Binay awards LGUs for land use programs

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay Wednesday awarded 172 local government units in Northern Luzon for completing the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) training on formulation and updating of their respective Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs).

Ten LGUs received gold award for having CLUPs and Zoning Ordinances approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Ten and 47 got silver and bronze, respectively, for drafting their CLUPs and Zoning Ordinances, and processing them for approval.

Some 105 LGUs, on the other hand, obtained Certificates of Completion for finishing the four planning modules on drafting CLUPs and zoning ordinances.

“Nais naming bigyan ng parangal ang 172 lokal na pamahalaan dito sa Region 1, Region 2 at Cordillera Administrative Region na nagsikap at nagpakahirap makatapos sa training na isinagawa ng HLURB sa CLUP formulation o updating,” Binay said.

“Special mention ang ating sampung gold awardees. Ibig sabihin ng gold, hindi lang nila nagawa ang CLUP, naipasa na rin ito ng kanilang mga Sangguniang Panlalawigan,” he added.

Those who received gold award included La Paz and Arrubia in Abra; Sta. Cruz, Sugpon, and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur; Binalonan and Dasol in Pangasinan; and Angadanan, San Manuel and San Mateo in Isabela.

HLURB, per Binay’s instruction, launched a CLUP Zero Backlog Project in 2012 which aimed to provide technical assistance to LGUs in CLUP formulation and updating. 

The Vice President stressed the need for LGUs to have their CLUPs, calling it the “beginning of your road map towards growth and development.”

“Isang paalala ang CLUP na ang lupa ay isang mahalagang resource dahil ito ay limitado. Kailangang pag-isipang mabuti kung paano ninyo ito gagamitin kasabay ng pangangalaga ninyo dito,” Binay said.

However, he noted that LGUs should reinforce their CLUPs with Zoning Ordinances that will ensure the implementation of the land use plans.

“Kahit na may CLUP kayo, kung hindi naman ninyo ito susundin sa implementasyon ng inyong mga programa, at papayagan ninyong magtayo ng kung anu-anong proyekto kahit saan ang iba’t ibang sektor at kumpanya, balewala rin po ito. You will defeat your very own purpose,” Binay warned.

“Katulad po ng ating mga graduates, kung hindi naman po nila gagamitin ang kanilang mga pinag-aralan, wala rin po silang mararating. Ito ang hamon sa atin sa araw na ito: ang maayos at matagumpay na pagpapatupad ng inyong CLUP at Zoning Ordinances tungo sa kaunlaran ng inyong bayan,” he added.

As of writing, 680 out of 1,132 LGUs, which had no CLUP or had outdated land use plans, have completed the different training modules of HLURB, and 551 of have already formulated their CLUPs.