This publication is a lobby material to advocate the passage of the National Land Use Act. It shows the adverse effects of the lack of land use planning in coastal communities especially in the advent of  a natural disaster. This publication features the Typhoon Haiyan-affected coastal communities in the Visayas Region of the Philippines as examples. It also recommends how this dismal situation could be lessened in the future.

The Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (or VGGT) is the first global document that addresses policy, legal and organizational frameworks that regulate tenure rights. Adopted by the Committee on World Food Security1 (CFS) last May 2012, the VGGT provide guidance on responsible governance of tenure on land, fisheries and forests as a means to alleviate hunger and poverty, enhance the environment, support national and local development and reform public administration.