Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 517)
The Bagong Lipunan Sites and Services Program is a development strategy adopted by the Philippine government aiming to achieve equitable socio-economic opportunities through the development of human settlements.
The primary goal is to achieve an equitable distribution of socio-economic opportunities in the country and curb alarming migration through the development of Bagong Lipunan sites.
Presidential Decree No. 1396 empowers the President to declare areas for development as Bagong Lipunan sites.
Communities are classified into: (i) Neighborhood Community of 50-100 families in at least 2.5 hectares for each of 1,600 towns and cities; (ii) Agro-Industrial Community of 100-500 families in 50-200 hectares for each of 77 provinces; (iii) Watershed-Based Ecological Community of 500 or more families in a watershed of at least 500 hectares for each region of the country.
The Ministry of Human Settlements is assigned as the Program Secretariat and chairmanship of the Cabinet Committee for Bagong Lipunan Sites and Services.
The Minister of Human Settlements serves as the Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee.
The Ministry of the Budget must release funds (P5 million for administration and P1 million per town/city neighborhood program), program and release funds upon approval, and identify internal and external fund sources for Agro-industrial and Watershed-Based Communities.
The eleven basic human needs are identified by the Ministry of Human Settlements but are not explicitly listed in the Executive Order itself.
The Cabinet Committee must submit regular reports on the program's progress to the President and Prime Minister.
Demonstration settlements are to illustrate the benefits of the human settlements approach to community building to surrounding communities.
Members include the Ministers of Planning, Agriculture, Budget, Education and Culture, Energy, Health, Industry, Labor, Local Government and Community Development, National Defense, Natural Resources, Public Works, Transportation and Communications, and Trade.