The Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC)  led by Director  Luis G. Banua of the NEDA Regional  Office (NRO)  IV-A and RLUC Chairperson, endorsed the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Zoning Ordinance of Lucena City to the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) subject to compliance to the comments and suggestions of RLUC members during its third quarter meeting on September 3  at the Quezon Premier Hotel, Brgy. Domoit, Lucena City.

Before the endorsement, the RLUC conducted a technical review of Lucena City CLUP on September 2 participated by 30 representatives from regional line agencies and provincial planning and development offices of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon. The technical working group (TWG)  members reviewed the CLUP vis-à-vis existing land use policies and consistency with sectoral, provincial, regional and national thrusts.  Among the major comments of the RLUC were: (a) inclusion of sectoral analysis matrix and land use policies; (b) development of sectoral sub-plans; and (c) mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction-climate change adaptation measures, migration and development, and gender and development in  the Plan.

During the committee meeting, Mayor Roderick A. Alcala presented the Lucena City CLUP before the members of the RLUC and responded to the comments of the TWG as well as additional comments by  other RLUC members not represented in the TWG such as the UP Los Banos’ College of Human Ecology. Mayor Alcala committed to incorporate the comments immediately and hopes to secure the approval of the HLURB before the end of the year.

The RLUC review and endorsement to the HLURB is required since Lucena is classified as a highly urbanized city.