Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco “Lalo” Matugas is pressing for the passage of the National Land Use Act as the Senate continues deliberations on proposals to establish a unified framework for managing land and natural resources.

Matugas, chairman of the House Special Committee on Land Use and principal author of House Bill 8466, said Senate deliberations could further strengthen the long-pending measure.

“We appreciate the Senate for giving serious attention to this long-standing measure,” Matugas said, adding that senators’ inputs could help produce a stronger and more workable law.

HB 8466 was approved by the House on third and final reading on 5 May and transmitted to the Senate the following day.

The bill seeks to establish a national land use policy and create a National Land Use Commission to coordinate planning involving agriculture, housing, infrastructure, economic development, environmental protection and disaster resilience.

It also recognizes ancestral domains and the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples, requiring land use plans within ancestral domains to respect traditional resource-management systems.

Advocacy groups working with Indigenous communities have long supported a national land-use law as a way to address conflicting rules over the ownership and use of land and natural resources.

Matugas said the current effort builds on work from the 19th Congress, when former Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco Jose “Bingo” Matugas II was among the authors of an earlier House version of the measure.

“The effort did not begin with this Congress. Congressman Bingo and our colleagues in the previous Congress worked to advance the measure in the House. We were able to build on that work and move it forward again,” Matugas said.

He added that the House is ready to work with the Senate on changes to the bill.

“The House has done its part, and we look forward to working constructively with our colleagues in the Senate. If there are provisions that can be strengthened, we are ready to listen and work with them,” Matugas said.

“After decades of discussion, Congress has another opportunity to finally provide the country with a national land use law,” he added.