The National Economic and Development Authority said it strongly opposes the plan to freeze farm land conversion.
Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the move to impose a two-year moratorium on the conversion of about 4.7 million agricultural lands distributed under agrarian reform programs was “detrimental” and “anti-poor.”
Pernia said the agency would issue a position paper regarding the two-year agricultural land conversion, which he said would be tackled during the Cabinet meeting today.
“The problem here is a ban in land conversion will have an adverse impact on housing because many areas are not really suited for agriculture but they are better suited for housing,” Pernia said, citing the 5.5 million backlog in the housing system.
“We need to have more lots where housing can be constructed. Most of this backlog is for the poor so it’s [land conversion ban] actually gonna be anti-poor. It’ss going to delay our objective of providing housing to the population especially the poor sector of the population,” Pernia said.