Rodriguez, Clyde Angelo R.

BLA 3

Unit Assignment #3
Analysis of Guiguinto Land Use Regulation and Urban Design
Research if you municipality/city has a CLUP.
Question 1. If it does, how are each land use regulated? Are standard regulations for each kind of zone being followed?
Why or why not?
Question 2. In both cases, are the different zones and areas in your city exhibiting good urban design? Why and why not?
How can each different zone be improved?

Below is a breakdown of how the CLUP regulates each land use, whether it appears to follow applicable national
standards, and how each zone performs from an urban design / landscape-architecture perspective.
 Residential Zones (R-zones, including R-3 mid/high density proposals)

CLUP Regulation
The CLUP explicitly recommends mixed-use and medium–high density (R-3) housing in identified growth centers and
promotes mid-rise housing to meet demand; it refers to HLURB standards and sets guidance on locating residential areas
outside hazard zones. It also states that projected residential demand should be located in areas free from natural and man-
made hazards and that in-filling the urban core is preferred to preserve agricultural lands.
National Standars/Regulation
The CLUP cites HLURB (now HUDCC standards) and PD 1096 and prescribes their use in zoning and subdivision
approvals — so on paper, standards are referenced and intended to be followed. However the plan itself notes that many
residential patterns are “spontaneous” and enforcement (from building permit to occupancy permit) must be strengthened.
This indicates partial compliance: standards are recognized but implementation is incomplete.
Design & Improvement
Problems: scattered low-density subdivisions, limited public realm, insufficient sidewalks/bike lanes, some housing sited
in hazard-prone places.
Improvements:
• Enforce setbacks and riparian buffers where residences border on rivers; require geotechnical clearance for sites
near waterways. CLUP itself recommends restricting development near river banks based on geotechnical hazard
assessment.
• Promote medium-rise, mixed-use infill (R-3) in the Poblacion/urban nodes to absorb demand and avoid agricultural
conversion. Use landscape design to create courtyard parks, shared stormwater gardens, and street trees.
• Require active-mobility infrastructure (continuous sidewalks, separated bike lanes) as part of subdivision and infill
approvals.
 Commercial Zones (central business / strip commercial corridors)

CLUP Regulation
CLUP projects commercial expansion primarily along major roads and identifies the Poblacion as a growth node; it uses
HLURB ratios and FAO indicators to estimate commercial land needs and suggests 1.5–3% of built-up area for commercial
use. It proposes multi-level markets and management measures to mitigate market congestion.
National Standards/Regulations
The plan references HLURB standards and recommends compliance. It also recognizes PD957/PD953 requirements
(planting trees in subdivisions, etc.) and the National Building Code for public structures. Again, the CLUP shows intention
to apply standards, but acknowledges the realities of strip development along major roads and the need for stronger local
ordinances to control market spillover.
Design & Improvement
Problems: strip development along MacArthur Highway and near toll plazas produces car-dominant frontage and limited
pedestrian amenity; market spillover obstructs sidewalks and traffic.
Improvements:
• Implement frontage design standards: continuous building line, shaded sidewalks, and setbacks that allow for tree
planting and vendor space off-street.
• Reconfigure market area per the CLUP’s suggestion — multi-level market or designated vendor areas — with
landscape buffers, circulation plazas, and designated loading bays to remove hawkers from sidewalks.
• Require urban greening (street trees, bioswales) to reduce heat and manage runoff.
• Adopt TOD principles near NSCR stations (compact, mixed-use, walkable blocks). Landscape-wise, provide station
plazas, shaded walkways, rain gardens for runoff control, and pedestrian bridges where necessary.
 Industrial Zones

CLUP Regulation
The CLUP identifies industrial growth nodes (Cutcut-Tiaong, Malis, Poblacion areas) and recommends low-to-medium
intensity industrial uses with HLURB density guidance (e.g., 0.0025 ha per person). It promotes industrial support
infrastructure and limits horizontal expansion near agricultural protection areas.
National Standards/Regulation
The CLUP references environmental controls and RA 9003 for solid waste; it emphasizes climate-proofing and risk-
responsive industries. It does not, however, provide site-level EIAs in the CLUP itself — those are normally required at
project permitting level. Overall: policy alignment exists but project-level compliance must be enforced.
Design & Improvement
Problems: risk of industrial/residential conflicts, insufficient on-site green buffers, potential pollution of waterways from
industrial effluent.
Improvements:
• Mandate landscaped buffer belts (riparian and vegetated) between industry and settlement; use vegetated retention
ponds as part of factory site design.
• Require Environmental Compliance Certificates / stricter monitoring for effluent and stormwater, and integrate
green infrastructure into industrial estates.
 Institutional Zones

CLUP Regulation
CLUP plans an expanded institutional compound, improved hospital access and resilience upgrades, and a master plan
for municipal grounds. It refers to PD1096 and other laws governing public facilities and disability access.
National Standards/Regulation
CLUP explicitly calls for conformity with PD1096 (National Building Code), RA7277 (Magna Carta for Disabled
Persons), and other health and safety standards. The plan’s text indicates these are recognized requirements. Actual
compliance will depend on design/permits.
Design & Improvement
Problems: public facilities are concentrated in Poblacion but connectivity and public space quality vary; market
congestion during peak days causes spillover into roadways.
Improvements:
• Design public plazas and civic forecourts with multi-functionality (daily use + emergency assembly).
• Redesign market with formal vendor bays, integrated plazas and stormwater landscaping; create pedestrian-only
market lanes on palengke days.
• Implement a Poblacion masterplan (the CLUP recommends this) that prioritizes public forecourts, connected
plazas, a continuous pedestrian spine and permeable surfaces for flood attenuation. Expand civic gardens around
municipal compound (CLUP suggests institutional master plan & landscaping).
 Agricultural & Production Zones

