Bago city: Bago City in Negros Occidental is set to pioneer the use of the Automated Land Use and Zoning Compliance Assessment and Monitoring (AutoCAM) tool in the Visayas in 2026. Implemented by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), the AutoCAM project utilizes remote sensing, geographic information systems, and artificial intelligence to create an automated, efficient system for assessing and monitoring land use and zoning compliance.
According to Philippines News Agency, the City of Bago has been selected as the only local government unit in the Visayas to serve as a pilot area for the AutoCAM project. Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao expressed this milestone in a statement, following a meeting with the DHSUD team led by Undersecretary Henry Yap at the City Hall.
In 2024, Bago City entered into a memorandum of understanding with DHSUD to become one of the three pilot areas of the AutoCAM project nationwide, and the only one in the Visayas. Yap emphasized the goal of rolling out the tool with the support of the local government, aiming to make Bago a major trainer of this system in the area.
DHSUD Environmental, Land Use, and Urban Planning and Development Director Ibani Padao explained that the AutoCAM tool enables the local government unit to automatically detect non-compliant uses of land resources, such as prime agricultural lands or forest lands being converted into quarry areas or build-up developments.
Padao added that the tool helps cities and municipalities monitor land use changes, ensuring proper land use given the finite nature of land resources. Once non-compliant use is detected, the local government unit will be notified.
The DHSUD AutoCAM team has conducted multiple validation activities in Bago City, including household surveys and drone mapping in various barangays. The initial concept of the tool has been developed, with a planned launch in April next year.
