1.0 RATIONALE

Growing demand for land and its natural resources creates competition and conflicts. To manage land efficiently and to meet human requirements in a sustainable manner, conflicting uses must be resolved and find more effective and appropriate ways of using the land.

Land use planning provides a basic tool to ensure that land is used to its most sustainable way thus achieving efficiency of resource use and when coupled with proper land conservation, it leads to sustainability.

At the local level where land use planning is a prerogative of local governments (1986 Constitution and Local Government Code of 1991) a few of the local executives and the municipal planning officers and staff have adequate capability to formulate comprehensive and sustainable land use plans. As a result, priorities are not addressed properly and the standard of living of the stakeholders remains stagnant. Furthermore, since land uses were not properly harmonized and integrated with the environment, resources are wasted and consequently degraded, Thus, there is a need to equip persons involved in planning both government and private to efficiently carry out their functions in the society and promote sustainable development. This program will address this concern and serves as a vehicle for transferring knowledge and skills on land use-planning to local planning bodies.

2.0 MAIN THRUST AND OBJECTIVES

The Diploma in Land Use Planning aims to develop highly skilled land resource planners and managers engaged in both government and non-government organizations as well as private individuals who will spearhead and facilitate the formulation or revision of either sectoral land use plans, comprehensive city or municipal land use plans, environmental management plans, barangay development plans and regional or provincial physical framework plans for harmonized and sustained development.

The program is generally designed to train students formulate sustainable land use plans. Specifically, it aims to:

1. Provide methods techniques and environmental approaches for the rationalization of land use and development (land use analysis);
2. Equip students with the methods and tools for resource survey with emphasis on the application of geographic information system (GIS);
3. Acquaint students with the tools for socio-economic assessment, policy formulation and advocacy;
4. Introduce sustainable development framework and principles to ensure that land use and development are harmonized with the environment;
5. Impart strategies and holistic methods of proper land resource conservation and management; and
6. Expose students in the formulation of land use plans, its implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

3.0 PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The diploma program comprises a number of taught courses (22 units) with various modules to address the specific skills and knowledge needed by the students via distance mode. An integrated study assignment (ISA) will be undertaken at the last semester in order to expose the students apply knowledge learned through real life planning situations or critiquing of formulated comprehensive land use plans and other types of plan.

3.1 COURSE REQUIREMENT

To be awarded the diploma, the student must complete six (6) taught courses (18 units) via distance mode and undertake an Integrated Study Assignment (ISA) (4 units) and present the final output in a seminar.

To complete the 22 unit-requirement, the student shall enroll 3 subjects during the first semester (9 units) including 1 unit ISA 1, while the remaining 9 units and ISA 2 (3 units) will be enrolled during the 2 nd or last semester.

ISA 1 will prepare the students to formulate proposed/activity regarding land use planning to be done in ISA 2 or selection of plan for critiquing. ISA 2 will serve as the actual hands-on/ or the practical of the student to acquire the necessary skills required in planning. The student will be guided by a tutor assigned and the output will be presented to a committee created by the OU Director.

3.2 COURSE SUMMARY

Core Courses	Course Title	Units
LUP 700	Land Use and the Environment	3
LUP 705	Resource Survey Methods and Techniques	3
LUP 710	Economic Analysis, Valuation and Policy Formulation	3
LUP 715	Land Use Planning and Design	3
LUP 720/EM 709	Community-based Environmental Management	3
LUP 725	Environmental Impact Analysis for LUP	3
LUP 730	Integrated Study Assignment in LUP	4

4.0 ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A person with the following qualifications can enroll in the program:

1. Must have completed at least a 4-year degree program in any field;
2. Computer literate i.e. at least knows how to use word processing, spreadsheet and the internet;
3. May not have completed a 4-year degree course but have an experience in planning for at least 3 years; and
4. Interested and willing to learn the ABCs of land use planning.

5.0 METHODS AND ASSESSMENT

The program is offered via distance e-learning mode, thus, modules can be accessed and downloaded by students in the website of the Open University. Once a month, however students have to report to their respective professors/tutors for a face-to-face interaction and conduct of laboratory and related activities regarding their subject/modules (at least 3 hours).

An adviser shall be assigned to each student and a committee or a panel of 3 shall be created (the Adviser, 1 insider and 1 outsider) for the presentation of integrated study assignment. The panel will be given a corresponding remuneration for this purpose.

Assessment of the student's performance will consist of homeworks/assignments, 3 term exams and projects based from the learning modules. A numerical grade following the CLSU Grading System shall be given after the completion of all requirements of the program. The grade obtained may be validated for further graduate study program provided it has an equivalent subject in the chosen field of study.

6.0 FACULTY TUTORS

The following professors will serve as faculty/tutors of the enrolled students:

6.1 Regular Faculty/Tutors

• Espino, Armando N. MSc, Water Resources Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman; MSc, Irrigation Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Ph.D. Applied Biological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven , Belgium.
• Galang, Luzviminda M. MS in Agricultural Economics,
  University of Pertania, Malasia
• Jamandre, Wilfred E. MSc Ag Economics, University of New England, Australia; Ph.D. (candidate) Ag Economics, University of the Philippines Los Baños.
• Perez, Federico O. Post-Graduate Diploma in Soil Science, Agricultural University of Norway; MSc.,Land Resource Management and Planning, Cranfield University-Silsoe Campus, UK; Ph.D. Environmental Science and Land Use, University of the Philippines at Los Baños.

6.2 Affiliate Faculty

• Marzan, Rogelio B. Master of Science in Survey Integration for Resources Development,
  International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences,
  Encschede, The Netherlands.