Urban planner calls for passage of National Land Use Act

An urban planner and architect on Tuesday called for the passage of the National Land Use Act following the massive flooding during the onslaught of typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.

The National Land Use Act seeks to institutionalize a national land use policy to ensure a rational, holistic and just allocation, utilization, management, and development of the country's land resources.

“By law again, we have very good laws regarding planning. Although we do still have to pass the Land Use Act. ‘Yan and kulang sa physical planning,” Paulo Alcazaren said in an interview on Quarantined with Howie Severino.

“Provinces have to create every few years a physical framework plan which is the basis of the framework plans and physical framework plans of the towns and cities within the provincial boundaries,” he added.

The proposed measure prohibits Filipinos from living in flood-prone areas as there should be easement that cannot be used around waterways.

“Tama ‘yon. Kaya may mga easement requirements tayo sa lahat ng mga rivers, creeks, and waterways. Except that hindi nasusundan ito lahat. And the easements were set decades ago na wala pa ‘yung climate change situation, our easements should increase,” Alcazaren said.

Citing the masterplan for Quezon City in 1939, Alcazaren said that easement in all creeks and rivers should be 50 to 100 meters in width.

“Except ngayon, walang makikitang easement sa mga estero natin. Hindi nasundan ‘yung abiso ng mga planner,” he said.

According to the urban planner, authorities may address flooding through structural or non-structural solution.

Alcazaren said that structural planning involves the building of large infrastructures, dams and tree planting while non-structural planning involved early warnings such as information dissemination, education and communication.

The death toll due to Rolly was recorded at 25 while the death toll due to Ulysses was recorded at 73.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News