Marcos orders agencies to create masterlist of government-owned lands

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the creation of an inter-agency coordinating council that will complete an inventory of all government-owned lands for its strategic use. 

According to Administrative Order No. 21, the government will use the masterlist to ensure the efficient and effective allocation and utilization of the country's land resources, including idle lands owned by the government.

This inventory of idle government lands is one of the government's key strategies to meet the goals of its long-term economic plan or the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development will co-chair the coordinating council, which has nine other agencies as members, according to the order, which was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

Last year, the president issued Executive Order 34 that reserves vacant government lands for housing projects that offer socialized housing schemes for families with no permanent home. These projects fall under the Pamabsansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino program, the government's flagship national housing project.

Over 57,000 Filipinos live in relocation areas, while over 12,000 are considered homeless, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority as reported by BusinessMirror in 2023. — Cristina Chi