Mass housing developers prod government on establishment of one-stop processing centers

MANILA, Philippines — Mass housing developers urged the government to prioritize the housing of one-stop processing centers in various regions of the country.

The Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP) and the Socialized Housing Alliance Roundtable Endeavor (SHARE) said the newly created Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) should pave the way for the establishment of these centers.

In a recent public hearing conducted by the house committee on housing chaired by Rep. Alfredo Benitez last April 25, stakeholders noted the increasing cost of housing, making it less affordable to the underprivileged and homeless.

OSHDP thus asked DHSUD to immediately establish housing one-stop processing centers (HOPCs) in the regions and convene the inter-agency committee for housing related permits.

In the latest accomplishment report by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), supply of residential units reached 204,344 only corresponding to 579 housing projects in 2018. It  dropped by 25.57 percent after reaching a high of 274,545 units corresponding to 742 projects in 2017.

Against this backdrop, new housing projects are required to get permits from the local government unit, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, HLURB, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and other government instrumentalities.

The OSHDP and SHARE are strongly urging the Department of Budget and Management to accordingly set aside funds to make Section 23 of the DHSUD Law operable.

The two organizations believe this provision is one of the more important intent of the lawmakers in crafting the law, to untangle the excruciating gridlock among many government bodies involved in the provision for housing production.