The Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) disclosed that there is an increasing number of illegal subdivision projects in Davao Region particularly in Davao City.
Lawyer Roberto Palma Gil, regional director of DSHUD, said their office has distributed 225 Notices of Alleged Violation (NOAVs) in various illegal subdivision projects in the region.
Palma Gil disclosed that DSHUD distributed 89 NOAVs in Davao City, 42 in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), 38 in Davao de Oro, 38 in Davao del Norte, 12 in Davao Oriental, and six in Davao del Sur.
“I noticed biglang dumami ang illegal subdivision projects sa Region 11 particularly in Davao City. As you can see, 225 na ang inabot ng Notices of Violations naming,” he said during the during the 8th General Membership Meeting of Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., (DCCCII) with the theme “Real Estate in Davao Region: Current Challenges and Opportunities” on August 27, 2021.
Palma Gil cited example of the case DHSUD was building up against illegal subdivision developer Salma Grande.
“In 2016, we tried to apprehend her pero palipat lipat siya ng office but fortunately last 2020 na entrap namin siya at nakasuhan. Pero I don’t know what happened yung mga complainants were backing out. We were informed na lumipat na ang developer na ito sa Tagum City and continue collecting,” he said.
DHSUD continue monitoring and going after illegal subdivision projects.
“Ang dami naming nakikitang mga advertisements selling raw lots ngayon dahil namonitor na tawag nila lot partitioning. They keep on saying they are not selling, but they are just selling and they are not developing,” Palma Gil shared.
He explained that subdivision project is a tract or a parcel of land registered under Act No. 496 which is partitioned primarily for residential purposes into individual lots with or without improvements thereon, and offered to the public for sale, in cash or in installment terms.
He also reminded the public that an indication that it is a legal subdivision project if it is titled, partitioned with or without improvements, and offered to the public for sale while a subdivision is considered illegal or selling of raw lots is illegal if zoning classification is agricultural under the Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA), no preliminary subdivision development plan from the local government unit (LGU), no development permit from the LGU, and no certificate of registration from DHSUD.
“Pag walang subdivision plan and development plan na approve ng LGU kung saan na locate at walang development permit na issue ang LGU illegal yan. Pag walang certificate of registration and from the DHSUD, yun lang ang kailangan hanapin to identify whether or not illegal or not. Pag wala ang isa nito illegal ang subdivision na yan,” Palma Gil said.
Palma Gil also appealed to the Business Bureau not to renew developers that DHSUD sent notices to.
“Let’s continue to do that because ang ginagamit ng mga developers ay business permit,” he said.
