MANILA, Philippines—Key government officials and representatives of development institutions, civil society organizations, and grassroots movements will convene today, 11 August 2025, at the Joy-Nostalg Hotel & Suites for a high-level roundtable discussion (RTD) on land and resource governance in the Philippines themed "Towards Modernizing Agriculture and Attaining Peace and Security." Organized by the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), with support from Fair Finance Philippines, the event brings together diverse sectors to examine critical challenges surrounding land tenure security, resource management, and governance.
The RTD will feature keynote and thematic presentations from the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev), SEARCA, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), among others. Sessions will tackle the state of land and resource tenure reforms, conflict monitoring, policy coherence, and investment pathways for sustainable agricultural modernization.
This event aims to generate actionable policy recommendations, including support for the proposed National Land Use Act (NLUA), which seeks to establish a coherent national framework for land use planning and management. Outcomes from the discussions will be compiled into a summary report and a communiqué for policymakers and development partners.
In addition, the event is expected to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration and feed into ongoing government and development partner initiatives aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and the country's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.