VP Binay orders review of land use plans of Yolanda hit LGUs

By OVP Media
December 10, 2013

MANILA – Vice President Jejomar C. Binay ordered the review of old Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) of local government units severely affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

The Vice President issued the directive on Monday before leaving for South Africa to attend the memorial and state funeral for former South African president Nelson Mandela.

“In Tacloban particularly, we initiated a talk with Mayor Romualdez. We plan to meet with him and his city planning officer to discuss their CLUP and make sure the proper revisions are made,” Binay said.

Binay added that the review of CLUPs will focus on the effects of climate change and the adoption of risk reduction measures.

“Given the recent calamities that struck our country, it is crucial that we reassess the CLUPs and make sure that they contain measures on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction,” Binay said.

“Lives are at stake. We cannot afford slipshod planning," he added.

Binay said the housing sector has already pushed for initiatives to include climate change response actions in national and local government land use policies.

The housing czar cited the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board’s (HLURB) Zero Backlog Program, which aims to complete updating the CLUP of all local government units (LGUs).

The HLURB, which Binay chairs, is the national government agency primarily tasked with assisting LGUs in drawing up their CLUPs and regulating the real estate industry. Its plans and programs are anchored on three major mandates namely planning, regulation and adjudication.

In 2011, the HLURB began to require all LGUs to integrate climate change adaptation and disaster risk mitigation in their CLUPs before seeking HLURB Board approval.

Meanwhile, Binay emphasized the need for agencies to be united and vigilant in implementing urban development plans. He also called on LGUs to show political will in preventing structures from being constructed on non-buildable areas and danger zones.

“We need to ensure that homes and communities are safe from or can at least withstand the effects of climate change and any disaster,” he said.