National Land Use Act

Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian
Reform and Rural Development
(ANGOC)
PURSUING LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING FOR THE
National Land Use Act
TERMINAL REPORT FOR PHASE 2
OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE
NATIONAL LAND USE ACT (NLUA)
PURSUING LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING FOR THE NATIONAL LAND USE ACT
Phase 2 for the Campaign for a National Land Use Act
TERMINAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Proponent:
CAMPAIGN FOR LAND USE POLIC Y NOW! (CLUP Now!)
Project Description:
Campaign for the Passage of the National Land Use and Management Act
Timeframe:
December 2011 – June 2012;
Extension 1: 1 July to 30 November 2012
Extension 2: 1 December 2012 to 31 March 2013
Extension 3: 1 April to 30 June 2013
Budget Granted:
Original Budget – Php 400,000
Additional Request 1 – Php 1,400,000
Additional Request 2 – Php 55,000
I.
The NLUA Campaign – In a Nutshell
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The campaign for the passage of the National Land Use Act (NLUA) can best be described as a prolonged race. In the 15
Congress, it almost reached the finish line, only to find a mountain at the Senate that needs to be overcome to get to the
elusive goal. But despite the obstacle, to date this has been the farthest that any campaign for the passage of the NLUA has
ever reached.
In the House of Representatives (HOR), CLUP Now! had a strong champion in Rep. Kaka Bag-ao of AKBAYAN Party list, who
has been pushing for NLUA before as a member of civil society. The network played a crucial role in the refinement of HB
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6545 which was approved on third reading last September 20, 2012. In the refinement of HB 6545, the network mobilized
the four (4) major sectors affected by land use issues – fisherfolk, farmers, urban poor and indigenous peoples. Sectoral
concerns were consolidated and processed as input, and incorporated in the provisions of the approved bill.
In the Senate, CLUP Now! worked closely with the office of Senator Gregorio Honasan II, the principal sponsor of SB 3091, in
providing necessary input from the different sectors as regards the provisions of the senate version of the NLUA bill. CLUP
Now! also provided assistance to the Office of Senator Honasan with regard to technical data needed in preparing for the
plenary debates and discussions on SB 3091.
Last February 1, 2013, President Benigno Aquino III certified SB 3091 as an urgent piece of legislation. With the certification
of the President, the importance of the NLUA bill was highlighted and recognized, thus having the imprimatur as a priority
piece of legislation. It is also worthy to note how CLUP Now, through its lobbying efforts, has played a crucial part in
bringing to the attention of the President the exigency of the NLUA to become a law which will provide the missing national
framework for the sustainable and sound use and management of our land and its resources.
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An Act institutionalizing a National Land Use and Management Policy
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But a crucial development occurred before the session ended last February 6, 2013. While it was already certified as urgent
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by President Noynoy Aquino, SB 3091 was not voted upon for approval on 2 and 3 reading during the last three (3)
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sessions before Congress adjourned last February 2013. SB 3091 was approved on 2 reading last January 29, 2013, but it
was remanded for further deliberations as there were still senators who would want to introduce amendments at the last
minute.
Unfortunately, the last two (2) remaining sessions of Congress on June 5 and 6, 2013 did not tackle any substantial bills for
passage, including NLUA. Despite this setback, the stage has been set after three years of intensive campaigning with
members of Congress and refining the bill among civil society and executive agencies.
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The current version of NLUA borne out of the 15 Congress campaign contains the basic sectors positions for land use.
Opposition to the bill from the real estate sector and local governments has surfaced and can now be engaged in the next
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phase of the campaign. CLUP Now! is thus hopeful that the passage of the NLUA will come in the 16 Congress under the
PNoy administration.
II. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
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The Campaign targeted to have the National Land Use Act be passed into law within the 15 Congress and broaden the
campaign to push for its passage.
Specifically, the project aimed to increase the number of champions and co-authors of the Committee reports in both
Houses and provide the Bill’s sponsors with technical support and information during the plenary deliberations.
The project also set out to educate the public on the importance of having a national land use policy and to increase public
support on the immediate passage of NLUA through various forms, which include mass mobilizations, district level lobbying,
direct lobbying in Congress etc.
The project intended to maximize multi-media platforms and to develop popular education and information materials in
popularizing NLUA. Technical papers and briefers were also target outputs through the help of technical experts
knowledgeable on the issues and policies around the four areas of land use planning, namely, protection, production,
infrastructure and settlements.
II. PROJECT ACTIVITIES
By the end of 2011, Committee Reports were finalized in both the House of Representatives and the Senate on the National
Land Use Act. CLUP Now! originally expected that the Bills would easily be scheduled for plenary deliberations in both
Houses.
However, the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona impeded Congress hearings transpiring from
January to May 2012. Also, initial reactions of executive agencies to the Bill’s structure have prompted a review of the
House Bill encouraged by the Special Land use Committee of the House of Representatives from January to August 2012.
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Despite these obstacles, the CLUP Now! persevered to work for the Bill’s passage in the 15 Congress until its closing on
June 2013. The following narrative depicts the journey of CLUP Now in its campaign for the passage of the NLUA:
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A. CAPACITY BUILDING AND NETWORKING --- INTENSIFIED CAMPAIGN ON NLUA
1. EXPANDING CLUP NOW!’S REACH
A) NETWORK MEETINGS
CLUP Now! held approximately 50 meetings and 14 writeshop sessions during the project implementation that spanned 16
months. GiZ funds supported around 25 network meetings and 8 writeshop sessions at the House and Senate Committees.
During the various network meetings, content of the Bills, organizational matters, strategies, updates and actions to be
taken related to the different phases of the campaign were discussed. (See Annex __: Some highlights of meetings)
B) CONSTITUENCY BUILDING
The general networking strategy decided on by CLUP Now! for this campaign phase was to ensure that the current bill’s
provisions were aligned with the advocacies of the marginalized sectors, particularly those of the farmers, fisherfolk,
indigenous peoples and the urban poor.
CLUP Now! engaged other groups or networks to present the salient features of the bill, share updates on the campaign
status and explore their participation and support for the land use campaign. Some of these groups that CLUP Now! met
and worked with are:

Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources - as technical resource persons on provisions of the Bill

House of Representatives Special Committee on Land Use – to refine the bill’s provisions and to increase number of coauthors

Philippine Development Forum sub-working group on Sustainable Rural Development (PDF-SRD) – a regular forum of
national government agencies concerned with rural development (i.e., Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of
Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and donors (i.e., GiZ, World Bank, FAO, ADB, IFAD,
etc.), and CSO groups (i.e., ANGOC, PhilDHRRA, La Liga Filipina, Centro Saka, KAISAHAN, NFR, PKKK, HARIBON, etc.);
worked together with CLUP Now on several high-level discussions on key issues affected by NLUA’s passage as well as
support in lobbying executive agencies and establishing important linkages in Congress.

Sagip Gubat Network and SoS Yamang Gubat, which are pushing for the passage of the Forest Resources Bill coauthored by Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat of Ifugao;

Alyansa Tigil Mina (Alliance Against Mining), which works for the passage of the Minerals Management Bill, coauthored by Rep. Kaka Bag-ao

AKBAYAN party list – supported mass mobilizations of the Campaign in terms of presenting popular forms to explain
the issue to the general public and sectors who have joined the mobilizations

Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace (NASSA),
Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan - Church-based organizations
Other groups that invited CLUP Now! to their respective activities are the Philippine Environment Forum, Civil Society
Counterpart – Council for Sustainable Development (CSC-CSD), Philippine Institute for Environmental Planners (PIEP),
among others.
Unfortunately, engagement with the PIEP did not result positively for the Campaign. At a forum on NLUA organized by PIEP
last March 19, 2013, some resource persons and planners rebuked the need for a National Land Use policy, saying there are
already too many laws related to land governance and the NLUA may further confuse the implementation of these existing
laws. CLUP Now needs to revisit its strategies and reasons for engagement with this association of environmental planners.
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CLUP Now! needs to broaden its alliances with local government authorities, student groups, the media, and civic
organizations and gain their support for the bill’s passage. These groups are seen as opinion makers in their own spheres of
influence.
2. CAPACITY BUILDING FOR NLUA ADVOCATES
A) WRITESHOP SESSIONS
HoR Bill. CLUP Now! conducted Writeshop sessions to refine the provisions of the HOR version of the NLUA bill, (House Bill
478 and later HB 6545) and help the Special Land Use Committee (SLUC) of the Lower House in finalizing the bill by
harmonizing the positions of the various stakeholders and incorporating the comments from the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) discussed last 7 May 2012 and 17 August 2012. These comments, mostly on the implementing
structure of the NLUA, were crucial in the approval of the Committee on Appropriations last August 23, 2012 of HB 6545, as
contained in Committee Report No. 2388. The legislative process for the passage of HB 6545 proceeded, culminating in the
approval of the said bill on second reading last September 11, 2012 and on third reading last September 20, 2012, wherein
192 HOR representatives voted in favor of HB 6545.
Senate Bill. With the passage of HB 6545 in the HOR, CLUP Now focused its attention and efforts on the passage of SB 3091
in the Senate. As in HB 6545, CLUP Now took co-organized Writeshop sessions with the Senate Committee on Environment
and Natural Resources to refine the provisions of SB 3091 by providing comments and inputs.
CLUP Now! also gave technical assistance by providing input needed for the floor deliberations in both Houses. A technical
consultant was engaged to research on the sources and applicable laws used as bases for the NLUA bills. Furthermore, Dr.
Elmer Mercado provided his much needed expertise on Land Use Planning in the Writeshop sessions and the floor
deliberations.
Some issues identified from the Senate and House versions that were tackled were as follows:
SENATE VERSION

