CREBA-Cebu vows to help address Philippines housing shortage

CEBU, Philippines —  The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Association Inc., (CREBA-Cebu Chapter) vowed to assist the government in addressing the housing shortage in the Philippines, particularly in Cebu.

In an interview with CREBA-Cebu Chapter chairman Serafin Blanco, he said that the group plans to start a dialogue with different local government units (LGUs) in Cebu to help them plan out their respective shelter plans, in close coordination with Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD).

A group composed of builders and brokers, CREBA-Cebu Chapter president Roberto “Tito” Pacaña believes that if they start to hold discussions with Local Government Units (LGUs) they would know how to start off housing development plans in each localities, depending also on the availability of lands.

“Creba would like to support government in addressing the housing backlog by encouraging our members to cater to various housing categories,” said Pacaña in an interview during the organization’s business meeting held at Citadines Cebu.

The CREBA-Cebu Chapter officials plan to hold an exclusive forum with LGUs and DHSUD to iron out concerns in housing, particularly providing socialized and affordable residential units.

Also, one of the important issues that CREBA-Cebu would like to address is the strict implementation of Housing Act that requires developers to allocation percentage of their total development portfolios in housing to socialize residential projects.

Under the Balanced Housing Development Requirement, it aims to further increase the low-cost housing stock available to underprivileged families and homebuyers, Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 (Balanced Housing Development) was amended to include the residential condominium projects in complying with the balanced housing requirement.

Section 18 of RA 7279, as amended by Republic Act No. 10884, requires that owners and/or developers of proposed subdivision and condominium projects develop an area for socialized housing, at the option of the developer, to at least provide at least  15 percent the total subdivision area or subdivision project cost.

Meanwhile, at least five percent of condominium area or project cost.

The balanced housing requirement should be accomplished within the same city or municipality, whenever feasible, and in accordance with the standards set by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and other existing laws.

According to Pacaña, brokers who are member of CREBA can help in providing raw lands for developers to start building affordable housing, under the organization’s battlecry to provide “A Home for Every Filipino.”