Thursday, July 28, 2011
This is in violation of Republic Act (RA) 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act (Udha) of 1992.CONDOMINIUM projects continue to sprout all over Cebu City, but most of its developers allegedly failed to allocate 20 percent of their development cost to low-cost socialized housing project.
Based on the records of the Office of the Building Official (OBO), Councilor Alvin Dizon told Sun.Star Cebu there have been 36 condominium projects in the city since 1994.
Dizon, who chairs the council’s committee on housing, disclosed most of them did not comply with Udha’s 20 percent balanced housing provision.
City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) Chief Alipio Bacalso confirmed there is minimal compliance among condominium developers of the Udha Law.
With permits
From 2010 to 2011, out of the 11 condominium projects they have issued a development permit, not a single developer has complied with the 20 percent balanced housing provision, Bacalso said.
Bacalso declined to identify the condominiums, saying his office is still verifying the matter. He will be submitting a report to the City Council.
Asked why these developers failed to comply with the provisions of Udha, Bacalso said he cannot give a definite answer yet, considering he only assumed as the new CPDO chief last May.
CPDO is the monitoring body of the developers’ compliance with the 20 percent balanced housing provision of the UDHA law.
In a separate interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Bacalso assured that his office, together with the City’s Local Housing Board, will now strictly monitor the developer’s compliance with the Udha Law.
Demand letters
He said they will be sending demand letters to the developers so that the city’s homeless will have a roof over their head.
Under Section 18 of the Udha law, developers are required to develop socialized housing equivalent to 20 percent of the total project costs.
The 20 percent may be used by the developers to build new settlements or implement slum improvement and resettlement programs, enter into joint-venture projects with the local government units or housing agencies, and participate in community mortgage programs.
According to the City’s 2006 listing, there are over 58,000 urban poor families living in Cebu City.
Of the number, at least 3,000 to 4,000 still need housing assistance, while the rest can afford low-cost housing.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 28, 2011.
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