Transfer of mandate of powers to convert land use from DAR to DA after 2014 – This comes from the
misinterpretation of RA 9700 or the CARP Extension with Reforms (CARPER) law that the CARP will expire by 2014
therefore DAR will be obsolete or abolished. But this is not true since no law abolishes the DAR and its mandate
remains to be the delivery of support services and agrarian justice to its beneficiaries. In the final Committee bill,
DAR continues to be the agency to determine the approval of any conversion application.

Prime agricultural lands are not included in the areas for Protection land Use – Although not explicitly stated, the
definition covers alluvial plains. This point is actual belaboured by the real estate sector saying that agricultural
lands should not be classified under protection land use.

Commission under the Office of the President as the proposed structure – This is the more autonomous and ideal
structure for the implementation of the NLUA since doubt has been cast in the effectiveness of NEDA in achieving
the NLUA’s mandate of determining the four land use categories in the country.

No provisions on Ancestral Domains – Clearly, this provision was inserted into the Senate version due to the timely
intervention of tribal leaders from Bukidnon who are members of the Koalisyon ng mga Samahang Katutubo ng
Pilipinas (KASAPI).
HOR VERSION

Structural Issues
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Commission (under the Office of the President) vs. Council (attached to an agency) – The Senate version
supports the creation of a new Commission while the House version supports a Council still attached to the
NEDA. The latter is largely due to the influence of the Budget department that is against the creation of any
new structure given the huge budgetary requirements.
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DILG vs. NEDA as the host agency to the National Council or Commission – While NEDA currently houses the
NEDA Board National Land Use Committee (NB-NLUC), major criticism is how it was not able to enact a
National Land Use Act since its creation more than 20 years ago. The DILG on the other hand has a direct
mandate to coordinate with the Local Government Units and perhaps could enforce the National Land Use
policy better than NEDA. Finally, NEDA as host agency still prevailed in HB 6545 due to the strong influence of
the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
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Role of the President – Both bills aspire to have the President as the head of the NLUPC to provide the overall
direction in the use and management of the country’s finite natural resource base. The link is established
better in the Senate version with the creation of a Commission under the Office of the President.
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Number of NLUPC members and stakeholder representatives – Basic sector representatives called for eight (8)
representatives from the farmers, fishers, IPs and urban poor dwellers with the other rep from each sector
being a female. Other stakeholders from the private sector are demanding to lessen the number of basic
sector representatives to 2 or 4 and increase their representation to 4.
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Allowance/Salaries – NLUPC members will not be entitled to income or salaries but will have allowances for
their respective travel expenses related to NLUPC tasks.
Policy Framework Shift
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Primacy of Land Use planning over development planning – There is emphasis in both versions that the land
use planning should be the basis of local development planning and not the other way around, which is more
of the norm to attract “investment” into a certain area.
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Primacy of Protection over other Land Uses – There is also higher importance given to what lands or natural
resources need to be protected to address intergenerational needs as against limitless demand for these
resources. Prime agricultural lands for food security, biodiversity, critical watersheds are among those
classified under Protection land use.
B) SERIES OF HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS
On June 2012, CLUP Now and the legislative champions in the House of Representatives assessed the need for more
technical discussions to attract more co-authors, and executive and experts’ support for the NLUA bills. The following
Technical discussions were conducted:
1.
National Land Use Act and its Impact on Food Security, Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Climate Change
On October 18, 2012, CLUP Now! organized a High-Level
Discussion on the National Land Use and Its Impact on Food
Security, Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Climate
Change held at the Mandarin Hotel, Makati City. The forum
was graced by Gov.Alfonso V. Umali, Jr. of Oriental Mindoro,
Rep. Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao, Rep. Kaka Bag-ao of Akbayan
and Senator Gregorio Honasan II. Technical persons were
invited to establish the connection of NLUA with various
important issues. Dr. Esteban Godilano of the Department of
Agriculture tackled the importance of land use planning in
the face of climate change, particularly Ms. Leonora S. Lava
from PRRM, as Resource Persons.
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The forum attended by 70 participants came from executive agencies (DAR, DA, NCIP), local government units, church
groups, civil society organizations, including 14 regional participants from partner organizations of CLUP Now! members
from Batangas, Eastern and Western Visayas, Bukidnon and Davao. Aside from participating in the forum, the regional
participants underwent learning sessions on land use and engaged in lobbying activities in the Senate wherein they met
with Senators Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada and Gregorio Honasan.
2. National Land Use Act and its Impact on Fisheries
Other land use fora were also organized to broaden the support and support base of the campaign particularly with
stakeholders involved in different issues related to land use. On November 20, 2012, the NGOs for Fisheries Reform and the
Save Our Seas Network put together a Forum on Land Use Issues and its Impact on Fisheries at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Philippine coastal areas are considered to be naturally endowed with rich land and water resources. They thus have a high
demand for their different uses and conflicting interests of stakeholders. For municipal fisherfolk, coastal areas are their
lifeline --- from mangrove swamps where they gather edible seashells and shrimps to foreshore lands which they use for
growing seaweed and drying fish. Meanwhile, some private investors consider coastal areas as a profitable source of
income, from fishpond areas to beach resorts. The local government units and national agencies have significant functions
to regulate the use of the coastal areas through proper zoning and implementation of laws and ordinances. There is a rich
source of experiences on coastal planning and zoning that showed how to harmonize the needs and interests of different
stakeholders. There is then a need for a venue for sharing of experiences. These experiences emphasize the need for a
national framework for land use and planning that coastal resource managers and local chief executives can utilize to
regulate human activities within the coastal area.
Joining the panel were Atty. Mario Maderazo, former consultant of the Calatagan local government for the Bantay dagat
program, an officer from the Coastal Marine Management Office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
and the Chief Legislative Officer of the Office of Representative Sharon Garin. Around 40 participants were able to attend
the forum representing fisherfolk organizations, concerned government agencies and non-government organizations.
The discussion highlighted the need to complete municipal waters delineation and to resolve boundary disputes over
fishing waters that cross-over municipalities.
3. National Land Use Act and Settlement Development
On December 4, 2012, CLUP Now! organized a forum on Land Use and Settlement Development. The informal settlers are
among those affected by the irrational planning, use and management of land. Lands meant for housing or residential
purposes are approved and used for industrial development, infrastructure and other uses. Because of this, urban poor
families are usually forced to live by the creeks, along waterways and other danger areas. This situation has placed them
always at risk whenever natural calamities hit the country, such as typhoon Ondoy in 2009, Pedring and Sendong in 2011
and the heavy monsoon rains in Metro Manila in 2012. A national land use policy therefore appears crucial, and will indeed
be helpful in providing decent homes, especially for the poor.
The forum featured Urban Planner Nathaniel von Einsiedel as the main speaker. Dr. von Einsiedel is currently the Chairman
and Principal Urban Planner of CONCEP Inc, a private consulting firm specializing in urban redevelopment planning and
design, eco-system based area planning, and heritage conservation. He has worked in government, with international
assistance organizations, the academe, and the private sector. He served as Regional Director for Asia-Pacific of the United
Nations Urban Management Program from 1990 to 2004 where he directed technical assistance projects in 22 cities across
11 Asian developing countries. He formerly chaired the Chamber for Real Estate and Builders’ Association, Inc. (CREBA) and
the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP). The focus of his recent and current projects include the
revitalization of inner city areas, eco-system based integrated are development (IAD), and the mainstreaming of disaster
risk reduction and mitigation in local development plans.
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Dr. von Einsiedel could be tapped for the campaign on NLUA in 16 Congress as a resource person in Upper and Lower
House hearings and to help answer the question on balancing Settlements and Food Security needs of the country.
Other speakers were former Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor Chairperson (PCUP) Percy Chavez and Ed Rancio of
the Urban Land Reform Movement (ULRM).
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4. National Land Use Act and Ancestral Domains
A Round Table Discussion on Indigenous Peoples, Ancestral Domains and the National Land Use Act was organized last
December 13, 2012 jointly by the Office of Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat (Lone District of Ifugao), the Consultative Group for
Indigenous Peoples (CGIP) and the CLUP Now! network. This is in partnership with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR),
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Indigenous Peoples Programme (UNIPP).
The year 2012 marks the 15th Anniversary of the enactment of R.A. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). The
law intends to promote and protect the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples in the Philippines. The anniversary
provides a good opportunity to explore the many issues and concerns that confront IP communities, IP organizations (IPOs),
and their support groups on how to pursue further the genuine implementation of the IPRA.
The NLUA bill has passed the House of Representatives and is being deliberated at the Senate. Several IP networks have
articulated their policy positions on this bill, particularly on the aspects of protection, land tenure and management of
natural resources in ancestral domains. There are also still grey areas on how ancestral domains will be eventually
integrated or recognized in the land use plans, should the NLUA be enacted.
This RTD was able to contribute in surfacing the issues and concerns of IPs with regard to NLUA, and to facilitate the
exchange of information and recommendations between the IPs, their support groups and the proponents and advocates
of the NLUA. Samson Pedragosa of PAFID and Atty. Claire Demaisip of KAISAHAN, both CLUP Now! members discussed
these issues and how the IP sector can support the advocacy by lobbying with the Senate Committee on Environment on
the absence of Indigenous Peoples as a Special Area of Concern in SB 3091.
The following day, December 14, IP representatives attended the last Senate writeshop to comment on SB 3091. The IP
reps and PAFID were able to articulate how the ADSDPP is done in relation with the local government units and the need to
insert an IP special area of concern in the Senate version of NLUA.
C. TECHNICAL PAPERS
A technical consultant, Ms. Chie Ranola, was hired to help CLUP Now in annotating the source laws of provisions in the
House and Senate bills. This was put into a combined Matrix of both bills for easier reference during technical sessions.
B. LEGISLATORS AND DECISION MAKERS SUPPORTING AND CHAMPIONING THE NATIONAL LAND
USE POLICY
1. ENGAGING THE EXECUTIVE AGENCIES
a. Department of Budget and Management (DBM)
CLUP Now met with the DBM last May 7 and August 17, 2012. In these meetings DBM’s comments with regard to the
required funding of the bill were discussed.
During the last Committee on Appropriations hearing last March 21, 2012 questions were raised on budgetary issues
related to the creation of a separate National Land Use Policy Council (NLUPC) under the Office of the President, as
originally proposed in the NLUA bill. At the said hearing, DBM, then represented by Assistant Secretary Ruby Alvarez,
requested that they be given time to give their comments on the bill. They also mentioned that they will coordinate with
the Office of Rep. Kaka Bag-ao as regards their comments and suggested provisions.
Rep. Bag-ao of AKBAYAN party list, thus, set a meeting with DBM ASec. Ruby Alvarez last May 7 to discuss the Bill’s
proposed structure and options. Members of CLUP Now! attended the said meeting and coordinated with the staff of then
Asec. Ruby Alvarez for the incorporation of the DBM comments in the bill. However, ASec. Alvarez resigned shortly after the
said May 7, 2012 meeting. The finalization of the DBM comments was briefly stalled.
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On August 17, 2012 another meeting with the DBM was held, this time with Assistant Secretary Janet Abuel as its
representative. During said meeting the comments of DBM were finalized.
DBM stated that because of its budgetary implications, they could not support the creation of a separate body to serve as
the National Land Use and Policy Council even as an attached agency of NEDA. They could not also subscribe to the
proposed provision in the bill on the hiring of an executive director as well as the creation of a Secretariat. They suggested
that the current NEDA Board-National Land Use Committee (NB-NLUC) be maintained and that the current Land Use and
Physical Planning Coordination Division (LUPPDC) of the NEDA serve as its Secretariat.
CLUP Now! then reasoned with DBM that given the broad concerns of land use, the NLUPC should have a higher mandate
since it is envisioned to be the highest policy making body pertaining to land use, unlike the current NB-NLUC which is
merely a committee of the NEDA and serves only as an advisory board.
Subsequently, it was agreed that the current NB-NLUC of NEDA be changed into the NLUPC, thus transforming the NB-NLUC
into a Council. Furthermore, the composition of the NLUPC as well as its powers and functions as prescribed in the NLUMA
bill shall be adopted. It was also agreed that the current LUPPDC shall be the NLUPC Secretariat, given that even under the
NEDA structure it is the LUPPDC who is responsible for land use issues and concerns. DBM further manifested that it will
ensure and obligate the NEDA in fulfilling its duties under the NLUMA, if enacted.
Again, members of CLUP Now! closely coordinated with the office of ASec. Abuel for the finalization of DBM’s comments.
These comments were incorporated in the bill, in time for the Committee on Appropriations hearing on August 23, 2012.
At the committee hearing, no further issues were raised by DBM given that the same were already threshed out during the
August 17, 2012 meeting.
b. National Convergence Initiative (NCI) and other Executive Agencies
The engagement with the NCI as well as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the National AntiPoverty Commission (NAPC) aimed at gathering support for the bill which will play an important role in implementing the
mandate of the bill once enacted into law. In this regard, CLUP Now! initiated talks with the Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and the National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA) through various meetings with the representatives from these agencies to discuss the bill and their roles
in the implementation of the NLUA.
NCI. ANGOC has been working with NCI agencies in updating the Philippine Development Forum Subworking Group on
Sustainable Rural Development (PDF-SRD) on the progress of the NLUA campaign and soliciting technical support for the
deliberations on the Bills.
A significant activity sponsored by GiZ was held on October 5, 2012 in Sulo Riviera Hotel, when CLUP Now! had a briefing
session with the NCI agencies’ top representatives to jointly strategize for the NLUA campaign. In the meeting, the NCI
agencies pledged their support for the passage of NLUA in Congress to send letters of support to the Office of the President
