Council Approves New Urban Development Rules for Cebu City
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Cebu City's updated Land Use Plan, or CLUP, snagged green light from the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 on April 15, 2025. This revolutionary guide to urban development's been given a mighty overhaul, prioritizing flood control, transit integration, and conservation - including the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL).
The revamped CLUP and Zoning Ordinance strive to safeguard the CCPL while dovetailing with infrastructure blueprints of local government units (LGUs) in bustling Metro Cebu.
On Thursday, April 24, Cebu City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) head Joseph "Yumi" Espina spilled some tea to our Cebu site, stating that urban growth'll concentrate north to south, not creeping westward into upland barangays.
With the City Council adopting the new CLUP and Zoning Ordinance, it's full steam ahead once the 2025 midterm elections have passed.
Metro Cebu synergy
Espina passionate-ly rambled about the revised CLUP supporting Metro Cebu's wider development agenda by bonding with neighboring LGUs such as Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City.
In 2023, a groovy MOA was inked between Cebu City and Mandaue City, tackling flooding in the Butuanon River and Mahiga Creek, man!
"We aim to link up with other local government units, especially those close pals (to Cebu City)... to groove with the planners," Espina waxed poetic. The CPDO's drafting a MOU with Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu to broaden the collaboration.
The North Reclamation Area's slated to house creative industries, while Barangay Pit-os'll cradle a Northern Growth Center - easin' traffic and boostin' economic activity, baby!
Espina teased plans cookin' up for a Southern Growth Center too.
"Cebu City's goal's headed north to south for growth, not west to east," Espina affirmed.
CPDO's assistant guru Anne Maria Cuizon echoed Espina's intentions, highlighting provisions in the new CLUP and ZO for agricultural rejuvenation and water resource protection in upland barangays.
The updated ZO champions mixed-use development and reclassifies zones for condos and vertical housing, short-circuiting the stuffy tradition of strict land-use separation. It's like a breath of fresh air, homie!
Espina emphasizes the new plan addresses the city's housing shortage by boosting inclusive, vertical housing to manage density and legalize squatter settlements.
Heritage zones and environmentally sensitive areas'll face stricter building restrictions. Expect development in these areas to keep its integrity - historical and environmental, ya'll!
To enforce these zoning rules, Cebu City will beef up its monitoring, especially within the CCPL and other protected zones. Flouting these rules'll land violators in hot water – particularly those without locational clearances.
The proposed new Zoning Ordinance syncs up with national land use laws, ensuring its legit in the eyes of the law.
While most responses from developers and landowners have been peachy keen, Espina stresses that implementation remains a wicked challenge.
Disputes over land use and zoning reclassifications? The new framework's got you covered, with formal exemption procedures and a commitment to due process.
Espina's got faith that the CLUP and ZO'll guide Cebu's journey to an urban jungle that's inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient. Rock on, bro! / EHP
- The updated Cebu City Land Use Plan (CLUP), adopted in 2025, prioritizes flood control, transit integration, and conservation, including the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL).
- The revised CLUP and Zoning Ordinance aim to protect the CCPL while aligning with infrastructure plans of local government units (LGUs) in Metro Cebu.
- Cebu City's urban growth will focus on concentrating development north to south, rather than encroaching on upland barangays moving westward.
- The newly adopted CLUP and Zoning Ordinance will pave the way for Metro Cebu's wider development agenda, collaborating with neighboring LGUs like Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City.
- In 2023, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between Cebu City and Mandaue City to address flooding in the Butuanon River and Mahiga Creek.
- The North Reclamation Area will host creative industries, while Barangay Pit-os will house a Northern Growth Center to ease traffic and boost economic activity.
- The updated Zoning Ordinance encourages mixed-use development and reclassifies zones for condos and vertical housing, aiming to mitigate the city's housing shortage while protecting heritage zones and environmentally sensitive areas.
