Manila: The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has instructed its regional and central offices to address all pending complaints from homebuyers and homeowners' associations within a 30-day timeframe. This directive was issued by DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling on Wednesday following the department's announcement that it had cleared its backlog of regulatory applications.
According to Philippines News Agency, Secretary Aliling emphasized the importance of promptly addressing the concerns and complaints of citizens, particularly homebuyers who have heavily invested in securing their homes. Aliling stated, "Concerns and complaints brought to us by our citizens should not linger, especially those from homebuyers who worked hard to invest in their own homes. Instead, these should be acted upon promptly, fairly, and in accordance with the law and established policies."
The directive requires regional offices and the central office-based Homeowners Associations and Community Development Bureau to quickly resolve outstanding complaints pertaining to developers and community management disputes. Regional directors are also tasked with submitting a comprehensive inventory of pending homebuyer and homeowners' association complaints, detailing the reasons for any delays.
The DHSUD has identified Calabarzon, the National Capital Region, and Central Luzon as priority areas, given their significant share of cases. This initiative is part of the DHSUD's Zero Backlog Program, which is integral to Aliling's eight-point agenda aimed at enhancing public service delivery and reducing corruption.
The department reported that it cleared over 3,000 regulatory and actionable items dating back to 2021 within a two-month period. Following an internal audit initiated in March, DHSUD officials focused on processing pending regulatory applications in regional offices. All regional offices have certified zero overdue regulatory applications since June, adhering to rules mandating that applications be processed within 15 days through approval, denial, or the issuance of a notice of deficiency.
