Housing summit 2026 to tackle LTS delays, rising costs in Central Visayas

CEBU, Philippines — Property developers in Central Visayas are pressing ahead with plans to sustain housing production even as delays in the release of licenses to sell (LTS) have slowed new project launches, adding to pressure from expensive land, rising construction costs and high borrowing rates.

The Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) Central Visayas is seeking closer coordination with the government to remove regulatory bottlenecks and lower development costs, with the goal of keeping homes affordable in one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing regions.

The group will put the issues at the center of its Housing Summit on Sept. 11, in Cebu, where developers, government agencies and infrastructure providers are expected to discuss permit reforms, financing, land use, property valuation and resource security.

The push comes as developers face one of the most difficult periods for project launches in recent months.

Ronald Allan Uy, SHDA Central Visayas vice president and chair of the event, said many developers have yet to bring new projects to market because of delays in obtaining licenses to sell, or LTS.

“For most, it’s still not possible,” Uy said, referring to developers that have been unable to launch projects.

Still, the industry is taking an active stance rather than waiting for regulatory problems to be resolved.

Developers are preparing policy recommendations and seeking reforms that could shorten development timelines, reduce costs and unlock new housing projects across Central Visayas.

“The question is, how can government and the private sector work together to remove the barriers that slow housing development while keeping homes affordable and supporting the continued growth of Central Visayas?” Uy said during a press briefing on Aug. 28.

The LTS delays are only one part of the challenge.

Developers are also grappling with inflation, higher construction expenses, costly financing and concerns over the availability of power and water needed to support new communities.

“The challenge is no longer simply how to build more houses,” Uy said. “It is how developers can continue producing quality and affordable homes at viable costs and within reasonable development timelines.”

SHDA officials said faster processing of permits and government requirements could help ease some of the pressure. Developers are also seeking lower financing costs, clearer implementation of property valuation reforms and better planning for infrastructure and utilities.

Harold See, a member of the SHDA Central Visayas board of trustees, said government financial institutions could play a bigger role in addressing housing affordability by offering preferential interest rates to qualified developers and projects.

The Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines and Pag-IBIG Fund could consider lower-cost financing tied to affordability requirements, he said.

Lower borrowing costs could reduce development expenses and eventually translate into cheaper homes for buyers.

Developers are also looking at ways to address the rising cost of land, particularly in highly urbanized areas where affordable housing projects are becoming harder to build.

See said greater government participation in providing land for housing could offer one solution, allowing private developers to focus on construction. Such public-private arrangements, combined with lower-cost financing, could help reduce the cost of homeownership.

SHDA Central Visayas President Ken Salimbangon said housing development should also be encouraged outside major urban centers to ease congestion and bring homes closer to emerging economic opportunities.

Cebu City continues to draw workers from the countryside and neighboring islands because of its concentration of jobs and investments, adding to demand for housing, he said.

But the cost of land within the city has made affordable projects increasingly difficult to develop.

Developers are therefore seeking better coordination with local governments on zoning, land-use planning and infrastructure as residential projects move into emerging areas across the region.

Outdated comprehensive land-use plans, drainage systems and other infrastructure could become constraints if housing demand continues to expand, SHDA officials said.

The industry is also closely watching the implementation of the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act, or RPVARA. Developers are concerned that higher assessed property values could eventually raise real property taxes and other costs linked to owning and operating real estate.

For the affordable housing market, demand remains, although buyers have become more cautious amid economic uncertainty and rising fuel prices, according to John Paul Escario, treasurer of SHDA Central Visayas and an official of Pueblo de Cebu Development Corp.

“The challenge is how do you maintain affordability, enticing the market to buy despite what is happening in our economy,” Escario said.

SHDA expects the Sept. 11 summit, which will be held at Radisson Blu Cebu, to produce policy recommendations for both its Central Visayas chapter and the national organization.

“We really crafted our summit now, our speakers and talking points, really addressing the present needs and issues affecting the industry,” Uy said.

The Housing Summit 2026 is expected to draw at least 100 participants from government, real estate, construction, urban planning, power, water and academe.

The discussions will focus on regulatory delays, including the release of licenses to sell, as well as rising development costs, property valuation reforms, infrastructure, utility security and new growth corridors across Central Visayas.

For developers, the goal is to move beyond identifying the obstacles.

The industry is seeking practical changes that would allow projects to move from planning to construction and eventually to the market faster, while keeping housing within reach of more Filipino families, Salimbangon said. — (FREEMAN)