The department of the environment, housing and urban development as well as science and technology (DENR, DHSUD, and DOST) have launched PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Settlements, a digital platform designed to modernize land use and development planning across the Philippines.
Developed by DHSUD and DOST with World Bank support, PlanSmart integrates spatial and hazard data, automated analytics, and user-friendly tools to help national agencies and LGUs produce risk-informed and climate-responsive plans more efficiently.
The three agencies signed a Statement of Commitment to institutionalize PlanSmart, emphasizing data-driven planning and stronger inter-agency coordination. DENR Secretary Raphael P. M. Lotilla said the platform ushers in “a new era of science-based planning,” combining hazard, environmental, and land-use data to support resilient communities.
PlanSmart streamlines the preparation of land use plans, zoning ordinances, and provincial development frameworks by harmonizing ecological profiles with climate and disaster risk assessments.
The DENR’s role includes enhancing data mapping, harmonizing sectoral information, and improving data-sharing systems to strengthen ecological profiling and disaster risk reduction in local planning.
Lotilla added that PlanSmart allows national agencies to offer LGUs a unified support package. The DENR reaffirmed its commitment to work with DHSUD and DOST to improve standards, share data, and equip LGUs with tools for resilient, well-planned development.
