De Lima files bill on restricting conversion of agri lands

A bill restricting the conversion of agricultural land has been proposed in the House of Representatives to prevent destructive development and the conversion of irrigated and irrigable agricultural lands, as well as to promote food security.

ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, a former senator and justice secretary, made the proposal under House Bill 5762 that sought to amend Section 20 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.

“The haphazard conversion of agricultural lands for non-agricultural uses poses serious threats to the country’s food security, environmental sustainability, and rural development. Kung totoong prayoridad ng gobyerno ang food security, kailangan nitong wakasan ang walang pakundangan na conversion ng ating mga lupang agricultural (If the government’s priority is food security, it must end the conversion of our agricultural lands),” de Lima said.

“Imbes na gawin itong mga subdivision, resort, o mga establisyamento, dapat bigyan ng sapat na suporta ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda para tumaas ang kanilang produksyon at kita,” she added.

(Instead of turning these agricultural lands into subdivisions, resorts and other establishments, we should provide sufficient support to our farmers and fisherfolk to increase their production and earnings.)

HB 5762 proposed that prior to the enactment of an ordinance reclassifying agricultural lands, the city or municipal council concerned must first secure the following certificates from the national government agencies concerned:

• A certification from the Department of Agriculture (DA) indicating the total area of existing agricultural land in the local government unit concerned; that such lands are not included among those classified as non-negotiable for conversion or reclassification under Administrative Order 20, series of 1992; and that the land ceased to be economically feasible for agricultural purposes;
• A certification from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) that such lands are not distributed or programmed for distribution to agrarian reform beneficiaries; and
• A certification from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) indicating that the proposed reclassification is ecologically sound; provided that the failure of government agencies to act on proper and complete application for such certifications within three months from receipt of the same will be deemed as an approval.

De Lima cited data from the DAR which showed that 98,939 hectares of land were approved for conversion from 1988 to 2016. In addition, 120,381 hectares were approved for exemption from land reform coverage.

Worse, de Lima said about 165,000 hectares of irrigated prime agricultural land are converted for other uses every year, based on the records of the sNational Irrigation Administration (NIA).

“The right to adequate food is a foremost human right that our government must prioritize. This should translate into a robust protection of our agricultural lands and food-producing areas, while championing the rights and welfare of our own producers – our farmers and fisherfolk,” de Lima said.

“Keep agricultural lands agricultural. Itigil at panagutin ang mga mapang-abusong nagtutulak ng iligal na agri land conversion, pati na ang mga tiwaling nagpataba ng bulsa sa maanomalyang farm-to-market roads na dapat sana'y napupunta sa nararapat na serbisyo at benepisyo para sa ating mga local food producers,” she added.

(Keep agricultural lands agricultural. Let’s stop the abusers who push for illegal agricultural land conversion and the corrupt who fattened their pockets from anomalous farm-to-market road projects, funds which could have gone to services and benefits for our local food producers.)

De Lima’s proposal has a counterpart in the Senate – Senate Bill 220 authored by her fellow Liberal Party lawmaker, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. — JMA, GMA Integrated News