and consequently reduce impact on the supply of low-cost housing.

"By unnecessarily locking up the land resources for two years, including those that were already identified as suitable for socialized housing, this will make our mission far more difficult in solving the growing problem of homelessness,” she added.

The projected 5.7 million housing needed by the end of 2016 will cover 1,502,336 informal settler families that must be resettled, HUDCC data showed. Another 1,811,338 families – victims of natural disasters between 2009 and 2014 – needed immediate housing intervention.

“Even as we move to reinvigorate the country’s agri sector, we hope that the steps we take will not hurt the homeless and prolong the agony of the families waiting for supportive housing,” Robredo noted.

The HUDCC, together with the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) initiated the petition for the President to oppose the land conversion ban. — Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News