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and ask that the NLUA be certified as urgent in the 15 Congress.
Both the DAR and the DA, through Secretaries Virgilio Delos Reyes and Proceso Alcala, respectively wrote letters to
President Aquino to certify as urgent SB No. 3091 last January 2013. DENR sent its letter signed by an Undersecretary.
During the period of amendments in the Senate, the DA through Usec. Fred Serrano and the DAR, through Dir. Nestor
Floranda provided data and support needed by the Office of Senator Honasan II.
NEDA and PCSD. ANGOC was also able to meet with NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan twice. The first meeting
aimed to ask his plans on pursuing the NLUA as the new NEDA Director General when he replaced Sec. Paderanga in 2012.
At the time he said he was yet to be briefed by the National Land Use Committee of the NEDA Board.
Through the PDF-SRD meetings, the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) was also briefed on the status
of the NLUA campaign, the CSO campaign position and the debates posed on the provisions of the Bills, especially on the
structure and the seeming bias for protection of prime agricultural lands.
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Last December 2012, during the PCSD 2012 fourth quarter meeting, the representatives of the Civil Society Committee in
the CSD to the PCSD tackled the CSO position on the pending Land Use Bill. D.G. Balisacan then suggested that an Experts'
Forum on Land Use be organized during the first quarter of 2013 in order to come up with a framework that would possibly
harmonize the two bills (Senate and House version).
Thus, on 28 February, an Experts' Forum on Land Use was organized by the PCSD. It was attended by government agencies,
academicians, experts on land use and civil society. Dr. Elmer Mercado presented the provisions of the current Bills filed in
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the 15 Congress being espoused by CLUP Now as well. It has been clarified during the forum that this activity is intended
to improve on the Senate version in order to facilitate the immediate passage of the said Land Use Bill.
Basic comments on the Senate version of the Bill is that it is not comprehensive enough; lacks a provision on the
mapping/delineation of maritime territory based on UNCLOS; has limited definition of protected areas and non-protected
areas; lacks a hierarchy in priorities of land use, considering mixed land uses.
The second meeting with DG Balisacan aimed to get a sense on what NEDA’s position was on the protection of prime
agricultural lands and the debate of housing needs vs. conversion of prime agricultural lands. Sec. Balisacan emphasized the
importance of determining how to balance the needs of the growing population but stressed that ecozones should be
protected. He also said that they welcome position papers from different sectors on the current NLUA version to help them
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make NEDA’s position paper for committee deliberations in the 16 Congress.
2. LOBBYING IN THE 15 TH CONGRESS
a. House of Representatives
During the postponement of hearings in both Houses, farmers and fisherfolk representatives within the CLUP Now alliance
continued to visit House representatives in February and March who have not yet signed up as co-authors of the NLUMA
Bill. These Congress visits secured the support of a total of 74 additional co-authors for HB 6545.
Several meetings with the Special Land Use Committee (SLUC), bill authors and champions were held to discuss strategies
and tacticize plans that will help push the passage of HB 6545. The Campaign was able to garner strong champions in the
House in the persons of Rep. Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao, Rep. Bolet Banal of Quezon City, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de
Oro, Rep. Rudy Biazon of Muntinlupa, Rep. Mel Sarmiento of Samar, and Rep. Sharon Garin of Iloilo to name a few.
On July 31, 2012, CLUP Now!, in coordination with the Office of Rep. Bag-ao, organized a Legislators’ forum in the HOR. Coorganized by the PDF-SRD Task Force on NLUA, CLUP Now!, GiZ, the activity aimed to gather the authors in order to help in
the pushing of the bill’s approval in the Committee on Appropriations for second reading. A short AVP was prepared and
shown in the forum related to disasters and the important of having a national land use law. After the said activity, some of
the bill’s authors talked with the Chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Emilio Abaya, which resulted in the
bill’s inclusions in the Committee’s agenda last August 23, 2012.
During the Appropriations Committee hearing, eight (8) co-authors, who were also members of the Committee, attended.
Aside from them, representatives from various agencies were also present. Most of the clarifications raised in the hearing
centered on the provisions on allotment and source of funding for the bill if enacted into law. These were ably addressed by
the bill’s principal sponsor with the concurrence of Asec. Janet Abuel of the DBM. The bill was subsequently approved by
the Committee on Appropriations and subsequently voted upon on second reading.
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On September 20, 2012 HB 6545 was approved on`` 3 reading with 198 representatives voting for the bill on the floor. The
hearing was attended by some 200 CSO representatives from CLUP Now member organizations. The passage was later on
publicly questioned by the Chamber of Real Estate Builders Association (CREBA), claiming it was railroaded since the House
leadership did not entertain any questions on the Bill.
b. Senate
After the release of the Senate Committee Report last December 2011, the passage of the land use bill took a slow turn as it
was yet to be scheduled for second reading. Senator Francis ”Chiz” Escudero replaced Senator Miguel Zubiri as chairperson
10 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources upon the resignation of the latter. Subsequently, the sponsorship
of the NLUA bill in the Senate was turned over to Senator Gregorio Honasan II in May or June 2012. The Office of Senator
Honasan thus deemed it essential to study the bill, particularly key concepts related to mapping and land use planning,
given that the good senator was not part of the Technical Working Group (TWG) which discussed and tackled the contents
of the bill during its early stages of formulation, consolidation and finalization.
From June to July 2012, four (4) senate briefings on land use planning and mapping, jointly organized by CLUP Now! and the
Office of Senator Honasan, were conducted and attended by the staff members of the offices of Senators Recto and
Honasan , the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, and CLUP Now! members.
During the briefing on mapping and land use planning held last June 14, 2012, Ms. Kail Zingapan, Chief Mapping Officer of
PAFID, a member organization of CLUP Now, was one of the resource persons. In the activity, the importance of engaging
people’s participation in mapping activities was highlighted. During the briefing on land use planning held last July 16, 2012,
Prof. Ernesto Serote, one of CLUP Now’s technical expert, was the resource speaker for the said event wherein the basic
concepts of land use planning were discussed. Highlighted during the discussion were the importance of the
Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) as a land management tool, the delineation of the categories of land uses and the
primacy of protection land uses over other land use categories.
From November to December 2012, CLUP Now! with GiZ support organized six (6) writeshop sessions held in and outside
the Senate and regularly attended by staff members from the Offices of Senator Honasan and Recto, Senate Committee on
Natural Resources and CLUP Now! members representing different sectors. Environmental Planner (EnP) Dr. Elmer
Mercado served as expert/consultant on land use for these sessions. During these discussions, efforts were made to
harmonize both the HB 6545 and SB 3091. As a result, substantial portions of HB 6545 were incorporated to SB 3091 as
committee amendments, among which were:
a) Prioritization of physical planning over development plans in land use planning:
b) Adoption of the structure of local land use bodies in cities/municipalities, regional and provincial levels;
c) Adoption of the considerations in land use planning, particularly the primacy of protection land use over other
land use categories;
d) Inclusion of the Ancestral Domains in the special areas of concern and the recognition of IP rights in land use
planning.
From the time SB 3091 was calendared for discussion in the Senate, CLUP Now! members did not fail to attend the plenary
sessions on December 17-19, 2012, January 22-23, 29-30, February 4-6, 2013. CLUP Now! provided technical assistance to
the Office of Senator Honasan as regards data and input needed in giving justification and explanation in defense of the bill.
Part of the senate lobbying activities of CLUP Now! were visiting the offices of other senators and providing reference
materials on NLUA. On January 25, 2013, CLUP Now! met with Senator Serge Osmena III and discussed with him his
proposed amendments on the inclusion of Special Economic Zones provisions on the bill as well as additional provisions on
the mapping system provided in SB 3091. On January 29, 2013, CLUP Now! also provided assistance to his staff to help with
finalization of his formulations which were accepted by Senator Honasan during the period of amendments.
Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr., also submitted amendments on non-conversion of agricultural lands. CLUP Now! also sent
briefing materials to Senator Drilon on February 3, 2013, who submitted his amendments on February 5, 2013 pertaining to
the powers of the National Land Use Commission (NLUC), which were also accepted by Senator Honasan. Both offices were
likewise visited by CLUP Now members to clarify possible questions on the bill’s provisions.
On February 4-6, 2013, during the last three (3) session days of Congress before it adjourned, CLUP Now! assisted the Office
of Senator Honasan in formulating explanations and counter arguments to the amendments of CREBA proposed by
Senators Villar and Marcos. Major amendments proposed by CREBA on the NLUA are as follows:
a)
Deletion of prime agricultural lands in the coverage of areas under protection land use;
11 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
b) Deletion of provisions on Conversion of Agricultural lands under the Special Areas of Concern;
c) Deletion of provisions referring to the powers of the DAR related to Conversion.
d) A period of ten (10) years for the National Physical Framework Plan (as opposed to a time frame of 30 years
proposed by the bill);
e) Additional representation for developers in the National Land Use Commission and the local land use planning
boards;
To the dismay of NLUA advocates, the session ended with Senator Sotto moving to suspend the deliberations on NLUA
given the absence of Sen. Bongbong Marcos from the floor to deliver his amendments to SB3091. Senator Honasan
attempted to make a motion to read the response to the amendments but Senator Sotto preferred to defer discussions for
June 5 given that Sen. Marcos is the head of the Housing and Urban Development Committee. SB 3091 was therefore not
rd
passed to 3 and final reading.
C. MOBILIZING ADVOCATES FROM VARIOUS SECTORS
Sectoral Lobbying
In total, CLUP Now! has mobilized over a thousand members of the basic sectors and CSOs in lobbying for the National Land
Use Act for the past two years. The sectors and CSO advocates were involved in the following key lobbying activities:
1.
Co-authorship campaign for House Bill 478 – sectoral members from farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples and
the urban poor did the rounds of office visits at the House of Representatives from January to June of 2012. NLUA
advocates from Eastern Visayas and Western Visayas also did office visits of their District Representatives as well.
2.
Participation of core sectoral leaders in the Technical working group meetings for the House Bill and the
Writeshops for the Senate Bill from January to December 2012.
3.
Visits to Senate offices to discuss
comments and questions on SB
3091, Committee Report 94 –
Sectoral leaders visited Senators
Sergio Osmena III and Franklin
Drilon to discuss their comments
and ensure their support for the
Senate bill. Senator Drilon clarified
the coverage of the NLUA over
ancestral lands. Both delivered
their amendments on the Senate
floor together with Sen. Teofisto
Guingona.
4.
Mobilizations for the plenary
debates at the House of
Representatives - CLUP Now! has
also mobilized around 200 land use
advocates from different sectors on
rd
September 20, 2012 during the 3
reading and subsequent approval
of the HOR of HB 6545. During the said activity, various land use advocates attended the plenary session. A
program on the grounds of the HOR was held wherein various representatives of the different sectors expressed
their support for the passage of the bill. HB 6545 Principal sponsors Reps. Kaka Bag-ao and Walden Bello of
12 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
Akbayan celebrated the momentous event with the advocates and gave their messages and continued support for
the NLUA campaign.
5.
Mobilization
and
sectoral
attendance at the Senate plenary
sessions from January to February
2013 – an average of 10 sectoral
and CSO advocates regularly
attended the Senate public hearings
to deliberate SB 3091 from
December 2012 to February 6,
2013. During the resumption of
sessions on February 5, 2013, CLUP
Now! spearheaded a mobilization
attended by around 80 participants
from different sectors. In this
activity, the advocates expressed
their support and enthusiasm for
pursuing the campaign for the
passage of the NLUA through a
popular dance.
6.
Sectoral forums and public campaign activities – CLUP Now! sectoral organizations organized several activities to
promote the NLUA among their counterpart organizations in other provinces and municipalities. A farmers’
conference on pressing issues confronting the agricultural sector last February 2012 in Cagayan de Oro, and again,
in May 2013 in Bulacan included NLUA as a topic for discussion. The fisherfolk sector also discussed land and water
use issues with their constituents on February 22, 2012 and also in May 31, 2013 for Fisherfolk Day.
7.
Women’s Participation in the NLUA Campaign - The provisions of both HB 6545 and SB 3091 ensured that fifty
percent (50%) of the sectoral representatives in the national and local land use bodies, shall be women. This is to
ensure that at all levels of decision making with regard to land use planning, women sectoral issues and concern
will be heard.
With regard to land use campaign activities, the participation of the women sector played a substantial part in the
success of the activities. During the Senate lobbying activities from December 2012 to February 2013, women
representatives of the different sectoral groups played active roles in the campaign. Ka Elvie Baladad of the
Pambansang Kongreso ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK) and Ka Poneng Tolentino of the Urban Land Reform
Movement (ULRM) actively participated and provided inputs during writeshop sessions and meetings. PKKK also
mobilized twenty (20) of its members during the February 4, 2013 Senate lobbying. (see Annex ___: List of
Activities and women’s participation)
D. INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES
In order to hasten the passage of NLUA, the network initially employed a “silent lobbying” strategy. This means that instead
of campaigning publicly for the enactment of NLUA, the advocates focused on getting the support of legislators who will
support the NLUA bills in both Houses. However, on the passage of NLUA in the House of Representatives in September
2012, CLUP Now! decided to shift to public campaigning for the Senate lobbying phase.
ANGOC hired Ms. Angelica Carballo as Advocacy officer to specifically help in developing public campaign activities and
information materials. Communication planning meetings were conducted on July 26, August 23, 2012 and February 13,
2013 to draft and review its Communications plan on how to familiarize the general public on land use issues (see Annex
___: Communication Plan). The bill’s key messages, campaign slogans and forms were identified through the help of the
13 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
Advocacy and Media officers of ANGOC and KAISAHAN, the Communications’ staff of Oxfam, GIZ and the office of Rep. Bagao. The following were some of the key activities and outputs of public and media campaigning for NLUA:
1. INFORMATION AND EDUCATION MATERIALS
LAND USE CALENDAR. A special calendar for 2012 was produced to feature the compelling reasons why a National Land
Use law is imperative at this time. Pictures that depict poor settlement areas, climate hazard areas, conversion of
agricultural areas, fishing areas and ancestral domains were depicted in the calendar. These were distributed to around 100
members of House of Representatives and the 23 members of Senate.
VIDEO PRODUCTION. A video production was also done on 2 land use conflict cases in Parañaque and Cantilan and the
successful implementation of the CLUP in Palawan. The video is available online entitled “Making Sustainable Land Use a
Reality. Stories from Muntinlupa, Cantilan and Puerto Princesa”. This video needs to be further reproduced and distributed
to various audiences and media institutions.

