Document is considered to be crucial for LGUs
TACLOBAN CITY – About 20 local government units in the region have no existing Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), majority of them are in Samar province.
This was disclosed by an official of the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) regional office during a media forum.
Anna Marie Camille Bantaculo, environment, land use and urban planning and development chief of the DHSUD-8, said that CLUP is one of the two documents mandated by Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of the Philippines that local government units must prepare.
The CLUP is the primary basis and framework for the future use of land resources of a local government unit.
Bantaculo said that among the issues why some LGUs have failed to formulate their CLUP is their lack of technical capacity, lack of personnel and budget.
To address this concern, DHSUD provides technical assistance to LGUs like trainings, mentoring, and coaching activities for formulating, data gathering, writing, and analyzing of data for CLUP formulation.
“CLUP is not an ordinary document that can be finished or completed in one month. Prior to formulating it, you need to conduct hazard assessment, risk assessment, sectoral studies like health services, commercial areas, agricultural areas, water and forest use,” Bantaculo said during the ‘Kapihan ha PIA,” a regular media forum under the auspices of the Philippine Information Office.
“Since this is a 10-year development plan, we also assist LGUs in their development framework, land use plan, then on its translation to a zoning ordinance,” she added.
In Samar, the municipal governments of Tagapul-an, Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan, Santo Niño, Pagsanghan, Talalora, Zumarraga, and Almagro, have yet to formulate their own CLUP.
Other LGUs with no CLUP are San Ricardo and San Francisco in Southern Leyte; Mayorga in Leyte; General Macarthur, Giporlos, and Jipapad, all in Eastern Samar; and Mapanas, Silvino Lobos, Capul, and San Antonio, in Northern Samar.
Bantaculo said that of the 143 LGUs in the region, a total of 123 have their CLUPs, of which only 58 are updated.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