CLUP Regulations
The CLUP acknowledges decreasing agricultural land (palay fields) and aims to protect remaining productive areas
while promoting climate-responsive agriculture and garden industry programs (e.g., tissue culture lab, Tabang-Sta. Cruz
Cloverleaf as garden center). It proposes infilling urban cores to reduce pressure on agricultural land.
National Standards/Regulation
RA 7160 (Sec. 20) limits reclassification of agricultural land; CLUP acknowledges that projected demand exceeds the
10% allowable limit and notes the legal path (NEDA/Presidential authorization) if reclassification beyond limit is
pursued. This shows legal awareness, but also demonstrates potential non-compliance unless higher authorization is
obtained.
RA 8435 (AFMA) supports agricultural modernization; CLUP’s garden industry strategy is aligned with that aim,
proposing dedicated ornamental production zones and an integrated garden industry council.
Design & Improvement
Problems: ongoing conversion of farmland to subdivisions risks losing the “Garden Capital” identity and agro-ecological
functions; river/tributary degradation worsens.
Improvements:
• Strictly protect prime agricultural parcels and implement municipal ordinances to encourage productive
landscapes, gardening on idle lands, as recommended on the CLUP.
• Design peri-urban agro-parks, demonstration nurseries, and agro-tourism landscapes that both conserve
soils/wetlands and provide public amenity/learning spaces.
• Use scenic agro-corridors and riparian buffers as multifunctional landscapes.
 Buffer/Greenbelt Zones

CLUP Regulation
CLUP maps rivers/creeks (34.17 ha), includes hazard maps (flooding, liquefaction, tsunami) and recommends riparian
setbacks, drainage upgrades and restoration of riparian corridors as part of the spatial strategy. It recognizes disaster
exposure and integrates DRR/CCA in planning.
National Standards/Regulation
RA 7586 (NIPAS) applies to protected areas — CLUP does not identify national protected areas within Guiguinto, but it
does propose nature-based solutions and buffer protection; for other environmental laws the CLUP mentions standard
environmental and waste laws (RA 9003). There is no indication of conflict with NIPAS, but river protection requires
consistent enforcement and coordination with DENR.
Design & Improvement
Problems: encroachment on floodplains; localized flooding in Poblacion/Cruz due to constricted waterways; river
pollution and submerged plazas near San Ildefonso church.
Improvements:
• Enact and enforce clear riparian setback ordinances in the zoning code; adopt riverfront greenways that combine
flood storage with recreation.
• Create sequences of floodable sponge parks that double as recreational amenity and storage.
• Implement nature-based flood measures (wetlands, retention basins, bioswales) in public-right-of-way and parks.
 Zone Improvements (Concept Photos and Collage)

Agroforestry Parks in Protected Agricultural Zones.

Transit Oriented Development in NSCR station.

Combining Green Infrastructure with Public Access in Poblacion.

Public Greenways in Violeta Village

 Conclusion
Guiguinto’s CLUP (2019–2027) shows a technically sound awareness of national standards (zoning requirements,
HLURB density guidance, PD1096, RA 9003) and correctly identifies strategic opportunities — transit-oriented growth
around the North–South Commuter Railway, a garden-industry identity, and multi-nodal urban structure. However, the
plan also flags the municipality’s core risks: projected reclassification pressures that exceed RA 7160 limits, ongoing
encroachment of subdivisions into agricultural and riparian areas, and implementation/enforcement gaps that could allow
speculative developments to undermine the CLUP’s vision.
To translate the CLUP into real, resilient urban design outcomes, Guiguinto must enact and enforce its zoning ordinance,
protect strategic agricultural and riparian areas through municipal law and design interventions, and prioritize public-
realm investments (riverfront greenways, market retrofits, intermodal station plazas) that combine ecological function
with social amenity. These steps align the CLUP’s stated intentions with the national regulatory framework (RA 7160,
AFMA, UDHA, RA 9003, PDs / National Building Code) while also delivering people-centered, landscape-led urban
design improvements.

References:

• Republic Act No. 7160. (1991). Local Government Code of 1991.

• Republic Act No. 8435. (1997). Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA).
• Republic Act No. 7279. (1992). Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA).
• Republic Act No. 7586. (1992). National Integrated Protected Areas System Act (NIPAS).
• Republic Act No. 8371. (1997). Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA).
• Presidential Decree No. 1096. (1977). The National Building Code of the Philippines.
• Presidential Decree No. 957. (1976). Subdivision and Condominium Buyers’ Protective Decree.
• Presidential Decree No. 953. (1976). Requiring the planting of trees in subdivisions, roads, and other areas.
• Municipality of Guiguinto, Province of Bulacan. (2019). Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) 2019–2027.
Guiguinto Municipal Planning and Development Office.
• Carmona, M. (2014). The place-shaping continuum: A theory of urban design process. Journal of Urban
Design, 19(1), 2–36. [Link]
• Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. MIT Press.
• Yu, K. (2012). Ecological infrastructure: An integrated approach to urban landscape planning. Landscape
and Urban Planning, 109(1), 76–84. [Link]
• World Bank. (2017). Philippines urbanization review: Fostering competitive, sustainable, and inclusive
cities. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.
• National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). (2023). Philippine development plan 2023–2028.
Pasig City: NEDA.