Joyce Pañares
Manila Standard

President Arroyo yesterday lifted a two-year ban on the conversion of lands, except rice farms, into non-agricultural purposes.

Mrs. Arroyo signed Administrative Order 226-A, which reduced the scope of the moratorium on the conversion of farmlands to other uses at the request of real estate developers.

The original ban covered all land conversion applications affecting rice lands and lands mentioned under Republic Act 8435 or the network of protected areas for agricultural and agro-industrial development.

Her latest order narrowed down the coverage of the moratorium to only rice lands including all irrigated areas and all irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects.

The amended order excludes the following areas from the conversion:

• all alluvial plain land highly suitable for agriculture whether irrigated or not;
• agro-industrial crop lands or lands presently planted to industrial crops that support the viability or existing agricultural infrastructure and agro-based enterprises;
• highland areas located at an elevation of 500 meters or above and have the potential for growing semi-temperate and high-value crops;
• all agricultural lands that are ecologically fragile;
• mangrove areas;
• and fish sanctuaries.

“To ensure sufficient rice supply, there is a need for all lands utilized and intended for rice production to be protected from any other land use or conversion,” President Arroyo said.

Earlier, the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association expressed alarm over the ban, saying it will negatively impact on corporate farms that are looking for more areas to plant higher-value crops like bananas and pineapples to take advantage of rising global demand as well as real estate developers.

“The land conversion may seem to be a harmless piece of government policy, but it can be the last straw that will break the camel’s back. You cannot just tinker carelessly with the real estate industry without facing grave economic consequences,” Creba said in a statement.