Legislative briefers on HB 6545 and SB 3091, Salient features, NLUA Question and Answer, Sectoral position papers,
and numerous Powerpoint presentations on updates on the NLUA campaign were produced for dissemination to
legislators and opinion leaders in academe, executive agencies and media.
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POPULAR MATERIALS
 Leaflets, stickers, banners, flaglets, balloons, sun visors and t-shirts were
distributed during various public awareness activities of the campaign.
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND MEDIA ACTIVITIES
 YUTA: LIMITADONG KABTANGAN (LAND: A LIMITED RESOURCE): A PHOTO
EXHIBIT ON LAND USE POLICY IN THE PHILIPPINES, SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES,
JANUARY 21 TO 31, 2013
After the House of Representatives already passed the National Land Use and Management Act (NLUMA), the battleground
shifted to the Senate to pass its version for this very important act to become a law. To highlight the issues around the need
for a National Land Use Act in the Senate, the photo exhibit was mounted in partnership with the Office of Senator Gregorio
Honasan II. The exhibit aimed to show through photography where we are right now and how lives, properties, and sectors
are being threatened because of the haphazard use of our lands. Open to the public, the 12-photo exhibit touched on the
topics of climate change, disaster risk reduction, social justice, and food security. Participating photographers were Nana
Buxani, Gigie Cruz, Angelica Carballo, Reggie Aquino, and Buck Pago. An attractive brochure take-away was printed by GiZ
and distributed during the opening ceremony of the exhibit.

