By Christine Cudis/PNA
MANILA — Following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to fast-track pending works, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said on Wednesday that a joint memorandum circular regarding applications for land conversion will be submitted to the Cabinet this March.
“Our initial submission will be with the Cabinet on March 4 and after that, we will present it to the President,” Castriciones said in a statement.
The application process for land use conversion from agricultural to residential, commercial or industrial uses, involves the Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, National Housing Authority, and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.
The Department of Energy is also involved in the process when the conversion of agricultural lands is sought for energy production.
“In pursuing this endeavor, it is foremost in our plans that each step is environmentally viable and socially feasible. It should also protect tillers’ rights and ensure food security,” Castriciones said.
In the latest meeting of the inter-agency task force, DAR Undersecretary Luis Meinrado Pangulayan, chairman of the task force, asked each agency to look into their processes and identify the bottlenecks in each procedure.
“After identifying the obstacles, we also asked them to simplify procedures, shorten the number of days for processing and do away with redundant certifications,” Pangulayan said.
The inter-agency task force has been meeting several times to abide by the President’s directive to streamline land conversion processes to 30 days from at least 24 months of processing.
In previous reports, the President has observed that former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano’s backlogs in land use conversion cases at the department, as he vouched for the capability of current DAR chief Castriciones.
Duterte has been complaining about the tedious process for land use conversion cases.
He also said the long process will be stressful for the applicants and would result in them giving up, adding that it will also be grounds for corruption as it takes several clearances from various agencies before it reaches the last stage.
