CEBU, Philippines — The Philippines’ housing industry is backing a legal opinion that could remove a bureaucratic hurdle in acquiring private agricultural land for new residential developments, potentially helping developers move projects forward more quickly.
The Subdivision and Housing Developers Association Inc. (SHDA) said it supports Department of Justice Legal Opinion No. 16, Series of 2026, which says transactions involving private agricultural land without an existing Notice of Coverage no longer require a Land Transfer Clearance from the Department of Agrarian Reform.
The DOJ concluded that the five-hectare retention limit underpinning the clearance requirement ceased to apply after June 30, 2014, the statutory deadline under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms, or CARPER.
For developers, the change could reduce administrative delays between land acquisition and the next stages of a project, including title transfers, financing, permitting, site preparation and construction.
“Predictability in land administration is important to keeping housing projects moving,” SHDA Chairman of the Board Francis Richmond Z. Villegas said in a statement.
A clear and consistent process would allow developers and other stakeholders to better manage project timelines and investment decisions, he said.
The group stressed that the removal of the clearance requirement does not eliminate other regulatory obligations. Developers must continue to comply with land-use conversion rules administered by the DAR, local zoning regulations, environmental requirements of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and other housing and development laws.
SHDA members account for about 80 percent of homes produced annually in the Philippines, according to the association, giving the industry group a significant role in the country’s efforts to expand housing supply.
The association said lowering transaction costs and reducing administrative delays could help developers bring more affordable housing projects to market, although implementation across government offices will determine the extent of the benefit.
SHDA is urging the DAR, Land Registration Authority and Registers of Deeds to issue joint administrative guidelines spelling out standardized procedures and documentary requirements nationwide.
“The DOJ opinion gives the industry legal clarity. What we need now is the same clarity on the ground,” SHDA National President Kerwin V. Padua said. Consistent implementation across offices would give landowners, developers and financial institutions greater certainty in completing transactions, he said.
The group said it plans to continue working with government agencies on land administration rules as the industry seeks to expand housing supply while maintaining compliance with existing regulations.
SHDA represents housing and property developers across the Philippines, with about 350 members and eight regional chapters. The association has worked with housing policymakers, shelter agencies and other industry stakeholders for more than five decades.