Farmland reclassification suspended until June

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) suspended the processing of all new agricultural and reclassification applications, citing the need to protect farmland from rapid conversion.

The DA, through Department Circular No. 1 signed on Jan. 5, imposed a moratorium on the acceptance and processing of Land‑Use Reclassification Certification applications until June.

Applications already submitted before the freeze will be processed, but appeals will be on hold until the moratorium is lifted.

In a statement, the DA said the suspension will allow it to reassess its regulatory framework and oversight, in the context of the rapidity of urban expansion and encroachment of infrastructure on agricultural land.

“There is a need to impose a moratorium on the acceptance and processing of applications… and to revisit and review the policies to strengthen DA oversight, ensure consistency, and protect agricultural land from undue conversion,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. was quoted as saying in the statement.

The DA said analysts have warned that continued loss of productive farmland could erode the Philippines’ ability to grow staples like rice and corn, weaken food self‑sufficiency, and increase import dependence. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel