Human Rights Online Philippines

Land use group highlights importance of proposed
national land use bill in environmental protection

As the world celebrates Earth Day, the Campaign for Land Use Policy Now! (CLUP Now!) stresses the importance of the proposed National Land Use Act (NLUA) in protecting the environment and its inhabitants. Labeled as a ‘green bill’, the NLUA is aimed at managing the proper use of the country’s natural resources.

“Mother Earth provides us with everything we need, but are we doing something to take care of nature’s gifts?” stated Anthony Marzan, convenor of CLUP Now! “It is our responsibility to protect our natural resources, and this can be done through its proper utilization.”

“The proposed NLUA will not only protect the environment, but will also provide safety and security to every citizen, especially now that we are experiencing the devastating effects of climate change,” Marzan added. “Stricter land use policy is necessary to adapt to the changing climate. Balancing the use of our natural resources to conserve the environment and promote economic growth is essential amid climate change. The role of land use planning is profound in both climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.“

NLUA champion and former Climate Change Commissioner Yeb Sano explained that even though there are existing environmental laws, these are not enough to protect people and resources from natural disasters. “We have policies and programs to regulate how we use our land and resources that can help avert crises resulting from natural disasters,” explained Sano. “But our experience with Yolanda showed us that these are not enough. We need the NLUA.”

The proposed land use bill sets guidelines in identifying areas for protection, production, settlements and infrastructure, to ensure that the country’s finite lands and resources are protected and utilized in a manner that is beneficial for all sectors of society and the future generation.

In an effort to inform a larger audience about the NLUA, CLUP Now! recently released a song on land use entitled, “Dapat Nang Ipasa (Awit ng NLUA).” The song, written and performed by Noel Cabangon, also has a music video that shows the benefits of having a national land use law.

“We are hoping that through the song and the music video, people can grasp the main idea of the NLUA,” stated Marzan. “The music video is one of our attempts to laymanize a complex law, and help the people understand its implications on the environment and in our daily lives.”

The music video can be viewed on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of the CLUP Now! Network.

For more information, contact:

Kim Alvarez, CLUP Now!, 0918-6545059, kbalvarez@gmail.com
Gillian Cruz, CLUP Now!, 09157830489, gillianmariecruz@gmail.com
CLUP Now! Network, campaignfornlua@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE
22 April 2015

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