By a vote of 262-3, a bill calling for the National Land Use Act that has been long-stalled in Congress, finally hurdled the House of Representatives on Monday.

House Bill 8162 or the proposed Act instituting a national land use policy, which was approved on the third and final reading, will create National Land Use Commission under the Office of the President.

The proposed law was among President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s identified as part of his legislative agenda in his inaugural State of the Nation Address in July last year, aiming to succeed where his predecessor failed.

The National Land Use Act intends to institutionalize a holistic, logical, and comprehensive land use and physical planning process to accurately identify land use and allocation trends throughout the country.

The House-approved bill has been pending in Congress for over two decades.

For Speaker Martin Romualdez, the House-approved measure would also pave the way for the Philippines to achieve food security.

“This is a long-awaited measure and the President knows its importance. Through this proposed National Land Use Act, the government will have the tool to properly identify land use and allocation patterns in all parts of the country,” he said.

But Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, one of the opponents of the bill, said that this will only license the massive conversion of land that was supposed to be used for food production to subdivision and commercial housing projects.

“We believe this proposed measure will facilitate more land conversion of farmlands, displacement of poor urban communities, development aggression, and extraction of environmental resources,” said the progressive solon.

Brosas then clarified that she is not against a national l land use policy unless it “promotes genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization that addresses the demands and needs of the basic sectors.”

The NLUC, which will act as the highest policy-making body on land, use and resolves land use policy conflicts between various levels of the government would also have the power to advise the President on all matters concerning land use and physical planning, among others.