DHSUD-6 urges LGUs to update land use plans

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has reported that while all local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas have Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs), some are now outdated and in need of updates.

“In Region 6, all LGUs have their CLUPs, but some are already outdated and need to be updated,” DHSUD-6 Director Eva Marie Marfil said during a press conference on Tuesday.

A CLUP is a strategic document prepared by LGUs to guide the allocation and management of land resources, balancing residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and recreational uses.

To assist LGUs in updating their CLUPs, DHSUD-6 regularly conducts capacity-building sessions.

Marfil noted, however, that the updating process is modular, given the 12 steps involved.

She said Iloilo City and Bacolod City, the two highly urbanized cities in the region, have already updated their CLUPs.

Among the provincial governments, only Negros Occidental is currently in the process of updating its plan.

Marfil urged other LGUs to update their CLUPs to ensure efficient and sustainable use of land resources.

She also clarified that an expired CLUP does not invalidate the existing zoning ordinance.

The creation of a zoning ordinance is one of the 12 steps in establishing a CLUP. The ordinance translates the land use plan into specific regulations governing how land within the LGU can be used.

“The zoning ordinance remains valid and enforceable until a new one is passed,” Marfil said.

While there are no penalties for LGUs that fail to update their CLUPs, Marfil pointed out that having an updated CLUP is a requirement for the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Seal of Good Local Governance award.

“There’s no sanction, but I wish there was. The CLUP is very important because it shapes the direction of the town,” she emphasized.