The “Strengthening and Mainstreaming the Evaluation Mechanism on Land Use Reclassification” (SEMLUR) Project, initiated by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) through Agricultural Land Management and Evaluation Division (ALMED), is an expanded project, intended as a recurring activity, that will deal with all concerns or matters pertaining to land use, in which land use reclassification is one of them. The project will bank on the established difference between land use reclassification and land use conversion vis-à-vis the role of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in each of the process. The project is guided by the “new way of thinking” for agriculture espoused by Hon. Sec. William D. Dar. This would also address the regulatory and mandatory compliance to existing laws in terms of quality and timeliness of service such as, but not limited to, RA 9485 or Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA), Ease of Doing Business (EODB), as well as RA 112234 or Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS).

• Achieve nationwide implementation and ensure continual improvement of the established national protocol or guidelines

• Enhance dissemination of established protocols and guidelines to be followed and mandatorily embraced by all concerned stakeholders, including those outside of the DA

• Mainstream the implementation of protocols and guidelines

• Come up with a national guidelines streamlining the processes in the issuance of DA certificate of eligibility for reclassification/conversion of agricultural lands

• Mainstream the above national guidelines through awareness program, seminars, workshops, teleconferencing, training, online consultation, and other learning modes

• To publish the national guidelines in the Official Gazette or in national newspaper of general circulation for wider reach

• Come up with a compendium of legal issuances (Executive Orders, Administrative Orders, Republic Acts) pertaining to the issuance of certificate of eligibility for reclassification/conversion of agricultural lands

• Establish a centralized data bank on land use reclassification/conversion applications which are potentially useful for policy studies and decision making