In less than two months, more than 1,100 homebuyers’ concerns were resolved by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Regional Office 4A during mass conciliations in Calamba City and at the Central Office in Quezon City.
Supervising Senior Undersecretary Sharon Faith Paquiz presided over the latest mass conciliation of concerns aired by homebuyers against various developers on Tuesday at the DHSUD Central Office. Similar activities were held in Calamba City during the past weeks supervised by Undersecretary Odilon Pasaraba.
The series of mass conciliations led to the resolution of 1,174 concerns filed by homebuyers against developers in just less than two months. Such activities were started in May.
All other DHSUD Regional Offices have launched similar effort to expeditiously and fairly address homebuyers’ concerns within their respective jurisdiction in compliance with the directive of Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling.
Clients who participated in the conciliation proceedings on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the prompt, transparent and responsive handling of their concerns, reflecting continued public confidence in the government’s strengthened efforts to protect homebuyers and homeowners.
Kim Warren Lim, a design and construction consultant, commended DHSUD for facilitating a balanced mediation process and emphasized the importance of government intervention in addressing legitimate complaints.
“I believe yung officer-in-charge did a good job in mediating and getting the side of the respondent at tsaka complainant. And then finacilitate naman nila yung issues kasi syempre may authority sila na mag impose…It has to come from the government agency para ma-compel yung developer to take action sa complaints namin… So, it’s very satisfactory. I’m happy with the conciliation,” he said.
Marites Prado likewise praised the conciliating officer for providing clear guidance on the legal process despite the developer’s absence during the proceedings.
“It’s very smooth. Maayos the way na makipag-usap si Attorney [Rigor] sa amin and I can feel the sincerity and willingness to help. She gave us clear instructions on what will be the next step after this. So hopefully, magtuloy-tuloy siya and magkaroon ng good result,” she said.
For 76-year-old homebuyer Resty Paredes, DHSUD’s assistance gave her a clear understanding of the steps available to recover his payments should the developer fail to comply with their agreement.
“Very satisfied. Oo kasi tinulungan niya kami [SUsec. Paquiz] kung papaano gagawin namin after ng cancellation kung saan kami pupunta. Sinabi sa amin ang gagawin namin kaya alam na namin kung in case na ma-default yung usapan doon ng SMDC,” she said.
Secretary Aliling welcomed the positive feedback from the homebuyers, saying it reflects the Department’s commitment to delivering responsive public service and strengthening trust in government.
“The positive feedback from our stakeholders affirms that responsive public service creates confidence in government. Every concern that receives immediate action strengthens the trust of Filipino families in DHSUD. Through our Zero Backlog Program under the 8-Point Agenda, we will continue ensuring that complaints are resolved faster, and we balanced the rights of both the homebuyers and developers. All our stakeholders should be protected,” Secretary Aliling said.
Supervising Senior Undersecretary Paquiz said DHSUD will continue enhancing its conciliation services to ensure fairness and expeditious resolution.
“Our goal is to ensure that all stakeholders have access to a fair, transparent, and efficient dispute resolution process. By accelerating case resolution through the Zero Backlog Program, we continue to strengthen homebuyer protection while promoting accountability and good governance in the housing sector,” Senior Usec. Paquiz said.
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