CEBU CITY – The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development-Central Visayas (DHSUD-7) pushed back against complaints about alleged delays in the issuance of Licenses to Sell (LTS) covering 10,000 housing units in Cebu.
Describing the allegation as "false" and "baseless," DHSUD-7 Director Mark Anthony Lindugan said there are only two pending LTS applications before the regional office and both are already in the final stages of approval.
He said the pending applications involve a residential subdivision and a columbarium project that have no significant impact on Cebu's housing market.
Lindugan issued the statement after Anthony Gerard Leuterio, president of the A Better Real Estate Philippines (ABREP) Movement, warned that delays in LTS approvals were limiting housing supply and reducing affordable options for homebuyers.
According to Leuterio, more than 10,000 housing units in Cebu were awaiting LTS approval, preventing developers from launching pre-selling projects.
Leuterio said the delay has contributed to the shortage of available housing, particularly in the P3-million to P6-million price range favored by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
He said the lack of new projects entering the market is pushing buyers towards more expensive ready-for-occupancy units and affecting the livelihoods of real estate salespersons who depend on active developments.
Lindugan said that DHSUD-7 has no pending LTS applications involving thousands of housing units.
He said some applications have been issued notices of deficiencies and returned to developers for compliance.
Other applications were suspended due to incomplete requirements, Lindugan said.
"We are simply performing our mandate under the law to protect stakeholders, particularly homebuyers," Lindugan said.