The Quezon City government has simplified the application for idle land tax exemption.
To promote food security and urban agriculture, the city’s Food Security Task Force has made it easier the procedure in applying for idle land tax exemption to landowners who utilize their land for urban farming.
“To strengthen our advocacy of achieving food security, landowners with idle lands that will be converted to urban farms need only to submit a one-time application to the city government. This is a win-win solution for both the landowners and the city,” QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
In 2020, Belmonte approved City Ordinance SP-2972 S-2020 providing for the exemption of idle land tax payment to landowners who allot their idle lands for urban agriculture use, such as gardening and composting for a minimum of three years.
The produce from their land can be used for personal or public consumption.
Under this simplified process, landowners who wish to apply for idle land tax exemption must submit via email an application letter, a duly accomplished application for waiver of idle land tax for food security, the latest photographs of their property, and at least one copy of any of these documents — latest real-property tax, official receipt/tax bill; tax declaration, or land title.
“We highly encourage landowners of idle lands to make use of their land for urban agriculture, which can help the city achieve its food security goals, especially now that we simplified our process,” task force co-chairperson Emmanuel Hugh Velasco said.
To date, there are 1,026 urban farms in the city being managed by 25,650 urban farmers.