PAID ADVERTISEMENTS IN MAJOR BROADSHEETS
To boost the inconsistent media coverage of NLUA activities and to help explain the need for NLUA to decision-makers
and the public, GiZ approved the additional fund request for the production of 8 full-page paid advertisements in major
Philippine dailies. However, due to timing issues on the appropriate release of paid advertisements, the budget was not
fully used up. The following paid ads were produced:
1.
2.
Pass the National Land Use and Management Act – Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star, DATE…., 2 Full
page, Black and White ads
I Need Space for Food Security – Philippine Star, DATE…., 1 half-page ad
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3.
4.
An Appeal to President Benigno Aquino III to Certify as URGENT the NLUA – Philippine Daily Inquirer, full page ad
and Philippine Star, half page Colored ads
NLUA – How an Urgent Bill dies, June 15, Philippine Daily Inquirer
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
“WE NEED SPACE FOR KITE FLYING! A
LAND USE EVENT”, MAY 19, 2013,
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
SUNKEN GARDEN
Kite Flying is a family activity that requires
space to be enjoyed. CLUP Now! wanted to
organize an activity that would drive home
the message that proper planning of land
use will help define spaces to live, work and
play.
The activity was able to gather at least 100
participants from families of CSO advocates
and the urban poor youth Save the Children
International joined the event and brought urban poor children to hear about how land use planning affects their lives.
Senatorial candidate Ms. Risa Hontiveros of AKBAYAN partylist also graced the event and expressed her full support for
NLUA’s passage which she has worked for in previous Congresses.
The UP Mountaineers and the Kite Association of the Philippines also supported the event. The latter provided kite flying
kits for the children and their parents to make. CLUP Now! had nature-shaped kites made (e.g., trees, birds, butterflies,etc.)
with PASS NLUA! messages. A press release was distributed to media representatives present and by email. Online news
source Rappler and some photographers of major dailies covered the event.
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
BANGKAAN PARA SAGIPIN ANG PANGISDAAN: A FLUVIAL PARADE,
SENATE COASTAL AREA, MAY 31, 2013
More than 400 fisherfolk and representatives of civil society organizations
including CLUP Now! members joined the Fluvial Parade to commemorate
Fisherfolk Day last May 31. The fisherfolk and advocates, on board 40 boats,
sailed from C4 Terminal in Navotas and Freedom Island in Parañaque to the
coastal area in front of the Philippine Senate in Pasay City. Around 40 boats
will converge in front of the Philippine Senate.
By virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 261, Fisherfolk day was
proclaimed by then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada in 2000. However,
fisherfolk have nothing to celebrate for as they are one of the basic sectors
that are among the poorest with 41.4% poverty incidence as cited at the
latest National Statistical Coordination Board report.
Most of the country’s fishing grounds are heavily exploited by commercial
fishers even by foreign fishing groups (as in the case of Taiwanese and
Chinese fishing vessels encroaching Philippine seas). Fisherfolk settlements
are practically not implemented or respected.
AKBAYAN leader Risa Hontiveros and representatives of Pasay Mayor
Antonio Calixto and Senator Gringo Honasan came to the program to
address the fisherfolk with regard the call for the passage of the National
Land Use Act that was still pending in the Senate.
Fisherfolk leaders explained the different societal
issues they confront today as a sector especially the
effects of overfishing. They demand for the following: (1) Passage of the National Land Use Act ,
which is pending in the Senate; (2) Passage of a proposed bill to establish a separate Department
of Fisheries; (3) Pass the Marine Protected Area Bill; (4) End the Reclamation that destroys
Marine Biodiversity; and (5) End Overfishing, among others.
The event received good tri-media coverage during the event. Many photos were published in
national and international dailies. Dennis Calvan, Ka Uper Aleroza and Maricel Tolentino were
interviewed live at DZIQ Radyo Inquirer to inform the public about Fisherfolk Day and the need to
address overfishing and pass the NLUA.

