Isko to stop conversion of agriland

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno would stop further attempts to convert agricultural lands for other uses if he is elected as president in 2022.

In a meeting with 400 farmers in Calauan town, Laguna yesterday as part of his “listening tour,” Moreno declared he would issue a moratorium on land conversion in the first two to three years of his presidency.

“Magkakaroon tayo ng dalawa hanggang tatlong taong moratorium sa land conversion ng agricultural land sa buong Pilipinas,” he said, eying policy implementation to cover the entire Philippines.

That way, both the farmers and the country’s food supply would be protected when agricultural land is not converted into subdivisions, he said.

“If you keep converting farmlands into subdivisions, our food security is in peril,” said the Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer.

Moreno also promised to push for the enactment of the National Land Use Act bill, which he claimed has been pending before Congress for the past 33 years.

The proposed law would supposedly classify the kinds of land in the country according to use – including conservation, agriculture, residential and infrastructure – and control land developers from using certain kinds of land for their development projects.

“While we will certify its passage into law, as a basis for proper zoning procedures, I will impose a moratorium on agricultural land conversion through an executive order to be implemented by the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform) and local government units,” the mayor said.

“Sisiguruhin ng batas na ito na ang agricultural lands ay hindi mako-convert sa ibang pagga-gamitan (This law will ensure that agricultural lands will not be converted for other uses),” he said.

He also promised to build mass housing projects as soon as the moratorium on land conversion takes effect.