Alvarez seeks CREBA help to speed up DENR issuance

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez has asked the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Associations (CREBA) to propose how government’s processing of applications and issuance of environmental certificates of compliance and geological and geo-hazard assessments may be speeded up for housing and real estate projects.

Alvarez spoke before the CREBA’s 8th monthly business meeting where he expressed the hope that CREBA "will be a partner of the government in advancing economic and social progress."

Government cannot do it alone, he said, it needs the support of the business sector and civil society.

In line with President Arroyo’s instructions, Alvarez said the DENR will soon issue a new order to shorten processing of environmental certificates of compliance (ECC) for housing, land and infrastructure projects from 75 days to 30 days.

"DENR will be happy to listen to the suggestions of CREBA on how this can be done," said Alvarez. He said he had earlier consulted with regional directors in the effort to make the process more client-friendly.

He also said DENR is also willing to sit down with CREBA to discuss proposals on how to streamline the processes for Engineering Geological and Geohazard Assessment (EGGA) which is an additional requirement for housing projects. It was added in view of the Cherry Hills tragedy in 1999 which claimed the lives of scores of homeowners.

Following the President’s instructions, Alvarez said the DENR will simplify the procedures for EGGA and even include it as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to help speed up the process for developers.

Alvarez also told CREBA that instead of requiring one EGGA per project, DENR thinks it would be more appropriate to have one EGGA for one particular area. Thus instead of having one EGGA for one subdivision, one EGGA for one area with more than one application for subdivision projects is being planned. This should hasten applications for housing and real estate projects.

For low-cost housing projects, Alvarez said instead of developers paying expensive private experts, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) experts on geohazards can under the EGGA at minimal cost.

These new policies, Alvarez stressed, are part of DENR’s effort to promote transparency and client-friendly operations and eliminate corruption. "I am committed to raising the quality of governance in my department," he said.