House OKs bill to allow LGUs to expropriate land for housing

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Bantug Benitez FILE PHOTO

THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill granting more powers to local government units (LGUs) to take over private and government land for urban poor housing projects.

Voting 171-0 on Monday night, House members approved House Bill No. 6342 or “An Act Strengthening the Right of Local Government Units to Expropriate Lands for the Benefit of the Landless.”

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, chair of the House committee on housing and urban development, who sponsored the bill, said the measure would address the huge housing backlog by relaxing rules on the acquisition of land for housing projects.

Under the bill, Benitez said LGUs would be allowed to expropriate any land within their jurisdiction even if still subject of a court case.

The bill, Benitez explained, also allows the expropriation of land even if its ownership is still subject of a pending court litigation which was one of the main stumbling blocks to the construction of relocation facilities in the same area.

The bill also provided that all idle lands in urban and urbanizable areas would be expropriated unless the owner introduces improvements within one year of receipt of notice of acquisition.

The bill would empower LGUs to take over property owned by the government or any of its subdivision, alienable lands of the public domain, unregistered or abandoned and idle lands, and those declared areas of priority development, zonal improvement program sites and slum improvement and resettlement program locations.