Unchecked

A Study on the Unchecked Conversion if Agricultural Lands into Non-Agricultural Uses: The CALABARZON Experience

Submitted by:

Peter Paul B. Agapito

Arc41

Submitted to:

Arch. Barcil

December 20, 2014

The paper reviews existing laws and policies that may have actually encouraged injudicious conversion of agricultural lands in CALABARZON. Land use conversion practices as to land use, agriculture, social development, urban and spatial development and housing are also assessed. The paper then identifies the social, economic and environmental effects of such practices.

Since the Philippines is an agricultural country, conversion of agricultural land is the inevitable response to the pressure exerted by industrial development and urban expansion. The growth in urban population has resulted in an increase in demand for housing and urban services.

There is, therefore, a need to promote the judicious use of land. The calabarzon sub-region is proclaimed as an industrial estate regardless of its agricultural potential. As far as agricultural lands being converted to residential uses is concerned, recent studies made by the housing and use regulatory board (HLURB) showed that out of the 7% or 500 hectares of irrigated agricultural land taken up by subdivision, approximately 68% is located in calabarzon.

The intention of land use conversation in identifying economic zones is to accommodate increasing industrial and economic activities, as well as assign of allocating residential sites for housing the increasing migrant and natural population.

This study focuses on discussions on conversion of agricultural lands into a subdivision in calabarzon. While the intention of this paper is to cover as wide a scope as possible, limited time was allotted for the preparation of the study and logistic support was inadequate.

In undertaking the study, secondary data in the form of polished and unpolished documents were sourced. This portion of the...