By Jun Sanchez*

THIS entry is based on the study this author made on the survey released this April by the National Statistics Office on all types of private building construction in the Philippines. The study focused on residential construction since it is meant for prospective Pinoy homeowners and residential developers.

The survey is based on the number of building permits approved by the local building officials in all cities and municipalities in the Philippines; the projects are described as “started.” No figure was given as to how many were finished, still in progress or discontinued. The study shows that:

• Residential projects account for 70% of all private construction in the Philippines. Of which, 85% are single houses, 3% are duplex/quadruplex/townhouses, 9% are apartments and 3% are condos.

• Residential projects have a short boom-bust cycle, i.e., growth cannot be sustained. It’s moderate for single houses and apartments but for townhouses and condos, the cycle is volatile. They enjoy massive growth for a year or two only to plummet later. Condo construction has been declining massively since 2005, indicating a glut in this segment. This, however, is a national trend and does not classify projects into Class A, B or C.

• Apartment construction grows steadily indicating that there’s a growing demand for it from Pinoys who have yet to own their homes.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

MAKATI CITY, Philippines — Issues concerning the housing project of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) agency Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) remained unsettled and continued to divide ITDI employees after two meetings held Thursday.

The housing project involves six parcels of land in barangay Molino in Bacoor, Cavite.

The land, which has a total area of 244,456 square meters, was used as an agricultural research site by the ITDI, formerly known as the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST).

When ITDI was reorganized in 1987, its agricultural research functions were transferred to University of the Philippines Los Baños.

In 1992, a resolution was passed to use the land as housing project for ITDI employees, which was made legal by the issuance of Executive Order 137 signed by President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo in October 2002.

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By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.NET

MANILA, Philippines — In an effort to promote excellence among the country’s budding architects and design engineers, Environments Global Foundation (EGF) launched two programs aimed at the country’s architecture and engineering educational institutions.

EGF is a corporate social responsibility group of the architectural and construction group Environments Global.

The two programs are the Lines to Lives Academic Excellence Award in Architecture and the Red Point Award.

The Lines to Lives is a planned annual search for the most outstanding student of architecture. Participating students must have a grade point average of 1.25, with no failure or incomplete grades.

EGF has partnered with the University of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, and the Mapua Institute of Technology as part of the pilot program of the Lines to Lives, which would run from 2008 to 2009.

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By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

PEOPLE these days are increasingly seeing the significance of owning or investing in a property.

In a recent housing fair hosted by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, about 8,000 people came to learn more about the housing programs offered by organizations like the Pag-Ibig Fund and also check some possible investments they can make, according to Oscar Empensando, department manager III, Acquired Assets Department of the Pag-Ibig Fund.

The housing fair opened on October 29, 2008 at the SM Megatrade Hall

In an interview, government employee Agustin Enabe said he visited the fair to check on possible investments. Meanwhile, private employees Vilma Tabagan and Fernando Torres were both seeking a house, which they can avail at cheaper prices.

“I’ve been renting for 30 years. Maybe, this is the time to avail a house from subsidized housing projects,” said Torres.

Empensando, for his part, shared some steps people can take to avail of a housing loan from Pag-Ibig Fund.

To qualify for a Pag-Ibig Fund loan, one should be a paying member with a net income not lower than P 3,000, especially for government employees.

He advised that people should check the Pag-Ibig website for the list of acquired assets, which they can also buy.

Once they’ve selected the property they wish to acquire, they can fill up a reservation form. Next, they should conduct an ocular or on-site inspection of the house they’ve selected. If they eventually decide to buy the house, they should then go to the Pag-Ibig Fund office and pay the reservation fee for the house. They will be then asked to submit the necessary documents (community tax certificate or cedula, proof of income, marriage certificate, among others).

TESSA Salazar talks to an industry legal expert who shares at least 15 ways to prevent your home from getting repossessed.

Mike Denava, a legal officer of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, noted that about 50 percent of buyers of house and lots and condominium units had admitted they could no longer pay their monthly amortizations or were dissatisfied with particular aspects of the project, and were asking for refunds of their payments.

He added that some of these callers were overseas contract workers who could no longer find jobs abroad.

Denava has enumerated the following 15 reminders to potential property buyers:
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