Land Use

The Province has diversified land uses, that are not based on its suitability in terms of soil types and climate, but rather on man's choice of activities that are directly related to land utilization. This is also influenced by varied opportunities introduced by the government agencies and private individuals.

The different land uses of the Province are classified into 10 major categories, which are derived from 115 land use categories. The Provincial Physical Framework Plan for CY 1993-2002 reflects the categorization of the different land uses (Table 2-3).

Protection lands are set aside and protected from human intrusion and occupation because of its effects on the resource and the hazards it pose to human beings. Production land refers to the area actually utilized for general forms of agriculture, that includes agricultural lands, ricelands, fishponds, annual crops, perennial crops and grasslands/pasture lands. (Table 2-3)