THE Department of Human Settlement And Urban Development in Davao Region (DHSUD- Davao) warns against the selling of raw lots in illegal housing projects, said regional director Atty. RM Miguel T. Palma Gil on Friday, October 28.
Palma Gil said there are housing projects that are unlicensed or without a development permit from the government. The so-called housing projects are essentially only plots of land divided and sold as raw lots.
“Daghan kaayo areas dira gina lote-lote nila but walay development permit from Davao City,” the regional director said during a media forum. He added that legal housing projects, such as subdivisions, should be registered as residential zoning.
The housing projects should first secure a development permit by submitting the scope and standard of the project and approved by the city government before a license could be issued in order to protect and ensure the safety of the buyers.
The regional director added that the selling of raw and illegal lots is usually rampant on social media, particularly Facebook, wherein buyers are reeled in by the low selling prices.
“They are selling it at a very low price na enticing gyod. Kasagaran ang hard-earned money sa atong mga overseas Filipino workers ang mabiktima, only to find out na kini na project is unlicensed and wala’y permit,” Palma Gil said.
In order to avoid buying unlicensed or raw lots, buyers should conduct a site visit in order to judge the area, and see if development has already started and if there are signs or posters indicating that the site is a residential housing project.
Buyers should also determine with the project has already secured a development permit from either the local government unit or the DHSUD, as well as a certificate of registration and license to sell from DHSUD.
Aside from that, buyers should also check the track record of the developer of the project, including brokers and sales agents, to know if the company is legit.
The City Planning and Development Office said the number of complaints about raw lots increased 80 to 100 cases per year in 2020 to 2021, from four to five cases per year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It really increased at the time of the pandemic,” CPDO head Ivan Cortez said last July. ICM