House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Representative Nonoy Libanan has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the passage of a National Land-Use Law, following the torrential rains and massive flooding unleashed by Typhoon Tino that killed many people and displaced hundreds of thousands across Central Visayas, particularly in Metro Cebu.
“The tragic loss of lives and the widespread devastation caused by Typhoon Tino once again expose the severe gaps in our national land-use planning and disaster risk management,” Libanan said. “We are paying the price for decades of policy inaction.”
The veteran legislator stressed that proper land-use planning is absolutely imperative for disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, and environmental integrity.
“We must put an end to building communities in inherently unsafe areas — those prone to riverine and urban flooding, landslides, and coastal storm surges.”
“Proper land-use planning is a matter of survival in this era of brutal climate change,” the seasoned lawmaker said. “We must put an end to building communities in inherently unsafe areas — those prone to riverine and urban flooding, landslides, and coastal storm surges.”
The minority leader warned that the Philippines is bound to face stronger typhoons that bring more rainfall in shorter periods, and that new land-use policies are needed to help the country adapt swiftly to such harsh conditions.
“To protect our people, we must put in place forward-looking land-use policies that allow us to swiftly adapt to harsher climate conditions.”
“To protect our people, we must put in place forward-looking land-use policies that allow us to swiftly adapt to harsher climate conditions while safeguarding our ecological systems — our forests, watersheds, and protected areas that stand as our natural defenses against disaster,” he said.
Libanan explained that the proposed National Land-Use Law will serve as the nation’s master framework for the allocation, utilization, management, and development of lands and natural resources.
“This will give the Philippines a coherent strategy to balance human settlement, economic growth, and environmental protection,” he said.
Libanan lamented that Congress has been trying to enact a National Land-Use Law since the 1990s.
“In fact, in the 19th Congress, the House passed the National Land-Use Bill on third and final reading,” he said. “Sadly, the Senate was unable to act on the measure.”
“We cannot afford to delay any longer. Every typhoon that ravages our communities underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive national land-use policy. Let us act now — before the next storm claims more lives and homes,” Libanan concluded.
