Activity 6.

Instruction:
• Read and understand each challenge. Write down your answer on the space/template provided after each challenge.
• Submit your output to your Instructor/Professor for checking and grading through either ways:
• For non-print modality, submit it through electronic mail or messenger. Your instructor/professor will provide his/her
official electronic mail address.
• For print modality, submit it through courier through the school address where you are enrolled or any alternative way
provided health and safety measures are observed. See rubrics provided on pages 58 and 59.

In this activity, you are given varied challenges of the planning environment in the Philippines. To overcome each
challenge, you need to identify the development direction/s and strategy/ies. Each challenge is 10 points.

Name: Sheila L. Porio Total Points: 70 Score: _____

Challenge 1. The increasing urban population, density, and demand for urban services.

Table 1 showed the increasing urban population (52,008,603) as of August 13, 2020 in the Philippines. The
population density in the Philippines is 368 per Km2 (952 people per mi2) . Demand for urban services include
urban renewal, zoning and land use planning and shelter1.

Table 1. Current Population of the Philippines as of August 13, 2020

Year Population Density (P/ Urban Urban Population Country’s Share of World Population Philippines
km2) Pop % World Population Global Rank

2020 109,746,632 368 47.5 % 52,008,603 1.41% 7,794,798,739 13

Source: Worldometer (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/philippines-population
Urban renewal, Zoning and Land Use Planning and Shelter Services includes the formulation, adoption
and implementation of policies, standards, rules and regulations, programs and projects to rationalize and
optimize urban land use and provide direction to urban growth and expansion, the rehabilitation and
development of slum and blighted areas, the development of shelter and housing facilities and the
provision of necessary social services.

Challenge 1. Increasing urban population, density and demand of services

1. What is/are the development direction/s of the country to overcome this challenge? Why?

To overcome this challenge, the development direction will be access to productive opportunities and
minimum desirable levels of social welfare is guaranteed. When we say urban there is a lot of opportunities that
people get attracted with such as employment opportunities are greater within urban areas. Better paid jobs in
the cities, an expected higher standard of living and more reliable food are all pull factors - reasons why people
are attracted to the city that leads to a higher incidence of infectious disease and an earlier average age of attack
and cause to increase the services demand with in the areas. There must be sufficient services in rural areas such
as health services and education, establishing a hospital in a central area between villages just to ensure that the
people from rural areas will easily access what they want as the urban areas have.

2. What is/are the strategy/ies that government should employ to address this challenge and achieve the desired
development direction/s?

1MMDA (n.d.). Urban renewal, zoning and land use planning and shelter services. Retrieved from
http://www.mmda.gov.ph/2uncategorised/3514-urban-renewal-zoning-and-land-use-planning-and-shelter-services-2.html
 The strategies that Government should employ to address this challenge is the resource area-based
development this is to create lots of opportunities with in the rural areas so that people from rural will not going
to the urban areas just to find job or have a high salary. Also, it is much better that our Government must to
create lots of opportunities in the rural areas like infrastructure, healthcare services, and university that urban
have so that the people from rural will not go to urban just to have a better living.

Challenge 2. Unplanned expansion of settlement areas

Based on the article “Dealing with informal settlers2”, the unplanned expansion of settlement areas could be trace
back during the World War II. More than 50 years later, the Philippines remains enslaved to the harrowing effects
of the war. Having lost their house due to war, refugees initially settled in Intramuros and Tondo Foreshore Land,
earmarked as the expansion of a port district. Then, more refugees continued to arrive in Manila, started opening
factories and offices and reviving the commercial industry.

According to the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the proliferation of informal
settlements in the Philippines has become a phenomenon associated with big cities and expanding centers. From
the early 1970s to more recent years, estimates of the number of informal settlers in the country have varied,
ranging from as low as 470,000 families to as high as 2.5 million families.

Based on the study “Squatter Access to Land in Metro Manila” by Ton van Naerssen of Ateneo de Manila Univesity,
urban land is either unutilized or insufficiently utilized to address the growing number of informal settlers. The
ownership of land in Manila is concentrated in the hands of few families. Many poor families try to find a place in
already established spontaneous settlements, where the population density steadily increases. While the property
owners’ voices remain to be heard by the proper authorities, they may still resort to court action to reclaim their
lands from illegal settlers.

Challenge 2. Unplanned expansion of settlement areas

3. What is/are the development direction/s of the country to overcome this challenge? Why?

social, cultural, political and economic interaction takes place beyond local, regional and even national
boundaries were our government must to address this problem about informal settlers so that they can help this
people to have a better living in the other place and entitle properties by their name.

Challenge 2. Unplanned expansion of settlement areas

4. What is/are the strategy/ies that government should employ to address this challenge and achieve the desired
development direction/s?
installation of mechanisms for effective regional development to achieved their plans in dealing with the
informal settlers.

