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DOJ OPINION NO. 044, s. 1990

March 16, 1990

Secretary Florencio Aba

De!art"ent o# A$rarian %e#or"

Dili"an, &'e(on )ity

Sir *

 +his re#ers to yo'r letter o# the 1th instant statin$ yo'r -!osition that !rior to the

!assa$e o# %.A. 66/, the De!art"ent o# A$rarian %e#or" ha the a'thority to

classi#y an eclare hich a$ric'lt'ral lans are s'itable #or nona$ric'lt'ral!'r!oses, an to a!!ro2e or isa!!ro2e a!!lications #or con2ersion #ro" a$ric'lt'ral

to nona$ric'lt'ral 'ses.- !r33

In s'!!ort o# the #ore$oin$ 2ie, yo' conten that 'ner %.A. No. 44, as

a"ene, the De!art"ent o# A$rarian %e#or" 5DA% is e"!oere to -eter"ine

an eclare an a$ric'lt'ral lan to be s'ite #or resiential, co""ercial, in'strial

or so"e other 'rban !'r!ose- an to -con2ert a$ric'lt'ral lan #ro" a$ric'lt'ral to

nona$ric'lt'ral !'r!oses-7 that P.D. No. , as a"ene by P.D. No. 1 -a8r"s

that the con2ersion o# a$ric'lt'ral lans shall be alloe only '!on !re2io's

a'thori(ation o# the DA%:7 ith res!ect to tenante rice an corn lans-7 that a

Me"oran'" o# A$ree"ent ate May 1, 19// beteen the DA%, the De!art"ent

o# 3ocal ;o2ern"ent an )o""'nity De2elo!"ent an the then

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 J'ne 1, 19, the ate o# eHecti2ity o# the )o"!rehensi2e A$rarian %e#or" 3a

5%.A. No. 66/. it is yo'r !osition that the a'thority o# DA% to a'thori(e s'ch

con2ersion e?iste e2en !rior to J'ne 1, 19 or as early as 196 'ner the

A$ric'lt'ral 3an %e#or" )oe 5%.A. No. 447 as a"ene.

It sho'l be "ae clear at the o'tset that the a#ore"entione st'y o# thisDe!art"ent as base on #acts an iss'es arisin$ #ro" the i"!le"entation o# the

)o"!rehensi2e A$rarian %e#or" Pro$ra" 5)A%P. hile there is no s!ecic an

e?!ress a'thority $i2en to DA% in the )A%P la to a!!ro2e or isa!!ro2e con2ersion

o# a$ric'lt'ral lans to non a$ric'lt'ral 'ses, beca'se Section 6 only re#ers to

con2ersions eHecte a#ter 2e years #ro" ate o# the aar, e o!ine that the

a'thority o# the DA% to a!!ro2e or isa!!ro2e con2ersions o# a$ric'lt'ral lans to

nona$ric'lt'ral 'ses a!!lies only to con2ersions "ae on or a#ter J'ne 1, 19,

the ate o# eHecti2ity o# %.A. No. 66/, solely on the basis o# o'r inter!retation o# 

DA%@s "anate an the co"!rehensi2e co2era$e o# the lan re#or" !ro$ra". +h's,

e sai* !rc

-Bein$ 2este ith e?cl'si2e ori$inal 'risiction o2er all "atters in2ol2in$ the

i"!le"entation o# a$rarian re#or", it is belie2e to be the a$rarian re#or" la@s

intention that any con2ersion o# a !ri2ate a$ric'lt'ral lan to non a$ric'lt'ral 'ses

sho'l be cleare be#orehan by the DA%. +r'e, the DA%@s e?!ress !oer o2er lan

'se con2ersion is li"ite to cases in hich a$ric'lt'ral lans alreay aare ha2e,

a#ter 2e years, cease to be econo"ically #easible an so'n #or a$ric'lt'ral

!'r!oses, or the locality has beco"e 'rbani(e an the lan ill ha2e a $reater

econo"ic 2al'e #or resiential, co""ercial or in'strial !'r!oses. B't to s'$$est

that these are the only instances hen the DA% can re'ire con2ersion clearances

o'l o!en a loo!hole in the %.A. No. 66/, hich e2ery lanoner "ay 'se to

e2ae co"!liance ith the a$rarian re#or" !ro$ra".

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a$ric'lt'ral or to nona$ric'lt'ral 'ses, -s'bect to st'ies on (onin$ o# the >, 19/, it is o'r 2ie that =.O. No. 1>9A liEeise i not !ro2ie a ne

so'rce o# !oer o# DA% ith res!ect to con2ersion b't it "erely reco$ni(e an

rea8r"e the e?istence o# s'ch !oer as $rante 'ner e?istin$ las. +his is

clearly in#errable #ro" the #olloin$ !ro2ision o# =.O. No. 1>9A to it*

-Sec. . Poers an F'nctions. P'rs'ant to the "anate o# the De!art"ent,

an in orer to ens're the s'ccess#'l i"!le"entation o# the )o"!rehensi2e

A$rarian %e#or" Pro$ra", the De!art"ent is hereby a'thori(e to*

1

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Anent the obser2ation re$arin$ the alle$e eletion o# resiential, ho'sin$,

co""ercial an in'strial sites classie by the