By Othel V.
Campos | Jul. 19, 2015 at 11:40pm [ manilastandardtoday.com ]
Property
developers expressed concern over the lack of available land to address the
massive housing requirement of a growing Philippine population.
The
Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines Inc. said just
about 2.52 percent of the total land in the country had been mapped out as
suitable for housing development in 2012 from 1.27 percent in 2003.
“Unless a
socially acceptable definition and policy is adopted, the proposed measure must
be held in abeyance,” the group said in a position paper in response to the proposed
National Land Use Act.
The total
land area in the country, according to government data, is estimated at 30
million hectares, including 14.2 million hectares or 47.32 percent considered
alienable and disposable area and 15.8 million hectares or 52.68 percent
classified as forestland.
The total
built-up area, considered to be part of forestland, is 2.52 percent or 755,009
hectares. Built-up areas are those with structures like roads and other
infrastructures.
The group
cited a need to revisit the proposed policy of protecting prime agricultural
lands in the NLUA due to the growing housing needs and other competing
interests.
It noted that
despite increasing land allocation for agricultural use, the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic
product was still smaller compared with Southeast Asian neighbors like
Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Industry
projections show Philippine housing needs up to 2016 would reach 5.53 million
units and require about 43,726 to 73,043 hectares, depending on the use of land
resources, whether vertical or horizontal. The estimate includes socialized
housing.
Socialized
housing covers residential subdivision and medium-rise condominium units below
P1.2 million, while economic housing covers subdivisions and medium-rise
buildings sold above P1.25 million but not more than P3.2 million.
The group is
serious in resolving the 5.5 million housing backlog and build as much as
500,000 units each year for the next 20 years.
The property
builders said the government should support the creation of as much as 10
million housing units by 2025 because the problem was taking its toll on the
people’s economic and social growth.
Philippine
housing backlog stood at close to 4 million, with over 75 percent classified as
informal settlers living in urban centers.
____________________________________________________________