2 Mawis, S.M.D. (2019). Dealing with informal settlements. Retrieved from https://business.inquirer.net/268622/dealing-with-
informalsettlements#ixzz6V04p86qT
 Challenge 3. Declining agricultural productivity

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the

country’s agricultural output3 contracted by 1.27% in the 2nd
quarter of 2019 due to the decline in crops production. At current
prices, the value of agricultural production amounted to P424.6
billion, 5.2% lower than the previous year's level. Yearto-date,
output went down by 0.24%.

The Department of Agriculture aims to gradually improve the

Figure 3. Philippines’ Agricultural Output
sector and hit growth as high as 4% in the coming years. The
Source: Rivas, R. (2019). Agricultural output worsens,
congovernment is targeting to reach 3.5% growth in farm produc- tracts by 1.27% in Q2 2019. Retrieved from https://
tion for 2019. rappler.com/business/agricultural-output-philippines-q2-
2019

Challenge 3. Declining agricultural productivity

5. What is/are the development direction/s of the country to overcome this challenge? Why?

comparative advantages and regional resource endowments are fully harnessed without destroying their
assimilative and regenerative capacities because our government must to take care of the land use of the
agricultural productivity without destroying the natural resources and restored the land used to increase the
agricultural productivity in the country. Governments must to encourage the people to buy our agricultural supply
to support our local farmers by promoting local stores that sell local products.

6. What is/are the strategy/ies that government should employ to address this challenge and achieve the desired
development direction/s?

Just to address this challenge in our country the Governments should strengthen the urban-rural linkages
to help our rural farmers to deliver their goods and services to the urban areas.

Challenge 4. Land degradation

In the Philippines, deforestation and land use4 change have reduced forest cover from about 90 per cent in the 16th
century, to 70 per cent by 1900, and about 23 per cent at present. Forest land currently covers ≈25.5% of total land;

3Rivas, R. (2019). Agricultural output worsens, contracts by 1.27% in Q2 2019. Retrieved from https://rappler.com/business/agriculturaloutput-
philippines-q2-2019
4 Global environment facility (2019). Sustainable Land Management enhances soil productivity and profitability in the Philippines. Retrieved
from https://www.thegef.org/news/sustainable-land-management-enhances-soil-productivity-and-profitability-philippines
 total degraded lands in the Philippines are estimated at
132,275km2, affecting over 33 million Filipinos. Land
degradation, exacerbating climate change and
biodiversity loss makes adaptation imperative.
Communities that are heavily reliant on the land will
need support to become resilient in the face of
environmental, socioeconomic, and climatic pressures.
Source: Global environment facility (2019). Sustainable Land
Management enhances soil productivity and profitability in the
Philippines. Retrieved from
https://www.thegef.org/news/sustainableland-management-enhances-soil-productivity-and-profitabilityphilippines

Challenge 4. Land degradation in the Philippines

7. What is/are the development direction/s of the country to overcome this challenge? Why?

To overcome this challenged the development direction we can use are the social, cultural, political and
economic interaction takes place beyond local, regional and even national boundaries and comparative
advantages and regional resource endowments are fully harnessed without destroying their assimilative and
regenerative capacities this is to help solve the problem in the Philippines that causes by the excessive use of
fertilizers and pesticides, water logging and many more.

8. What is/are the strategy/ies that government should employ to address this challenge and achieve the desired
development direction/s?

To address this challenge, the strategies must the government possess is the resource area-based
development this is to help the farmers to bring back their land by using natural resources without using harsh
chemicals that could harm the soil by this they can plant again in the future.

Challenge 5. Limited access to land

Bukidnon has the biggest plantation in the world and a farming economy producing rice, corn and sugarcane.
Accelerating development has led to increasing pressures on the land. Population growth, weak land use planning,
industrialization, and unsustainable land use have taken a toll of the natural resources in the Philippines, while
erratic storms ravaged its coasts. Many farmers relies on subsistence corn cultivation and usually take over sloping
forest lands. In an area with limited access to land and lack of information about the impact of unsustainable
farming practices, farming these often steeply sloped protected forest areas has unintentionally resulted in
varying forms and degrees of soil erosion, with their attendant impacts on soil fertility.
Challenge 5. Limited access on land

9. What is/are the development direction/s of the country to overcome this challenge? Why?

Social, cultural, political, and economic interaction take place beyond local, regional and even national
boundaries to help the farmers managing their farms when it comes in their crops.

10. What is/are the strategy/ies that government should employ to address this challenge and achieve the
desired development direction/s?

resource area-based development and installation of mechanisms for effective regional development is
the best strategies for me to address this problem in the Bukidnon.

Challenge 6. Outdated land use plans and the increasing role of LGUs in planning

In theory, the interplay of plans and hierarchies in the Philippine planning system 5 has been well defined for many
years. In reality, the system has been characterized by multiple policies of different authorities with overlapping
mandates. For example, large portions of Philippine land are classified as forest land, and are managed through
Forest Land Use Plans under the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This
separation of types of land hinders municipal planners to integrate this land into comprehensive land use planning
and thus largely excludes residents using these lands from the provision of municipal public services.

