Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is joined by advocates of urban farming.
MANILA, Philippines — The QC Food Security Task Force (FSTF) has started implementing a simplified procedure for landowners who wish to apply for Idle Land Tax exemption for their idle lands to be used for urban farming.
The number of urban farms in the city saw a dramatic jump in the second half of 2023, increasing from 754 in June to 1,026 in December.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the increase is attributed to the passage of an enabling law, City Ordinance No. SP-2972 in 2020, that exempts land owners from Idle Land Tax if they use their idle properties for urban agriculture for a minimum period of three years.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte with local residents promoting urban farming.
“In order to strengthen our advocacy of achieving food security, landowners with idle lands 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,” Belmonte said.
Under the 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 photos of their property, and at least one copy of any of the following documents: latest Real Property Tax (RPT) official receipt/ Tax Bill; Tax Declaration; or Land Title/CTC.
Mayor Joy Belmonte with officials advocating urban farming in Quezon City.
The Food Security Task Force will assess the application form and supporting documents, and after validation, the applicant will be issued an Urban Agriculture Activity Certification (UAAC) signed by the City Mayor.
This certification indicates the landowner has already initiated urban agriculture activities on his land. This UAAC will be forwarded to the City Assessor’s Office (CAO) for Idle Land Tax delisting. The applicant will then receive via email a notice from the CAO approval for idle land tax exemption.
Initially launched September 27, 2010, the urban farming program started with just a 750-square-meter area near the chain of restaurants at the Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC), and was relocated to a 1,500-square-meter site in QMC in 2014. Though there is no longer an urban farm within QMC, the farms can now be found in all the 142 barangays in Quezon City.
Aside from making food available and accessible, the program has given livelihood to around 25,000 QCitizen urban farmers working on green jobs, she added.
“This is a most welcome development, especially in addressing food security in our communities,” said Mayor Belmonte, who expanded the urban agriculture program as part of the GrowQC food security initiative during the pandemic to provide food for the most vulnerable communities in the city.
Furthermore, the city government will be advocating more “Food Surplus Rescue” efforts where excess food to be thrown away will be redirected to feed the hungry and vulnerable.