SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez on Friday night committed the approval of the National Land Use Act by the end of 2022, and support to other bills for the development of the real estate sector in an assembly of the National Real Estate Association (NREA).

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, stressed the inclusion of a comprehensive land use policy in his legislative agenda, particularly the National Land Use Act.

“We share with the President a common desire to craft a unified framework that will govern the use of land resources in the country. We need to harmonize and integrate conflicting laws, policies, principles and guidelines on land use and physical planning. Our policy experts noted that there are around 30 overlapping environmental and ecological protection laws and policies on the use of water and land management,” Romualdez, who was overwhelmingly elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the current 19th Congress, said during his speech at the NREA midyear membership assembly in Makati City.

“My dear friends at NREA, we in the House of Representatives are committed to approve the National Land Use Act the soonest time possible. We expect to approve this measure on third and final reading before the year is over,” he added.

The Leyte 1st District representative also urged the NREA to study and submit position papers on the other legislative measures now filed in Congress that have impact on the development of the real estate sector.

“We will not pass any law affecting your sector without hearing you first,” Romualdez stressed, as he recognized the valuable contributions of the real estate industry to the country.

“You generate jobs for our people, provide shelter for the protection and security of Filipino household, and contribute a steady flow of income for the nation’s coffers,” Romualdez added.

He said Congress enacted Republic Act (RA) No. 9646 or the Real Estate Service Act of the Philippines in 2009 to address some issues in the industry and to “develop and nurture through proper and effective regulation and supervision a corps of technically competent, responsible and respected professional real estate service practitioners whose standards of practice and service shall be globally competitive and will promote the growth of the real estate industry.”

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Ryan Ponce Pacpaco