LAND AND FOOD RUN, QUEZON MEMORIAL CIRCLE, JUNE 2, 2013
Around 500 individuals ran together with farmers, urban poor and agrarian reform advocates in the LAND AND FOOD RUN
at 6AM last SUNDAY, 02 JUNE 2013 around the QUEZON CITY MEMORIAL CIRCLE.
Farmers held the Fun Run to demand government to complete land
distribution under the CARP and pass the National Land Use Act of
2013. Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes of DAR joined the run in
th
solidarity with group and to commemorate the 25 anniversary of
the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on June 10,
2013.
As the expiration of the Land Acquisition Component of the CARPER
draws near, farmers and advocates must unite to demand government to complete land distribution before 2014 ends. The
th
National Land Use Act, a pending Senate bill, should also be passed NOW before the 15 Congress ends to strengthen the
implementation of agrarian reform.
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The organizer, the CENTER FOR AGRARIAN REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, is a nonprofit organization that partners
th
with and provides support services to farmers in Batangas, Iloilo, and Capiz. This year marks their 25 anniversary of serving
farming communities.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Radio Guesting
The Campaign for Land Use Policy NOW (CLUP Now) was guested in several radio shows to discuss its advocacy and its
campaign to pass the National Land Use Act. The following are the radio shows and time slots where key resource speakers
talked about the campaign:
Date
October 19, 2012
November 28, 2012
November 20, 2012
December 12, 2012
May 31, 2012
Program
Bangon na Bayan
Host: Joel Reyes Zobel
Station: DZBB
Karambola
Host: Alvin Capino
Station: DWIZ
AFP Radio
Host: Ben Figura
Station: DWBL
AFP Radio
Host: Ben Figura
Station: DWBL
KUMPADRES
Host: Chito dela Vega
Station: DZIQ
Resource Speaker
Ms. Jing Lopez
National Coordinator
Phildhrra
Mr. Audie Lavador
Chairperson
Urban Land Reform Movement
Mr. Ruperto Aleroza
President
PKSK
Cong. Teddy Baguilat
Representative
Lone District of Ifugao
Mr. Ruperto Aleroza
Mr. Dennis Calvan, Executive
Director NGOs for Fisheries Reform
Ms. Maricel A. Tolentino, ANGOC
The advocacy for land use planning and the NLUA was also extensively discussed on January 19, 2013 in Radyo Lakas ng
Masa, aired in DZIQ Radio Inquirer every Saturday, 9am – 10am, although the hosts Merck Maguddayao and Atty. Luke
Espiritu, weren’t able to grant our request for a radio guesting.
TV Guesting
Mr. Ruperto Aleroza talked about the CLUP Now advocacy in NBN 4’s morning show Metro One on December 6, 2013. He
was interviewed by Issa Litton and Audrey Goricetta. He was likewise interviewed by UNTV on December 4, 2013, calling for
the passage of the NLUA. The interview appeared on this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkqvlMKUBJM).
CLUP Now’s event, High Level Discussion on Land Use and its Impacts on Food Security, Climate Change Adaptation and
Disaster Risk Reduction on October 18, 2012, was also covered by Solar News, wherein they interviewed Sen. Gringo
Honasan, who sponsored the Senate version of the NLUA. The event coverage was aired on the same night.
Fr. Francis Lucas of ANGOC and CBCP-CMN was interviewed live on NBN 4’s News Live last May 24, 2013. The interview can
be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VuMvOucGqM&feature=share.
Congresswoman Kaka Bag-ao of Dinagat Islands was interviewed at RAPPLER.Com by Maria Ressa this June. She continues
to strongly champion the NLUA in the interview. Watch her at http://www.rappler.com/video/talkthursday/30715talkthursday-with-kaka-bag-ao.
Requests and information about the Campaign were sent to the following programs, but unfortunately, the guestings and
discussions did not materialize:
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





