Friday, July 18, 2008 [ philstar.com.ph ]
President Arroyo has reduced the scope of the two-year moratorium on the conversion of agricultural lands for other uses amid global food and fuel crises.
Mrs. Arroyo amended Administrative Order 226, which she issued in May suspending the processing and approval of all land conversion applications of agricultural lands.
The AO was issued in the wake of concerns over rice self-sufficiency.
“To ensure sufficient rice supply, there is a need for all lands utilized and intended for rice production to be protected from any other land use or conversion,” the President said.
The amended AO also came after real estate developers opposed the old order, saying it would adversely affect existing housing projects.
The new AO 226-A narrowed down the extent of the two-year ban to include only rice fields, including all irrigated areas and irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects.
Among the lands excluded from the conversion ban are all alluvial plain land highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigated or not; agro-industrial crop lands or lands presently planted to industrial crops that support the viability or existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises; highland areas located at an elevation of 500 meters or above and have the potential for growing semi-temperate and high-value crops; all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile; marine and mangrove areas; and fish sanctuaries.
“There is need for all lands utilized and intended for rice production to be protected from any other land use or conversion,” the new AO stated
Section One of AO 226-A reads: “That the processing or approval of all land conversions applications affecting rice lands mentioned under Republic Act No. 8435 considered as Network of Protected Areas for Agricultural and Agro-industrial Development which includes and covers all irrigated areas, all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects, shall be temporarily suspended for two years.”
In AO 226, lands covered by the suspension included “all irrigated areas, all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects, all alluvial plain land highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigable or not, agro-industrial crop lands or lands presently planted to industrial crops that support the viability of existing agriculture infrastructure and agro-based enterprises, highlands, areas located at an elevation of 500 meters or above and have the potential for growing semi-temperate and hi-value crops, all agricultural lands that are ecologicaly fragile and mangrove areas and fish sanctuary.”
The President tasked the Department of Agrarian Reform to implement the order.
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