The Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines, Inc. (OSHDP) recently called on government to reconsider the proposed moratorium on agricultural land conversion, and set aside an draft Executive Order that will implement it. OSHDP said that food security can be best boosted through agricultural land productivity. It likewise noted that there is no reason for the drastic policy proposal: various data show that the total area of converted agricultural lands for the past 28 years (from 1988 to 2015) is a mere 1.22% of total agricultural lands in the country. Vice President Leni Robredo, who is also chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), met last week with officials of the OSHDP (See photo), to discuss the proposed moratorium; assess the impact of the proposed policy on the affected sectors; and consider alternatives, such as the strengthening of institutional mechanisms and procedures for land use conversion, prioritizing the passage of a national land use act, and increasing productivity of the country’s agricultural lands.
