THE EFFECTS OF CONVERSION OF

AGRICULTURAL LANDS IN LUZON

GROUP LEADER:

Luis Ivan Taguiam

ASSISTANT LEADER:

Monica Rose Lumibao

GROUP MEMBERS:

Christy Lei Granil

Sean Santiago

Michaela Trixie Ramos

Vincent Gagarin

TEACHER:

Ms. Mary Ann Dela Cruz

TOPIC:

Loss of Agricultural Lands

THE EFFECTS OF CONVERSION OF

AGRICULTURAL LANDS IN LUZON
 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Problem

One of the major issues that Luzon is currently dealing with is land conversion. In
developing towns like Cabanatuan, the land is frequently converted into commercial structures or
villages. The primary causes of conversion are increasing demand for infrastructure and
urbanization, and as a result, not only will our food production be affected, but farms converting
to other uses will also result in a large number of farmers losing their jobs.

Research Questions

Why Luzon Experiences Conversion of Agricultural Lands?

Generally, the decreasing number of agricultural farms could be attributed to the

additional population in the region increased at a rate of 3.2 percent per year. Agricultural lands
may have been converted into housing or commercial spaces to accommodate the rising
population. One of the causes that leads to land conversion is the requirement for increased
living space. Continuous urbanization and industrialization in the provinces surrounding Manila
and other cities in Luzon have caused the production of agricultural land to decline. This
occurred when agricultural lands were converted to industrial, commercial, and residential uses.
The convert lands is a result due to people's need for a place to reside due to a shortage of homes
or residences.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The Agricultural Land Conversion Ban of 2019, Senate Bill 256

This bill aspires to ensure a brighter future for our farmers and the requirements of our
country. About 100,000 hectares of agricultural land, nearly the size of Metro Manila and Cebu
City combined, have failed to produce food since the agrarian reform in 1988. According to data,
Luzon suffers the most from huge land conversions, accounting for 80.6 percent of all allowed
land conversions in the country. The bill proposes to amend Section 20 of the Local Government
Code to need further consent from the departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, and
Environment and Natural Resources, as well as local government units, for land reclassification
and conversion. The Department of Agriculture (DA) must determine that the land is not among
those identified for conversion or reclassification and that it is no longer economically feasible
for agricultural use before it can be converted. (Sen. Pangilinan, 2019)

Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan wants to limit the unrestrained conversion of agricultural
land into residential, commercial, industrial, and other non-agricultural purposes to ensure that
Filipino farmers can produce food for the country. This bill can and does help us with our
Agricultural Issues in Luzon as a result of Land Conversion. Our food production and farmers'
job and future will be secured as a result of this law, and our supply and demand for food,
particularly rice, will be balanced. Agriculture, according to studies, takes a backseat to other
land development initiatives since it gives the lowest return on investment. According to
Pangilinan (2019) "This implies we need to make farming a more appealing business since we
all need food to survive," says the author.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

We can solve many agricultural problems with this bill because it prohibits the
conversion of agricultural lands, allowing us to secure more food production in our country and
help farmers keep their jobs. Luzon is the most affected by massive land conversion, and this bill
will help us and our agricultural lands survive. This Bill is one of the best or most comprehensive
solutions that we can think of, and it was thoroughly examined to gain a better understanding of
this short research project on The Effects of Agricultural Land Conversion in Luzon. It is not a
question of if it's beneficial but rather a fact that Poor people or farmers can undoubtedly benefit
from this program since it ensures the future of their jobs and livelihood. Thus, It also helps us
economically that we are producing more supply of food.

Agricultural land's task is to produce food and not be turned into other uses. This can
result in a shortage of lands on which rice may be planted can cause an imbalance that affects
everyone. The lack of rice supply and the higher the demand induce inflation and economic
failure. Because of the increasing price of rice, poor people can no longer afford to buy enough
rice for their families, resulting in hunger, death, a loss of purchasing power, and an increase in
poverty levels. According to Research, The Implementation of this Law can solve the majority of
the problems of the Filipino people.

The impacts of land conversion are a never-ending problem for the nation. Sen.
Pangilinan's proposed amendment not only addresses the concerns of Filipino citizens but also of
our government. The prohibition of land conversion benefits the majority of us because, if
properly implemented, a large amount of agricultural land can be continuously used to plant
more grains, resulting in a better supply. Furthermore, it enables us to compensate for the
misalignment of our supply and demand. The security of our country's economy is more
important than converting lands to illegal and unprofitable uses.

Securing our food production's future and farmers' jobs are more than enough for
professionals to agree that this law is a good solution. This solution to our agricultural problems
benefits our country by balancing supply and demand. An imbalance in supply and demand can
lead to a slew of problems for our country and economy, including inflation. This bill is a long-
term solution to our country's biggest problem, not just a band-aid. According to research, this
bill is a better investment for our country's current and future economies.

To sum it all up, this research indicates that converting lands into commercial,
residential, and other uses is not a good way to help our towns or islands, such as Cabanatuan,
claim to be developed. This bill is a long-term solution to our agricultural losses because it
prohibits converting lands without first examining them. This law has saved the poor, farmers,
the government, and our economy by increasing the amount of agricultural land available for
planting and thus stabilizing our supply and demand. Senate Bill 256 will improve Luzon and
our country. It is a disadvantage for developers, but it is a huge relief for our environment and the
DENR.

Recommendation

We must remark that this bill's plans and goals for our agriculture problem are a
fantastic solution, isn’t the only option. A lack of housing or a place to live, rapid population
growth, and the birth of children at the same time as poverty strikes are the factors that lead to
the conversion of land into dwellings and residential areas. These issues also contribute to the
fact that we are gradually running out of rice and food as a result of the high demand in our town
and country. Controlling our country's population is a fantastic way to avoid a food shortage and
to ensure that we don't have to worry about our food supply while also eliminating the need to
convert the land into residences.

References:

(Cabildo, Subingsubing, Cruz, 2017).

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/876377/many-farms-lost-to-land-conversion

(A Review of the Agriculture Sector in Central Luzon, 2004).

https://psa.gov.ph/content/review-agriculture-sector-central-luzon

(Moya, P.F.; Pingali, P.L.; Masicat, P.; Pabale, D.L.,1997).

https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PH9611141

(The Agricultural Land Conversion Ban of 2019, Senate Bill 256, 2019).
https://kikopangilinan.com/save-farming-and-farmers-stop-converting-farm-lands-kiko/

(Tamayo, 2019).
https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/08/26/news/national/bill-seeking-to-ban-land-
conversions-filed-in-senate/606081/
(Bankoff, 2019).
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14672715.1996.10416185
(Kelly, 1998).
http://www.pdfwww.china-up.com:8080/international/case/case/1203.pdf