Vertical frictions in the planning system occur, due to the timely misalignment of different plans and incomplete
information exchange between agencies. The CLUPs are supposed to be harmonized with the Provincial
Development and Physical Framework Plan—frequently not sufficiently achieved in either direction. At the same
time, inputs provided by a Barangay Development Plan, mandated by the Department of the Interior and Local
Government, are supposed to be incorporated into the planning goals of the CLUP. In the absence of a formulated
Barangay Development Plan, the CLUP can thus only assume barangay planning goals, which reduces the quality
of local representation.

Horizontal frictions occur due to the misalignment of the CLUP and the Comprehensive Development Plans (CDP)—
both municipal level plans. In theory, the CLUP is operationalized in the CDP, followed by integration into
investment plans and transfer into municipal budgeting. This linkage of aligning spatial and socio-economic
development goals with budgetary planning often lacks coherence. The process of developing and updating CLUPs
is lengthy and the approval process can be extensive. Hence, municipal executives often rely solely on the CDP for
quick project implementation. These inconsistencies in the planning process leave greater leeway for politicized
decisions and ad hoc project prioritizations by powerful executives or local political elites, in which, for example,
political supporters are more likely beneficiaries of projects and the disbursement of funds. In extreme cases,
vested interests of executive officers and influential landowners block the formulation and approval of zoning
ordinances as well as implementation according to plans.

5
Lech, M. & Leppert, G. (2018). Current issues of the Philippine land use planning and management system. Retrieved from https://
www.deval.org/files/content/Dateien/Evaluierung/Policy%20Briefs/DEval_Policy%20Brief_Philippinen_1.18_EN_Web.pdf
Apparently, some of the LGUs have no or outdated land use plans. Main hindering factors for successful CLUP
formulation, updating and implementation include: frictions and political interference; complexity in planning
policies; rivalling mandates; limited capacities of local governments; as well as tenure conflicts.

Challenge 6: Outdated land use plans and the increasing role of LGUs in planning
11. What is/are the development direction/s of the country to overcome this challenge? Why?

To overcome this challenge, the development direction that best for me is Access to productive
opportunities and minimum desirable levels of social welfare is guaranteed. In this challenge it is very important
to have an updated plan in the use of land to ensure and provide the best strategies that are relevant nowadays
even if the LGUs has a lot of plans but out of date, therefore it is useless. The development direction that I
mentioned above is useful so that LGUs will plans relevantly.

12. What is/are the strategy/ies that government should employ to address this challenge and achieve the desired
development direction/s?

To address this challenge and achieve the desires development direction, the government should employ
the strategies which is the installation of mechanisms for effective regional development. This is to help the LGUs
in creating a plan relevantly to achieve their desire objectives in the use of land.

Challenge 7. Lack of institutional linkages

Based from the article “Urban versus rural6”, the greatest divide that all relatively developed nations—and some
extremely poor countries—are facing is the divide between urban and rural. In the Philippines, the economic impact
of agriculture has dropped by about 50 percent in the past 30 years. Population, economic activity and much of the
total political power are concentrated in a small portion of the nation. Large urban areas offer many benefits above
economic. But these come with a downside. Concentrations of a large population in a relatively small area cause
problems like increased crime. This requires additional security funding. There must be more health-care facilities,
schools and distribution centers for essential goods. Urban planning is necessary to maintain the best land use for
development. However, urbanization has caused two systemic problems.

As an example, Metro Manila has a long catalog of problems that have not been adequately addressed, and moving
people around the metropolis is perhaps first on everyone’s list. However, when the time the problem was “fixed”
with new roads and mass transit, the increase in population would mean that traffic would be just as bad or worse
even after all the recommendations were implemented. The National Capital Region has a serious transportation
problem. But so also do the rural areas. With 20 percent of the nation’s population—and votes and political power—
funding is concentrated in the NCR. Problems in the rural areas are hardly tackled at all. This urban/rural divide is a
serious global problem not only in terms of government funding but also of resource allocation. Urban areas use
much more of everything, from water to power, and often there is just not enough to meet all the people’s needs.

Challenge 7. Lack of institutional linkages

13. What is/are the development direction/s of the country to overcome this challenge? Why?

Access to productive opportunities and minimum desirable levels of social welfare is guaranteed. This is
to create institutional linkages to the other parties to help working with other organization that means to help the

6 Business Mirror (2018). Urban versus rural. Retrieved from https://businessmirror.com.ph/2018/11/09/urban-versus-rural/

life of people become easier because lacks of institutional linkages will leads to a low performance in the
organization.

14. What is/are the strategy/ies that government should employ to address this challenge and achieve the desired
development direction/s?

strengthening of urban-rural linkages will help to achieve the desired development directions that help
the organization keep up with advances in pertinent fields, and give access to wide-ranging sources of up-to-t-
date information.