A TOTAL of 24 housing developers will gather for this year's Housing Fair slated on October 18 to 22, 2017 at Abreeza Ayala Mall, Davao City giving Dabawenyos housing opportunities and discuss various issues lurking the sector.
Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) board member Cecille Ilagan said that the fair is in time with the National Housing Month celebration.
With the theme, "SHDA: Building communities, enhancing Filipinos' lives", the fair aims to provide buyers an avenue where they can choose housing deals appropriate to their lifestyle.
"For the five-day event, every day, one developer will present their housing projects," she said.
Some of the participating developers are Kisan Lu Lands and Development Inc., Santos Land Davao Corporation, Joyful Homes, Jenson Land, Prestige Homes, Uraya Land, Holdiay, BDA Properties, and Camella, among others.
She said developers are encouraged to come up with different promos, discounts and other friendly schemes for installment packages for all the visitors who will join the fair.
"We are hoping it will be successful. This is an annual project of our organization so we can present to Dabawenyos different housing projects and help them fulfill their housing dreams," she said.
Albert Egot, marketing manager of Kisan Lu, for his part said they are offering 36 months to pay for down payment for some of their projects namely Amiya Resort Residences, Greenwoods, Villa Conchita, and Plantacion.
Meanwhile, SHDA is opposing the government-initiated proposal of removing the VAT exemption for socialized housing and low-cost housing units. The proposal is part of the tax reform by the Department of Finance.
"We are calling the government to just maintain the status quo, right now, house and lot packages worth P3.1 million and below are not 'VATable'. If there is, the burden will be passed to the buyers. The measure (removing VAT exemption) is somehow anti-poor," Ilagan said.
Socialized housing and low-cost housing units range from P450,000 to P3.1 million.
"We understand that the government is trying to find ways to collect taxes for the nation's development but we hope that is another way to do so that will not affect the socialized housing and low-cost housing buying families," she added.
If the removal of VAT exemption will push through, the Philippine government will impose a VAT of 12 percent.