[ Manila Bulletin Online ] April 1, 2008
By MIKE GUIMBATAN JR.
BAGUIO CITY — Local government units (LGUs) were asked to go slow on the conversion of farmlands into residential and/or industrial areas.
It was feared that the unregulated land conversion could result in shortage of rice supply.
House oversight committee chairman Rep. Danilo Suarez (Quezon) said here he will file a resolution to regulate the conversion of agricultural lands into housing projects which have diminished areas for rice farms.
Suarez said LGUs should have a clear-cut policy on conversion such as strengthening their zoning ordinance.
Before conversion, he said, there should be a thorough analysis and study on the need for such conversion.
He said he is prepared to call for a congressional hearing on policies for land conversion and call for LGUs to participate in the hearings.
Suarez said that rice lands specially those on national highways are the first targets of real state developers. These areas include unirrigated lands that are idle during dry season.
The Quezon lawmaker said one way of mitigating the rice-shortage problem is to grow rice in arable lands which remain idle.
____________________________________________________________________________