Failon Ngayon
Solar News with Jing Magsaysay
State of the Nation with Jessica Soho
Dos por Dos with Anthony Taberna and Gerry Baja
Bawal and Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie
News To Go
Apparently, during this period, TV programs were more keen on discussing election-related issues, Reproductive Health Bill,
Freedom of Information Bill, among others.
News Articles and Column Discussions
Below is a list of some stories and columns on the NLUA advocacy that appeared on publications:
1. An Interactive Guide to the National Land Use Act and what it means for you by Tricia Aquino, Interaksyon.com
(http://www.interaksyon.com/article/49692/primer--an-interactive-guide-to-the-national-land-use-bill-and-whatit-means-for-you)
2. Death of Stars by Romeo Lim, Malaya Business Insight (http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/opinion/23664death-of-stars)
3. What 12 bills await action in the last 7 session days? By Lira Dalangin
(http://www.interaksyon.com/article/53380/15th-congress-countdown--what-12-bills-await-action-in-last-7session-days)
4. Land Use Bill stalled by Senate Bickering by Edwin Fernandez, Philippine Daily Inquirer
(http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/348063/land-use-bill-stalled-by-senate-bickering)
5. Diversion at the Senate by Amina Rasul, Business World
(http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Opinion&title=Diversion-at-the-Senate&id=64818)
6. Congress set to ratify the land use bill, Manila Times (http://www.manilatimes.net/news/top-stories/40780congress-set-to-ratify-land-use-bill)
7. Aquino certifies land use act as urgent by Angela Casauay, Rappler.com (http://www.rappler.com/nation/20929aquino-certifies-national-land-use-act-as-urgent)
8. P-Noy certifies proposed land use act as urgent by Aurea Calica, The Philippine Star
(http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/02/03/904240/p-noy-certifies-proposed-national-land-use-act-urgent)
9. Group slams CREBA for attacking land use bill, photo by Benjie Castro, GMAnews.tv,
(http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/photo/31910/group-slams-creba-for-attacking-land-use-bill)
10. PNoy certifies land use bill as urgent by Solar News Online (http://www.solarnews.ph/JustIn/2013/02/04/presaquino-certifies-land-use-bill-as-urgent#.Ub1cQzCQaSp)
11. So near yet so far by Cielito Habito, Philippine Daily Inquirer http://opinion.inquirer.net/45829/so-near-yet-so-far
12. Will Senate wannabees side with the landless urban poor? JJCICS, Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://opinion.inquirer.net/51797/will-senate-wannabes-side-with-landless-urban-poor
13. Kite flying for the National Land Use Act by Rappler.com (http://www.rappler.com/bulletin-board/29694-kiteflying-for-a-cause)
14. http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?EventId=169790332&EditorialProduct=News
15. http://www.demotix.com/node/2102575
16. http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/06/01/save-our-seas/
17. http://www.sipa.com/en/feature/2609784/philippines-fishermen-protest/page/1/SN/NEWS
18. http://www.newstoday.com.bd/?option=details&news_id=2346490&date=2013-06-01
19. http://www.interaksyon.com/article/63142/farmers-group-hits-aquino-for-slow-distribution-of-private-landsunder-carper
Social Media exposure
A Facebook page was set up to help bolster our campaign to the people in the social media. Under the name Campaign for
Land Use Policy NOW (https://www.facebook.com/CLUPNow) the page now has 120 likes, and its videos, photos and links
20 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
have been shared regularly by its followers. The page is now being administered by Maricel Tolentino of ANGOC, Claire
Demaisip and Kimberly Alvarez of KAISAHAN.
Some articles featured on various social media sites on the land use campaign were as follows:
http://cooperatives-society.blogspot.com/2013/06/pro-national-land-use-act-bill-group.html
https://akbayan.org.ph/news/12-press-releases/269-akbayan-slams-creba-s-wild-accusations-vs-land-use-bill-urges-senateto-pass-it-into-law
http://scruffed.blogspot.com/2012/10/press-release-campaign-for-land-use.html
http://pagadianfrontline.blogspot.com/2013/05/campaign-for-land-use-policy-now-clup.html
http://carrd.org.ph/whats-new/2013/06/land-use-group-challenges-senate-follow-president-noynoy-pass-the-land-use-acton-june-5
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/63142/farmers-group-hits-aquino-for-slow-distribution-of-private-lands-under-carper
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/49692/primer--an-interactive-guide-to-the-national-land-use-bill-and-what-it-meansfor-you
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/62994/aquino-ally-asks-to-stop-reclamation-projects-to-help-fishers-reap-benefits-ofeconomic-growth
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/53130/senate-countdown--foi-hr-reparation-bills-will-be-passed-in-9-remainingsession-days--sotto
http://www.electionsphilippines.com/land-use-experts-blast-senate-favor-of-creba-lobby-contra-land-use-bill-samar-newscom
http://hronlineph.com/2013/05/18/event-we-need-space-for-kite-flying-pass-national-land-use-act-now-clup-now/
http://www.slideshare.net/honasankana/senator-gringo-honasans-platform
http://www.carrd.org.ph/whats-new/2013/06/land-use-group-challenges-senate-follow-president-noynoy-pass-the-landuse-act-on-june-5
http://www.carrd.org.ph/whats-new/2013/06/carrd-spearheads-land-and-food-run-calls-for-completion-of-landdistribution-and-passage-of-the-national-land-use-act
Media Briefings/ Press Conferences
1. Catholic Media Network’s “The FORUM”, Ilustrado,
Manila, October 2012 – Sectoral leaders explained the
need for the Senate to tackle and pass the NLUA
immediately given all the disaster-related emergencies
that the country always experiences especially with the
increased rainfall occurring.
2. PRONews, QC Sports Club, February 2013 – Both CLUP
Now and CREBA were invited to speak about their
positions on the issue. Elvira Baladad of PKKK came for
CLUP Now!. However, the Press briefing did not push
through due to briefings on the Serendra bomb blast.
3. Press Conference, Sulo Riviera Hotel, February 8, 2013 –
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Angelica Carballo
Speakers were Dr. Elmer Mercado, Climate Change Commissioner Yeb Sano, former Urban Poor Commissioner
th
Percy Chavez and the sectoral leaders of CLUP Now!. All denounced the failure of the 15 Congress to address the
country’s urgent need for a rationale national land use framework.
Proposals were submitted to other Media Kapihans but did not push through due to high competition with other issues,
especially election-related news.
IV. ASSESSMENT
Last June 2013, CLUP Now! conducted an Assessment and Planning for the NLUA Campaign. The following assessment
points were drawn up by the campaign’s key advocates:
WHAT WORKED?
a. Silent Approach. The low profile campaign of NLUA worked in the beginning, especially in the House of Representatives,
as it was approved on the Third reading even without a pubic campaign. However, the same tactic did not work with the
Senate campaign due to CREBA’s intervention with its own allies among the Senators. CLUP Now! failed to recognize that
CREBA intervene against NLUA’s passage after it was approved in the HOR and would succeed in derailing its deliberation
on the last days of the Senate sessions.
b. Engagement of other CSOs and other organizations. PDF-SRD’s adoption of NLUA as an official campaign focus
tremendously helped CLUP Now! in mobilizing allies from the Executive agencies, albeit only a few actively pursued working
on the Campaign. Particularly helpful were Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano of DA, Director Nestor Floranda of DAR
Legislative Liaison Office, and occasionally, DAR Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes, ASec. Romeo Recide and Dir. Marizz Agbon
of DA. No active allies were found from DENR. NEDA did not proactively push for this version of the NLUA due to
differences in position with regard the planning framework espoused by the Bill. PCSD, CBCP NASSA, CODE-NGO engaged in
different CLUP meetings and promoted its passage in the latter part of the campaign.
c. Certification as urgent by the President. It is noteworthy that the certification of the President was made possible
through the endorsement of the Departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and the Environment and Natural Resources.
Sectoral groups and CLUP Now! have also sent their respective requests for the President to certify the bill as urgent.
d. Staunch support from funders. GiZ and Oxfam Great Britain in the Philippines had full commitment for the Bill’s passage
th
th
throughout the 15 Congress. Both have committed to extend support up to the 16 Congress, Oxfam until December 2013
and GiZ up to June 2014.
f. Engagement with Senators staff (writeshops) - Provision of technical support through writeshop sessions and facilitating
consultations between the Senate technical staff with experts like Dr. Elmer Mercado, proved instrumental in establishing
CLUP Now as a credible campaign group for the National Land Use Act.
WHAT DID NOT WORK?
a. Intervention of PLLO and LEDAC. LEDAC did not include NLUA in the list of agenda on the last 2 Senate session days. The
provision on the structures was also opposed by the LEDAC.
b. Translation of other public materials to the regions. Translation of public campaign materials to local languages,
especially Pilipino and Bisaya, were not done as requested by the regional partners to help in educating constituencies and
stakeholders on the need for a National Land Use Act.
c. Media. In terms of media exposure, the concern raised mostly was that NLUA is too technical with too many projected
issues and problems that were difficult to translate to bite-size media stories. The sectoral concerns should be translated in
22 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
such as a way that the general public would understand and capture the main message of NLUA. Although perceived as
sectoral, it should identify and directly answer national problems.
d. NLUA being linked as an extension of CARPER. This was the main argument that became effective for the anti-NLUA
campaign by the Real estate developer groups. Arguments are needed to prove that the NLUA is not in any way an
extension of CARPER, but will definitely promote the balance in land use that the developer groups are clamoring for.
e. Taglines/Statements for NLUA. The Campaign must improve its taglines and public messaging. More popular and
relatable taglines are needed to be developed and a more expansive communication plan to increase public interest in the
issues addressed by NLUA.
f. Time constraints. It was acknowledged that there was not enough time for the deliberation of SB 3091. This was due to
unexpected and hindering events such as the resignation of Sen. Miguel Zubiri on August 3, 2011, which then is the head of
the Committee on Environment where the bill was currently assigned. Furthermore, the impeachment trial of the Justice
Renato Corona, also added to the derailment of NLUA floor deliberation. The NLUA bill was finally appointed to Sen. Gringo
Honasan, after it was handed over by Sen. Francis Escudero, the current head of the Committee on Environment.
g. PNoy Certication. Although NLUA was certified as urgent by the President, it did not have direct impact to the fast
tracking and ultimate passage of NLUA. Compared to the RH bill, it NLUA was not given full attention that will make it more
highly publicized.
h. Connotation that NLUA is CSO-biased. We have to ensure that NLUA messaging will be of a national rather than sectoral
interest.
i. Lack of participation of some CLUP Now! members. As compared to the organizations campaigning for CARPER before,
many of the CSO groups have not been actively engaging in the different NLUA campaign activities. Given the multi-sectoral
character and the loose nature of the network, CLUP Now! activities take the backseat when the sectors/organizations have
more pressing sectoral/organizational issues to address. The Secretariat had to reset some activities in order to get majority
of the members to attend.
j. Regional consultations were not sustained.
OTHER CHALLENGES
a. Other national issues prioritized. Another challenge that the network experienced in the implementation of the project is
the precedence of other national issues that needed to be tackled by our legislators. From February until May 2012, our
legislators both in the Senate and the HOR dealt with the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona. As a consequence,
other legislative issues, including the passage of the NLUA had been side tracked.
b. Movements in key positions in the government also affected the pace of the passage of the bill. In the Senate, the
resignation of Senator Zubiri caused a momentary lull in the passage of the land use bill. In addition, the resignation of
ASec. Alvarez in the DBM last May 2012 also affected the finalization of the comments of the agency as regards the NLUMA.
It was only in August 2012 that the discussions with DBM as regards the NLUMA were resumed and finalized.
WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE?
a. More engagement with Local Government Units and Higher ULAPs. LGU officials that have successfully implemented
their CLUPs were not actively engaged to lobby for the NLUA. Although Governor Umali of the League of Provinces
expressed support for the NLUA at the October 18 High-level forum, his support was not maximized or disseminated to the
League’s membership.
b. Identify the face of the Campaign. To make NLUA more relatable to the public and the media, CLUP Now! should identify
resource persons that are significantly well – known and can bridge the issues of the different sectors with a national
perspective.
23 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
c. More Media briefings / FAQs for the public
d. Engage CREBA. Identify agencies and other higher groups that can facilitate discussion of conflicting positions of CREBA
and CLUP Now!.
e. Role of Majority Floor Leader. It is crucial we get the support of the Majority Floor Leader to ensure that the bill will be
included in the agenda and will be debated on the floor.
f. Political Mapping in the Senate - Sen. Honasan is not powerful enough to fight for a national bill that encompasses all
sectors of society, and that have many oppositions. He needs to find an ally/allies next Congress that can push buttons for
NLUA. The Office of Sen. Honasan had said that if Sen. Chiz Escudero will retain the Chairmanship of the Committee on
Environment, Sen. Honasan will still be the principal sponsor of the NLUA as they have made internal arrangements.
g. Name and Shame campaign (more public campaign). Make the campaign a more public one. We have to launch national
and local public campaigns.
h. Mobilization of sectors. We failed to engage other sectors actively because we failed to address and identify central
issues and problems that will directly affect them as compared to CARPER.
k. Engagement with other Executive Agencies. There were only few identified resource persons from the executive agencies
that continuously lobby in the Senate such as USec. Segfredo Serrano of DA, and Director Nestor Floranda of DAR. CLUP
Now! needs to identify more champions from the executive agencies like all Liaisons Officers of the different agencies to
engage with us and broaden support for NLUA.
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ANNEXES
ANNEX A: MATRIX OF ACTIVITIES
TARGET ACTIVITIES

1. Intensified campaign
for the NLUMA
 Hold network
meetings;
 Regional
Consultations
(Luzon, Visayas,
Mindanao)
 Land Use Fora
 Land Use Photo
Exhibit




2. Legislators and decision
makers supporting or
championing National
Land Use Policy
 Hold network
planning and
strategy
meetings;
 Briefing and
lobbying at the
Congress (HOR
and Senate);
 Senate writeshop
sessions
 Agency Hopping










