Speaker vows approval of National Land Use Act by yearend

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez has committed that the National Land Use Act will be approved by the end of the year and he would support other bills for the development of the real estate sector.

“We share with the President a common desire to craft a unified framework that will govern the use of land resources in the country,” Romualdez said yesterday.

In his first State of the Nation Address last Monday, President Marcos underscored the inclusion of a comprehensive land use policy in his legislative agenda, particularly the National Land Use Act.

Romualdez noted that there is a need to “harmonize and integrate conflicting laws, policies, principles and guidelines on land use and physical planning.”

“Our policy experts noted that there are around 30 overlapping environmental and ecological protection laws and policies on the use of water and land management,” he said.

This as the speaker urged the National Real Estate Association (NREA) to study and submit position papers on other legislative measures now filed in Congress that have impact on the development of the real estate sector.

“We will not pass any law affecting your sector without hearing you first,” he said in an assembly of the NREA recently.

He also acknowledged the roles of the NREA in generating jobs and in providing “shelter for the protection and security of Filipino households and contributing to the “steady flow of income for the nation’s coffer.”