A DEBATE ABOUT PROHIBITION OF

BUILDNG SUBDIVISION OR BULDNG A FARMLAND

JIMMY LYN: In the present day, several agricultural lands were shrinking due to converting 
into commercial area, to residentials and subdivisions. Legislators, developers, and community
members have all disagreed on the contentious topic of whether it is permissible to construct
subdivisions on farmland rather than other types of land. Subdivision development can offer
much-needed housing and job opportunities, but it can also have a negative impact on the
environment and food security when farmland is turned into residential areas. According to
Republic Act No. 10611 (Food Safety Act 2013),2020, an Act to strengthen the Food Safety
Regulatory System in the country to Protect Consumer Health and Facilitate Market Access of
local foods and food products, and for other purposes. The conversion of fertile farmland into
subdivisions not only threatens the viability of local agriculture, but also contributes to a host of
environmental problems such as soil erosion, habitat destruction, and water pollution.

JAMAICA LUMAPAG: How can you say that we have total control of our country‘s food
inventory? When at the moment, we are importing goods from other countries. Not to mention
the smuggling of vegetables happening in our country. Do we need to forbid the construction of
subdivisions? Why would we forbid its construction, even though it would boost our economy? A
subdivision is a location where several homes or apartments were constructed simultaneously,
near to one another. Land conflict issues have already existed since the mid 2000's here in the
Philippines due to the unfair land distribution that resulted in various aggressive protests around
the country. It caused a fierce competition between many landlords and farmers that was then
given a resolution. But still, a land conflict has recently risen between farmers and landlords that
became a crucial issue in the country. Due to this dispute, politicians, farmers, and landowners
clashed over land conversions with split opinions about the said controversy. People may believe
that a subdivision is merely a piece of land that won't benefit our nation's economy or offer
benefits to citizens, but this is incorrect. Subdivisions benefit our economy in several ways,
including by giving residents. According to Park Enterprise Construction, if you plan on buying a
nice house and plan to sell it again later, subdivision is the place you need.

LEILA LLANTERO: Farmland can have a great impact on the economy, most specifically in
agriculture and employment. According to Inquirer (Ocampo, 2020), 4 years ago (2019) the
Philippines became the world’s biggest rice importer with a record 2.9 million MT, despite being
an agricultural country and with the Department of Agriculture (DA) devoting a bulk of its
budget to improve local production. If farmland is built instead of a subdivision, there's will be no
need for us to import rice or raw materials from other countries and our farmers will be given
justice and can sell their products for the fair and right amount.  Building farmland also can be a
main source of income and employment, especially in rural areas, the people living in it can do
farming and gardening and some landowners can convert theirs to farmland which earns a lot
more money. Fundamentally speaking, farmland or land in general is the source of all material
wealth and is extremely important to humanity. Richness in natural resources has a direct impact
on a country's economic prosperity.

CARLOS MALGAT: Subdivisions are a big contributor to the country‘s economic growth. This
can be explained in a variety of ways. For instance, according to Positive Real Estate, many
business owners tend to buy land near subdivisions to attract buyers and generate better revenue.
Also subdivisions can be used as a tool for economic transformation when the real estate market
expands and develops. With property prices outpacing inflation and providing lower-class people
the opportunity to advance due to the growth of their housing asset. In addition, building
subdivisions corresponds to upgraded economy as there are factories, better-designed houses and
structures that provide an impact to our society.

MARIVIR LUMAPAG:

LANCE MANLANGIT: As the population still increasing in the Philippines, we need to find a
suitable living space or areas for the families to occupy. According to Climate Change News, one
of the factors that affecting the economic growth of the country is the unmanaged population
growth, thus the country don’t have space for housing since the focus of the government is
agricultural farming which they neglected the increasing population growth and focus to it. By
this problem the subdivision will act as the solution to it, as families can live in subdivision
homes, which also helps to lower the number of people who do not have legal access to the land.
Subdivisions are also becoming more and more active with activities that meet residents' needs,
including local markets, playgrounds, and even churches and educational institutions as it follows
the Presidential Decree No.1216 which says defining “open space” in residential subdivisions and
amending Sec.31 of Presidential decree No.957 requiring subdivision owners to provide roads,
alleys, sidewalks, and reserve open space for recreational use. So lets pin the point of these
arguments, according to Philippine Institute for Development Studies, one of the factors that
affects the high inflation rate of Agriculture of farmlands is overpopulation. Furthermore,
according to DLSU 47% or 30 million hectares of the Philippines land are all farmlands. Almost
half of the Philippines are farmlands, instead of building or extending it we can just improved or
developed the agricultural land and makes some space to build a land for residential areas to
solve the problem of overpopulation.

RVER MAGO: A significant improvement is being seen in the Philippine economy, one of the
factors that help the growth is the subdivision. According to A.R Brouwer Company the
construction has a direct impact on our economy, as it creates job to people. It also has a trickle-
down effect on industries other than its own. Commercial and residential construction stimulates
growth in retail, real estate, equipment, manufacturing plants, schools, and tourism, to name a
few. Even to community members, construction and development can seem invasive and
unnecessary, it is vital for our economy. According to the Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA),
the Philippines' Agricultural Farmlands also one of the key factors of the growth of the economy
in our country but the agricultural output substantially declined in the last decades. This indicates
that the agricultural sector had extremely high inflation rates due to the importing and exporting
of items whose prices would rise.

NORLENMIEL MADERA: In order to promote sustainable growth, subdivision building

should be discouraged in favor of farmland development. It is a key measure to safeguard the
agriculture industry and guarantee the long-term growth of our nation. According to the
Philippine Constitution, Republic Act No. 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of
1988, aims to promote the equitable land distribution and encourage the development of
sustainable farming practices. This law provides for the transfer of land ownership from large
landowners to small farmers, intending to improve the economic viability of small farms and
promote the sustainable use of agricultural land. As the world's population expands, it is essential
that we make sure our development techniques are environmentally friendly, don't hurt the
environment, and don't threaten the welfare of future generations. We are moving closer to a
more sustainable future by keeping priceless farmland from being developed and by meeting the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.  
TREXIE ILO: Agricultural production, used to produce food, fiber, and other crops that are
important for human survival and well-being. According to Agricultural Law No. 5488, the law
states that the agricultural policies are aiming at improving welfare level in the agricultural sector
by ensuring agricultural development, increasing productivity, strengthening food safety and
security, protecting and improving natural and biological resources, developing producer
organizations. Most of the things we need can be seen or found in agricultural lands so when we
lose it we will have nothing to eat and we will lose the supply of things we use in our daily lives.
If we think about what if the fields are gone where will we get our food? Where can we find
things to support us? How we can survive? We really need the farmlands to produce enough food
and things for us to live well and peacefully.

CARLOS MALIGAT: So in conclusion, subdivision comes with multiple benefits. Not only
does it solve the problem of overpopulation by providing families with clean and organized
shelter, it is also a great factor for the Philippines's economic growth. As urbanization continue to
increase, it is important to prioritize the residential areas where people will live. Furthermore, this
will prevent one of the problems in our society, which is the unmanageable population since
subdivisions assists families to be organized. This will guarantee homes, jobs and peaceful
environment to everybody and also prevent squatter houses. Therefore, we shouldn't just focus on
building farmlands and be a holistic thinker and think what is the right to solve the problem we
will face since it both contributes to the growth of the society.

NORLENMIEL MADERA: As urbanization continues to increase, it is important to prioritize

the protection of fertile farmland over the creation of new subdivisions in order to ensure the
long-term sustainability of our food systems. Farmland is a better option than subdivision for a
number of reasons. Firstly, it promotes sustainable development by keeping our priceless
farmland being developed. Secondly, it is very important for our agricultural production in terms
of food security. And lastly, it preserves our economy where there will be no need for importing
food. Therefore, it is in the best interest of society to prioritize the protection and conservation of
farmland over the development of subdivisions.