The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is eyeing an updated comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) among cities and towns in Eastern Visayas within four years through streamlined and digitalized planning.
DHSUD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Michael Victor Tezon said the majority of cities and towns have not updated land use plans, prompting them to capacitate local governments through Planado (Plan and Do) Program.
Launched in February this year, Planado is an initiative to streamline and digitalize land use and urban planning and development processes toward enhanced smart, green, resilient, and inclusive human settlements.
“Currently, about 40 percent to 50 percent of our local government units (LGUs) have updated CLUPs. These comprehensive plans are needed for the development and promotion of land transportation, green development, digitalizing planning, and moderator of the planning stage,” Tezon said in an interview on Thursday.
The figure placed the region on top with serious problems with CLUP formulation, according to Tezon.
“We are aiming to focus now on a zero backlog of CLUPs in 2028. Planado will help the 3rd, 4th, and 5th class towns of the region to bridge and develop technological plans such as streamlining, enhancing capacity building, directing people on how to use these plans sustainably, and building safe and resilient infrastructures to promote connectivity, transportation, and other basic services,” he added.
The official said updated CLUPs are crucial with the growing share of the urban population. Citing a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority, urbanization was only 45 percent in 2010. It rose to 51 percent in 2015 and 54 percent in 2020.
Of the 143 LGUs in Eastern Visayas, 123 have CLUPs, and 53 areas have updated plans. Plans formulated 10 years ago are considered outdated.
Aside from non-updated CLUPs, there are still 20 towns in Samar, Southern Leyte, and Northern Samar without this document.
The department has been providing technical assistance to local governments, such as training, mentoring, and coaching activities to capacitate officials on data gathering, writing, and analysis for CLUP formulation.
Ibani Padao, director of the DHSUD main office Environmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Bureau, said the Planado program also focuses on underdeveloped areas.
“Poor urban planning and design in cities and municipalities and non-continuity of development plans and programs are the problems,” Padao said.
The Planado program intends to focus on two major outputs: achieving zero backlog on Comprehensive Land Use Plans and Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans by 2028 and promoting urban development for the next generation, or UrbaNext 2040.
A CLUP refers to the document formulated by the local government in consultation with its stakeholders defining or providing guidelines on the allocation, utilization, development, and management of all lands within a given territory or jurisdiction, including municipal waters.
The plan includes spatial maps and comprehensive data that will serve as a basis for LGUs when preparing sectoral and development plans.
The Local Government Code of 1991 mandates its preparation.
Citing studies, DHSUD said that among the common reasons why many LGUs have no CLUPs are budget constraints, the absence of a geographic information system specialist in their area, multi-tasking or overload of tasks in the municipal planning and development office, and insufficient qualified staff. (PNA)
