DHSUD OKs 334 updated land use plans under Marcos admin

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Sunday said there has been a significant increase in the number of approved and updated Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) across the Philippines, with 334 approved plans from mid-2022 to December 2025.

In a statement, the DHSUD said this is higher than the 238 approved CLUPs during the same midterm period under the Duterte administration.

At the provincial level, 25 Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans (PDPFPs) have been approved as of December 2025.

This is five times more than the five PDPFPs that were approved during the same midterm period under the previous administration.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the increase reflected the agency’s efforts to institutionalize risk-informed and data-driven land use planning nationwide through its PLANADO (Plan & Do) Program.

DHSUD Senior Undersecretary Henry Yap added that the increase in approved CLUPs also showed stronger local compliance and improved planning governance.

"This not just about numbers. Each approved CLUP is a concrete step toward ensuring safer and more resilient communities as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Proper planning protects not only the lives of our fellow Filipinos but their livelihoods as well,” Yap said.

“Under Bagong Pilipinas, our direction is clear – each city and municipality should have clear and people-centric plans. Proper planning lays the foundation for progress. And when we have strong foundations, we can better ensure not only safe but more importantly, dignified lives for every Filipino,” he said.

The PLANADO Program seeks to streamline workflows, standardize review mechanisms, and strengthen technical assistance to local government units (LGUs) through digital tools and structured mentoring.

Under Department Order No. 2026-011, the DHSUD institutionalized the CLUP Acceleration and Modernization Initiative with a target of 100% risk-informed and data-driven CLUPs by 2028.

Since the release of the CLUP guidelines by the then Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) in 2014, only 967 of 1,515 or 64% of CLUPs nationwide are risk-informed as of January 2026.

The DHSUD said updated CLUPs help LGUs identify danger zones, safeguard agricultural land, designate safe sites for housing and infrastructure, and ensure that essential services such as schools, hospitals, and evacuation centers are located in secure areas.

The agency seeks to ensure that all LGUs will adopt risk-informed, climate-responsive, and people-centered land use plans that will directly support disaster resilience and sustainable settlement development. — JMA, GMA Integrated News