Land conversion no threat to CARP – SHDA

The Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA) the country’s largest and leading organization of subdivision and housing developers has revealed in their study that a very small percentage of the country’s total land area has been converted for residential purposes.

SHDA national president Jesus Atencio noted that the Department of Agrarian Reform and farmers groups in general should not be afraid about land conversion for residential use since the SHDA study reveals that a very minimal percentage of the country’s land area has been converted for mass housing development. Atencio said that, "of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares, only some 35,314 hectares or 0.11 percent of land has been converted to residential purposes from 1979 to 2001. When compared to the country’s total agricultural area of 10 million hectares, converted area only accounts for some 0.35 percent of total agricultural area. This is not even one percent of total agriculture area."

SHDA chairman Atty. Teofisto L. Guingona III added that developers are supportive of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s twin objectives of providing farmers land tenure and food sufficiency, but DAR must also support President Arroyo’s housing programs aimed to solve the country’s burgeoning need for housing and settlements. "I would like to appeal to DAR Secretary Hernani Braganza to heed SHDA’s call to meet with him so that together we can cooperate to effect an efficient scheme that will fast track DAR’s action on applications for exemption and conversion clearances without jeopardizing DAR’s mandate of protecting agricultural lands, thereby ensuring food sufficiency," he added.