A LAWMAKER has urged the immediate passage of the long-pending National Land Use Act (Nlua), saying that a unified national land use policy is crucial in addressing the country’s worsening and recurring flooding problems.
Parañaque Rep. Brian Yamsuan emphasized that flooding is not simply a drainage issue but a broader challenge involving land use planning, infrastructure development, and environmental management. He said that a science-based and long-term approach is needed to prevent communities from repeatedly suffering from destructive floods.
‘Localized solutions won’t fix flooding in the long run because flooding is not merely a drainage problem. It is a land-use, infrastructure, and environmental planning problem. A National Land Use Act is the critical, missing factor in providing lasting solutions to the recurring floods that our countrymen have long endured for decades,’ Yamsuan said.
He said the measure would unify local development plans with a national framework, prevent construction in high-risk and protected areas, and strengthen government enforcement of land use regulations.
‘A National Land Use Act will give the government more teeth in enforcing land use regulations and guide us where we should build so we avoid putting homes, businesses, and infrastructure in high-risk areas,’ Yamsuan said.
He added that isolated flood-control projects may only transfer the problem from one community to another. A national policy, he said, would promote coordinated planning and comprehensive solutions.
The House of Representatives approved the NLUA on its third and final reading on May 5, 2026, making it one of the priority measures of the Marcos administration. However, its counterpart bill in the Senate remains pending.
Among the key provisions of the House version is the integration of climate and disaster risk considerations into land use planning through the use of hazard maps, geospatial data, and environmental assessments. These tools will guide decisions involving flood plains, watersheds, coastal areas, and other disaster-prone locations.
Yamsuan also highlighted the importance of initiatives such as Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) in providing scientific data for zoning and land use decisions.
Aside from legislative action, Yamsuan proposed a three-part assessment framework called BEH, which examines the behavioral, environmental, and historical background of flood-prone communities.
He explained that the behavioral aspect would study population growth, settlement patterns, and waste disposal practices. The environmental aspect would examine water sources, drainage flow, and factors that obstruct water movement. The historical component would determine the original condition and development history of communities.
Using Parañaque as an example, Yamsuan noted that the city was historically an asinan, or salt-farm area, with naturally low-lying locations and unique soil conditions that influence flooding patterns.
Yamsuan also encouraged the government to adopt successful flood-management practices from other countries. He cited Copenhagen, Denmark, which transformed into a ‘sponge city’ by using nature-based solutions such as permeable pavements to improve rainwater absorption and storage.
A similar approach is being explored by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) with support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is currently studying possible locations for implementing the sponge city model.
‘We should identify areas where working with water instead of against it offers the best solutions to the flooding problem,’ Yamsuan said.
He also expressed support for House Bill 10028, which seeks to integrate sponge city principles and green infrastructure into national urban planning and development.