INVENTORY OF LAND USE LAWS AND ISSUANCES

Land Use
Components
1. Settlement
Development

RAs/
Issuances
RA 7160

Year

Title

Implications

Local Government Code

Land reclassification for settlement expansion

(sec. 20)
Linkages: Roads can either be permanently or
temporarily closed (sec 21).
Section 11. Expropriation of idle lands
All idle lands in urban and urbanizable areas shall be
expropriated and shall form part of the public
domain.
Expropriation proceedings shall be instituted if, after
the lapse of one year following receipt of notice of
acquisition, the owner fails to introduce
improvements.

1991
Urban Development and
Housing Act

RA 7279

1992

Section 18. Balanced Housing Development

Developers of proposed subdivision projects shall be
required to develop an area for socialized housing
equivalent to at least 20% of the total subdivision
area or total subdivision project cost, at the option of
the developer, within the same city or municipality,
whenever feasible.
RA 9397

2007

RA 9003

2000

RA 10023

2010

RA 9207

2003

CA 141
PD 1517
PD 1216

1936
1978
1982

An act amending section

12 of RA 7279
Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act

An act authorizing the

issuance of free patents
to residential lands
National Government
Center (NGC) Housing
and Land Utilization Act
Public Lands Act
Urban Land Reform Act
Defining "Open Space" in
Residential Subdivision
and amending Section 31
of Presidential Decree 957
requiring subdivision
owners to provide roads,
alleys, sidewalks and
reserve open for parks or
recreational use.

Section 32. Establishment of LGU Materials

Recovery Facility There shall be established an
MRF in every barangay or cluster of barangays. The
facility shall be established in a barangayowned or
leased land or any suitable open space to be
determined by the barangay through its Sanggunian.

PD 953

1976

RA 7835

1994

PD 957

1976

EO 124

1993

Requiring the planting of

trees in certain places and
penalizing unauthorized
cutting, destruction,
damaging and injuring of
certain trees, plants and
vegetation
Comprehensive and
Integrated Shelter
Financing Act
Subdivision And
Condominium Buyers'
Protective Decree
Establishing priorities and
procedures in evaluating
areas proposed for land
conversion in regional
agri-industrial
centers/regional
industrial centers,
tourism development
areas and sites for
socialized housing

2. Production Land Use

RA 8435

1997

RA 6657

1988

RA 9700

2009

DAR AO
01-2002

2002

b.Livestock &
Poultry Areas

RA 9459

2007

c. Fisheries

RA 8550

1998

d.Production
Forests

EO 263

1995

a. Croplands

Agriculture and Fisheries

Modernization Act
Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Law
An act strengthening the
comprehensive agrarian
reform program (carp),
extending the acquisition
and distribution of all
agricultural lands,
instituting necessary
reforms, amending for the
purpose certain provisions
of republic act no. 6657
Comprehensive Rules on
Land Use Conversion
An act to establish an
oyster, mussel, crab,
prawn and shrimp farm in
Calabanga, Camarines
Sur
Philippine Fisheries
Code
Adopting communitybased forest

e.
Commerc
ial and
Industrial
Development
Areas

l. Tourism
Development
Areas

RA 7227

1992

RA 9490

2007

RA 7916

1995

RA 8748

1999

RA 6977

1991

RA 8289

1997

RA 9501

2008

RA 9593

2009

RA 9458

2007

RA 9400

2007

RA 9444

2007

RA 9445

2007

management as the
national strategy to ensure
the sustainable
development of the
country's forestlands
resources and providing
mechanisms for its
implementation
Bases Conversion and
Development Act
Aurora Special Economic
Zone Act
Special Economic Zone
Act
An act amending RA
7916
Magna Carta for Small
Enterprises
An act amending RA
6977
An act to promote
entrepreneurship by
strengthening development
and assistance programs
to micro, small and
medium scale enterprises,
amending for the
purpose RA 6977
Tourism Act of the
Philippines
An act declaring the islandtowns of Biri, Capul, San
Antonio and San Vicente,
all in the province of
Northern Samar as ecotourism zones
Subic Special Economic
Zone; an act amending RA
7227
An act declaring the
Atulayan island of the
Municipality of Sagay,
Province of Camarines Sur
as a tourist zone
An Act Declaring the
Islands of Lahuy, Cotivas,
Guinahuan, Luksuhin,
Malibagan and Masag, off
the Northeastern Coast of

An Act Declaring the Island-Towns of Biri, Capul,

San Antonio and San Vicente, all in the Province of
Northern Samar as Eco-Tourism Zones

s. Mineral Land
3. Protection Land
Use

RA 9446

2007

PN 1801

1978

RA 7942

1995

RA 7586

1992

RA 9147

2001

RA 8978

2000

RA 9175

2002

the Municipality of
Caramoan, Province of
Camarines Sur As Tourist
Zones
An act declaring the
province of Bohol as an
eco-cultural tourism
zone
Declaring certain islands,
coves and peninsulas in
the Philippines as Tourist
Zones and Marine
reserve under the
administration and control
of the Philippine Tourism
Authority
Philippine Mining Act
National Integrated
Protected Areas System
Wildlife Resources
Conservation and
Protection Act
Mt. Kitanglad Range
Protected Area Act
Chainsaw Act
Central Cebu Protected
Landscape Act

RA 9486

2007

Mimbilisan Protected
Landscape Act
RA 9494

2007

RA 9443

2007

An act confirming and

declaring, subject to
certain exceptions, the
validity of existing transfer
certificates of title and
reconstituted certificates of
title covering the Banilad

An Act Declaring the Province of Bohol as an EcoCultural Tourism Zone

DENR shall prescribe rules and regulations to

govern ancestral lands within protected areas
(Sec. 13)

An act Regulating the Ownership, Possession, Sale,

Importation and Use of Chain Saws, penalizing
violations thereof and for other purposes
An Act Establishing The Buhisan Watershed Forest
Reserve, The Mananga Watershed Forest Reserve,
The Sudlon National Park, The Central Cebu
National Park and The Kotkot-Lusaran Watershed
Forest Reserve situated in the Cities of Cebu,
Talisay, Toledo and Danao and in the Municipalities
of Minglanilla, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and
Balamban, Province of Cebu into One Protected
Area to be known as The Central Cebu Protected
Landscape and for other purposes
An Act Declaring the Mimbilisan Watershed Located
in the Municipalities of Balingoan and Talisayan,
Province of Misamis Oriental as a Protected Area
Under the Category of Protected Landscape,
Providing its Management and for other Purposes

RA 9072

2001

RA 9304

2004

RA 9303

2004

RA 9237

2004

friar lands estate, situated

in the first district of the city
of Cebu
National Caves and Cave
Resources Management
and Protection Act

Mt. Kanla-on Natural

Park (MKNP) Act
RA 9154

2001

Revised Forestry Code of

the Philippines

PD 705

1975

Proc 2146

1981

Proclaiming Certain Areas

and Types of Projects as
Environmentally Critical
and Within the Scope of
the Environmental Impact
Statement System

An Act to Establish Mt. Malindang Natural Park,

Located in the Province of Misamis Occidental as a
Protected Area and its Peripheral Areas as Buffer
Zone, Providing for its Management Pursuant to
Republic Act No. 7586 (Nipas Act of 1992) and for
other Purposes
An Act Declaring Mt. Hamiguitan Range and its
Vicinities as Protected Area under the Category of
Wildlife Sanctuary and Its Peripheral Areas as Buffer
Zone and Appropriating Funds Therefore
An act Establishing Mount APO Located in the
Municipalities of Magpet and Makilala and City of
Kidapawan, Province of Cotabato, in the
Municipalities of Bansalan and Sta. Cruz and City of
Digos, Province of Davao del Sur, and in the City of
Davao, as a Protected Area under the Category of
Natural Park and Its Peripheral Areas as Buffer
Zones, providing for its management, and for other
purposes
An Act Establishing Mt. Kanla-on Located In The
Cities Of Bago, La Carlota, And San Carlos And In
The Municipalities Of La Castellana And Murcia, All
In The Province Of Negros Occidental, And In The
City Of Canlaon And Municipality Of Vallehermoso,
Both In The Province Of Negros Oriental, As A
Protected Area And A Peripheral Area As Buffer Zone
Providing For Its Management, And For Other
Purposes
No public land with 18% or over shall be
classified as A&D nor any forest land 50% in
slope or over as grazing land (Sec. 15)
Areas needed for forest purposes shall not be
classified as A&D (Sec. 16)
No activity is allowed in any forest/grazing land
unless authorized under a license agreement,
license, lease or permit (Sec. 20)
Maximum period of 25 years, renewable for a
period not exceeding 25 years (Sec. 27)

DENR-AONo. 026-08
DENR-AONo. 15-07

6. Social
Infrastructure

7. Transportation
and
Communication

2008
2007

DENRDILG Joint
MC 98-01

2001

RA 6957

1990

RA 7718

2006

RA 8974

2000

Ports
Roads
8. Special Components
a. Ancestral
RA 8371
Domain/Land

1997

RA 4846

1966

RA 10066

2009

PD 1067

1958

b.Heritage Sites
c. Water

Established
under Presidential Decree
No. 1586
Revised IRR of the NIPAS
Act
Revised IRR of Mining
Act (RA 7942)
Manual of Procedures for
DENR-DILG-LGU
Partnership on Devolved
And Other Forest
Management Functions
An Act Authorizing the
Financing, Construction,
Operation and
Maintenance of
Infrastructure Projects
By The Private Sector,
and For The Other
Purposes
Philippine BOT Law
An act to facilitate the
acquisition of right-of-way,
site or location for national
government infrastructure
projects and for other
purposes

The Indigenous Peoples

Rights Act
Cultural Properties
Preservation and
Protection Act
National Cultural
Heritage Act
Water Code

Article 51. The banks of rivers and streams and the

shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire
length and within zone of 3 meters in urban areas,
20 meters in agricultural areas, and 40 meters in
forest areas, along their margins are subject to
easement of public use in the interest of recreation,
navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage. No person
shall be allowed to stay in this zone longer than what
is necessary for recreation, navigation, floatage,
fishing, or salvage or to build structures of any kind.
Article 67. Any watershed or any area of land
adjacent to any surface water or overlying any

ground water may be declared by the DENR as

protected area.
RA 9275

2004

9.

DRRM

RA 10121

2010

10.

CCA

RA 9729

2009

Clean Water Act

Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction and
Management Act
Climate Change Act