The Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC) of Eastern Visayas endorsed two significant plans, namely: the Southern Leyte Disaster Risk Reduction/Climate Change Adaptation (DRR/CCA) – Enhanced Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP) 2017-2022 and the Ormoc City Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) 2017-2027.

Both plans were unanimously endorsed to the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) during the 2018 First Semester RLUC VIII Meeting held on April 18, 2018 at the Felipina Hall, NEDA Regional Office VIII, Palo, Leyte.

The review and approval process of these Plans is pursuant to Executive Order No. 72, entitled, “Providing for the Preparation and Implementation of the Comprehensive Land Use Plans of Local Government Units Pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991 and Other Pertinent Laws” and the new CLUP Guidebooks of HLURB.

The Southern Leyte PDPFP 2017-2022 was presented by Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator (PPDC) of Southern Leyte, Ms. Ida Sy-Monzon. The said Plan which will serve as a guideline for the development of the province and will provide the framework for the municipal land use plans is linked with the national, regional, and municipal land use plans. It will also provide directions as to the allocation of land areas for urban expansion, settlement areas, infrastructure projects, production areas and protection areas of the province.

On the other hand, the Ormoc City CLUP 2017-2027 was presented by City Planning and Development Coordinator (CPDC) of Ormoc City, Engr. Raoul Cam. The said CLUP shall be the primary and dominant basis for the future use of land resources in the city. It also seeks to address the pressing issues on urban congestion, housing needs, flooding, road and waterways, industrialization, watershed and forest management, among others. The Ormoc City CLUP 2017-2027 spells out the strategies that will respond to the growing needs of the city in relation to its role as a regional center under the Visayas Spatial Development Framework (VSDF) 2015-2045.

Hiyasmin B. Martillo, PFPD, NEDA VIII