After clearing its regulatory backlog, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is turning its attention to complaints raised by homebuyers and homeowners.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling has ordered all regional offices and the Central Office-based Homeowners Associations and Community Development Bureau to act on all pending complaints filed by homebuyers against developers, as well as homeowners association concerns, within 30 days.

“As regulators, it is part of our mandate to look after and protect the welfare of homebuyers and homeowners. That is why we will intensify our efforts to resolve their concerns through mass conciliation efforts in all regions,” Aliling said in Filipino.

“Concerns and complaints brought to us should not be allowed to drag on, especially those raised by homebuyers who have spent their hard-earned money to own a home. These concerns must be addressed promptly, fairly, and in accordance with the law and existing policies,” he added.

Aliling ordered all regional directors to submit an inventory of all pending concerns and complaints from homebuyers and homeowners, including the reasons why they remain unresolved.

So far, the DHSUD has identified three regions as priority areas: Region 4A or Calabarzon, the National Capital Region and Region 3.

Upon assuming office last year, Aliling launched the reformative DHSUD 8-Point Agenda aimed at improving the department’s public service delivery anchored on zero tolerance for corruption, transparency, accountability, and balancing the interests of stakeholders.

The agenda includes the Zero Backlog Program, which was launched after Aliling inherited more than 3,000 actionable regulatory and other items dating as far back as 2021, including homebuyer and homeowners association concerns. The backlog was cleared within two months.

In March, the department initiated an internal audit of all regulatory applications, which led to the discovery of pending applications at the regional level. This prompted the DHSUD to send key officials to the regional offices to resolve the issues.

Since June, all regional offices have been reporting and certifying that they have zero overdue regulatory applications. Under existing policies, all applications must be acted upon within 15 days, either through approval, denial or the issuance of a Notice of Deficiency of Requirements.

“In accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we must deliver faster and cleaner government services to our fellow Filipinos,” Aliling said.