The housing and real-estate sector in Central Visayas remains positioned for growth, but industry stakeholders must address regulatory bottlenecks, infrastructure gaps and affordability concerns to sustain the region’s expansion, the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA)-Central Visayas said.
SHDA-Central Visayas President Ken Salimbangon said the region’s housing prospects remain strong, but realizing its full potential will require closer coordination among government agencies, developers, local governments (LGUs), utilities, financial institutions and other stakeholders.
Speaking during the summit synthesis of the group’s ‘Breaking Barriers, Building Forward’ gathering over the weekend, Salimbangon identified five key areas that need attention: regulatory efficiency, infrastructure and utilities, housing affordability, long-term regional planning and stronger public-private collaboration.
Salimbangon said the industry supports government efforts to protect homebuyers, enforce standards and promote responsible development but stressed that regulations ‘must be clear, predictable and efficient,’ because developers deal with taxation, the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA), emerging housing policies, project approvals and licenses to sell.
For developers, delays in approvals have direct financial consequences, he said.
‘Time has a real cost,’ Salimbangon said, noting that prolonged approval periods can increase financing and carrying costs, delay housing projects and ultimately affect the price paid by homebuyers.
The industry, he added, is not seeking less regulation but better regulation that protects consumers while allowing responsible developers to deliver housing more efficiently.
The second major concern is the need to synchronize housing development with infrastructure and utility investments.
Salimbangon said developers and policymakers must look beyond the availability of land when identifying areas for future residential growth.
Questions about water supply, power capacity, roads, transportation and environmental sustainability must be addressed early in the planning process, he said.
‘Housing development and infrastructure planning therefore cannot happen separately,’ Salimbangon said.
He urged developers, LGUs, national government agencies and utility providers to plan ahead of growth instead of responding only after infrastructure constraints emerge.
In addition, Salimbangon said rising input costs are also placing pressure on housing affordability.
Fuel, construction materials, labor, logistics, financing and regulatory compliance all contribute to the cost of delivering homes, according to Salimbangon.
‘While developers cannot control all of these factors, he said the industry must continue looking for ways to improve productivity and reduce costs. These include better design, more efficient construction methods, wider use of technology and more accessible financing,’ he said. ‘Our responsibility as housing developers is not merely to build more units. It is to make homeownership possible for more Filipino families,’ Salimbangon said.
The summit also underscored the importance of anticipating where growth will take place in the coming years.
Salimbangon said the next major growth areas in Central Visayas may not necessarily be the locations where development is concentrated today.
New infrastructure can open new growth corridors, while emerging economic centers and population increases can generate additional demand for housing.
This creates opportunities for developers, but Salimbangon said the private sector should not merely follow growth.
‘We should help shape it,’ he said.
This means ensuring that new communities are connected to transport networks, supported by adequate utilities and services, and developed in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Salimbangon said the housing challenge cannot be addressed by any single sector.
Government, developers, banks, utilities, contractors and LGUs must work together to expand housing supply and ensure that new communities remain viable and livable.