First National Conference on Urban Development and Housing Act Ensued

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, attended the First National Conference on the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) on June 15 at the Manila Hotel. The Philippine Federation of Real Estate Service Professionals organized the event, in partnership with the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and Department of Interior and Local Government.

UDHA, otherwise known as the Lina Law, is considered a landmark legislation. Its author,former Senator Joey Lina, presented the overview of the law during the conference, specifically, information on demolition and relocation, financing and incentives on socialized housing, sanctions against professional squatters and syndicates, and the role of local governments. Representatives from several government agencies that deal with housing and urban development also provided updates on the law in relation to their respective mandates.

Senator Marcos actively participated in the event in view of his Committee's role in the housing and real estate industry. He gave his comments on the proposed amendment on the said Law. He mentioned some problems in housing and urban development in the country. "There is no real and reliable housing development framework to speak of. There has been opposition from some of the LGUs to be the sites for resettlement due to lack of funding and lack of technical capability. There is a need to identify the beneficiaries of government resettlement programs under the UDHA, among others. To ease these problems that we face, HUDCC should accelerate the completion and finalization of national housing framework plan," said Sen. Marcos.

"On the very last day of our session at the Senate, the act creating the Department and Urban Development is passed on second reading. So we are on way to organize a Department of Housing and Urban Development. The essential feature of the Act is that we organize the HLURB into a Commission. The duties of the Commission will essentially become adjudicatory, and the regulatory and planning functions that now exist within HLURB will be consolidated with the functions of HUDCC to form the Department of Housing and Urban Planning," he told the real practitioners, developers, landowners, lawyers, NGO representatives, and LGU representatives who attended the event.