11/08/2011 [ tribune.net.ph ]
The country’s biggest grouping of housing developers and the government’s housing agencies have sealed a commitment to implement a more efficient program to address the country’s 3.7 million housing backlog mainly by reducing red tape in the processing of documents.
The alliance, spearheaded by the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) and unveiled during the recent national housing developers convention, is aimed at “urging the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to set up a centralized nationwide monitoring website that will track and evaluate the existence and compliance of Citizen’s Charters by local and national government agencies as mandated under Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA), initially, with respect to the processing and issuance of housing-related certifications, clearances, permits and licenses.”
This move, the group said, will empower the CSC to determine violations against Citizen’s Charters, as well as other provisions of the ARTA, and institute appropriate corrective measures.
“This is a step forward in addressing the concerns of the housing bodies to streamline the issuance of housing permits and licenses,” says Manuel Crisostomo, chairman and president of SHDA “It will also help housing developers monitor and check the progress of their applications through the ‘Track Your Application’ system embedded within the Web site.”
The ARTA Technical Working Group, to be organized by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), will be tasked to craft a standard ordinance that will create a common template for Citizens’ Charters of LGUs. Others who will be taking part in the said agenda include SHDA, the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), HUDCC, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“These groups will be working closely together to promote and urge a regular review and update of each of the LGUs’ respective Citizen’s Charters for a more transparent and speedy processing and issuance of housing-related certifications, clearances, permits and licenses,” Crisostomo added.
The success of the SHDA-HUDCC convention resulted to the crafting of more viable measures that will be instrumental for a more aggressive housing delivery that aims to provide 1.5 million homes before the end of the current administration. “The next important step is to continue working with our partners from the government. Crafting these measures is just a part of the equation,” shares Crisostomo. “The other half involves sustaining efforts in upholding our commitment to building better lives for every Filipino, especially those in the lower-end market.”
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