SOME ACTUAL ACTIVITIES
Network meetings were held on: May 4, 7 and 14,
July 3, 5 and 12, August 13 and 31, September 24,
October 23 and 29, November 7, 2012; January 9,
February 8 and 15, March 26 and April 10, 2013
CLUP Now Writeshop sessions were held on (HOR
version – July 4,5,6,9,13 and August 15) (Senate
Version - October 9 and 25, 2012; and February 1,
2013)
Land Use Fora were held on October 18, November
20, December 4 and 13, 2012
The Land Use Photo Exhibit (Yuta: Limitadong
Kabtangan) was held on January 21, 2013
NLUA Press Conference (February 8, 2013)
Legislative Forum in the HOR held on July 31, 2012
Several meetings with Committee Secretary Gil
Estella and HOR champions (May 8, July 2, 16, July
19,July 30, August 14, 2012)
Attendance in the Committee on Appropriations
hearing on August 23, 2012
Senate briefings on mapping and land use planning
(May 21, June 14, July 16, July 18, 2012)
Meetings with executive agencies -NCI, DAR/DA,
NAPC, NEDA (May 2, July 5, July 13, July 27 and
August 15, 2012)
Lobbying in the HOR to gather support and
rd
signature for the approval on 3 reading of HB 6545
(September 17-18, 2012)
Initial meeting with the office of Senator Honasan
re plans and scheduling of NLUA deliberations
(October 11, 2012)
Senate Writeshop sessions were conducted on
November 8, 15, 23, 29; December 7, 14, 2012
Meeting with Senator Osmena regarding his
proposed amendment on SB 3091 (January 25,
2013)
Senate Lobbying - attendance in the plenary
session; meetings with other senators re
amendments to the bill; providing technical
assistance to the office of Senator Honasan re
provisions of the Bill and amendments of other
senators to the Bill (December 17,18,19, 2012;
25 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t

INDICATORS
Network plans, strategies and
tactics agreed upon by the
network

Documented comments/
annotations/sources and bases
for the bill’s provisions

Copy of the latest version of the
HB 6545 and SB 3091

Photos of the Land Use Fora
Photo exhibit and Press
Conference

79 participants attended the
Legislative forum (18 of which are
bill authors and 8 are staff
members of congressional
representatives)
More than 15 CLUP Now
members attended the hearing
More than 10 CLUP Now
members attended the Senate
Briefings/Fora
Recognition of Prof Serote and
Kyle Zingapan as resource
persons/experts in land use
planning and mapping
Deeper understanding of key
concepts on land use and
mapping by CLUP Now members
and Senate staff members
Expression of support by agencies
in the passage of the NLUMA bill
Expression of willingness of
agencies to help the network
gather support for the bill
Documentation of the writeshop
sessions and meetings.







TARGET ACTIVITIES


3. Mobilize advocates
from various sectors
 Networking with
technical experts
and other
stakeholders
 Mobilization
 Land Use Briefing
and Lobbying
with Regional
participants











SOME ACTUAL ACTIVITIES
January 22,23, 29, 30, 2013; February 4 and 5,
2013)
Meeting with Cong. Kaka re consolidation of NLUA
versions in preparation for BICAM (February 3,
2013)
Meetings with Oxfam, GIZ and ILC NES (May 21,
May 31, June 1, June 22, July 11)
Acted as resource person/participant in various
conferences and meetings with like-minded groups
– Kamayan Forum; Active Citizenship
Foundations;Bishop-legislators’ Forum;ACF-FES
Conference;Philfafo Conference;CARET-PKSK
Conference on Land Use, Rural Development and
Food Security, Updating meeting wih PKSK, Study
Session with APEC farmers, Meeting with PHILSSA
(June 15, June 20, June 25, June 28, July 5, July 16,
July 25, August 15, August 20, August 23, 2012)
Communication planning meeting with CLUP Now
members, communications staff of Oxfam, GIZ and
Rep. Kaka Bag-ao’s office
Mobilization of 200 participants from different
sectors during the September 20, 2012 HOR session
where HB 6545 was approved on third reading
(September 20, 2012)
CLUP Now members as Resource Speakers for the
NCI briefing on land use, attended by
representatives of DAR, DA, DENR, DILG (October 5,
2012)
Land use briefing of Regional Participants was held
on October 16, 2012
Senate Lobbying with Regional
Participants/Partners was held on October 17, 2012
CLUP Now members as panelists in the CMN Radio
Program “The FORUM” (November 13, 2012)
Mobilization in the Senate (Dance for NLUA)
participated by 70 members of different sectors to
pressure senators for the passage of SB 3091 in the
Senate last February 5, 2013.
NLUA media planning meeting with CLUP Now
members, communications staff of Oxfam and GIZ
(February 12, 2013)
CLUP Now members participated in the World
Bank Consultation on Land Issues (March 20, 2013)
CLUP Now members as Resource Persons in the
NLUA forum sponsored by the PIEP in UP SURP,
Diliman Quezon City (March 22, 2013)
26 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
INDICATORS




Identification of activities and
projects for additional support for
the NLUA campaign
Expression of Support for the
immediate passage of the NLUA
bill
Participants with knowledge of
the status of the campaign on
land use
AVP on disaster and land use
ANNEX B: WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN VARIOUS NLUA ACTIVITIES
I. CLUP Meetings
Date
Description
September 24, 2012
Attendees
Male
Female
4
6
Total
10
Series of land use fora to popularize the campaign for
land use.
October 9, 2012
October 23, 2012
October 25, 2012
October 29, 2012
February 15, 2012
March 26, 2013
April 10, 2013
Preparation for the October 18, 2012 National land
use forum.
Finalize matrix comparison of SB and HB version;
Scheduling of upcoming activities for NLUA;
Writeshop with the Office of Senator Honasan;
NLUA writeshop among CLUP members
Scheduling of campaign activities: NLUA Forum
Series; Writeshop with Senate group;
Scheduling of Campaign Activities
Scheduling of Campaign Activities
Preparation for NLUA Advocate Meeting
0
2
5
5
5
7
1
4
5
2
6
6
4
4
1
6
6
5
10
10
6
II. Senate Meetings and Writeshop Sessions
Date
October 11, 2012
October 9, 2012
October 29, 2012
November 7, 2012
Description
Senate Meeting in preparation for NLUA writeshop
(SB 3091)
Finalize matrix comparison of SB and HB version;
Scheduling of campaign activities: NLUA Forum
Series; Writeshop with Senate group;
Meeting with Senate
Attendees
Male
Female
6
10
Total
16
4
2
6
7
4
11
III. National Land Use Fora and Press Conference
Date
Description
Attendees
Male
Female
Total
October 16 – 18, 2012
November 13, 2012
High Level Discussion on National Land Use and its
Impact on Food Security, Disaster Risk Reduction
Management and Climate change (with Regional
Participants)
October 16, 2012 – NLUA Briefing
October 17, 2012 – Senate Lobbying
October 18, 2012 – NLUA Forum
CMN Media Forum
27 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
13
9
35
8
10
8
35
4
23
17
70
12
Date
Description
Attendees
Male
Female
Total
The “Forum” is the regular forum of the Catholic
Media Network. In the said forum, the NLUA was
one of the topics for discussion. The speakers were
Cong. Kaka Bag-ao, Mr. Ruperto Aleroza, Fisherfolk
leader, Mr. Audilon “Ka Audie” Lavador, urban poor
leader, and Ms. Maricel Tolentino, CLUP Now!
Representative. The speakers highlighted the need
for the passage of NLUA and the positive impact that
it will brought to our country.
February 8, 2013
NLUA Press Conference
4
9
13
The objective of the NLUA Press Conference was to
relay to the public the derailing tactics made by
CREBA and other senators in the passage of the
NLUA.
The speakers for the press conference were
Mr. Elmer Mercado, Rep. Kaka Bag – ao, Climate
Change Com. Yeb Sano; Usec. Fred Serrano, Mr.
Percy Chavez, Ruperto Aleroza, Elvira Baladad.
Planning of campaign activities for the resumption of
session in June 5 and 6, 2013, was made after the
press conference.
IV. Legislative Lobbying
Date
December 11, 2012
December 18, 2012
December 19, 2012
January 21, 2012
January 22, 2012
January 28, 2012
January 29, 2012
January 30, 2012
February 4, 2012
February 5, 2012
February 6, 2012
Description
HOR Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
HOR Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
Senate Lobbying
28 | P u r s u i n g N L U A : P h a s e 2 T e r m i n a l R e p o r t
Attendees
Male
Female
4
4
4
6
5
4
2
5
3
4
4
4
1
6
1
6
8
7
4
6
2
2
8
12
Total
5
10
5
12
13
11
6
11
5
6
12
16
V. Mobilization
Date
Description
Attendees
Male
Female
Total
September 20, 2012
Mobilization of Sector in support of HB 6545
deliberation on the third reading at the house of
representative.
53
147
200
February 5, 2012
Mobilization ‘Dance for NLUA’
26
50
76
Annex __: Communication Plan
Annex __: Highlights of some meetings
th
Annex __: House Bill 6545 and Senate Bill 3091, 15 Congress
Annex __: Comparative Matrix of HB 6545 and SB 3091
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