THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Monday rejected claims that its issuance of licenses to sell (LTS) has fallen to a 20-year low.
The housing agency said that reforms have put it on track to match or surpass recent performance while keeping regulatory applications free of backlogs for eight straight weeks.
It called the claim “factually false,” saying 2026 LTS approvals and issuances are on track to match or exceed levels recorded in recent years.
DHSUD credited Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling’s eight-point executive agenda, which focuses on digitizing transactions, cutting red tape, improving regulation, protecting homebuyers and eliminating corruption.
It said it has enforced full digital processing and a strict 15-day action timeline for LTS applications.
The reforms have resulted in eight consecutive weeks of zero overdue regulatory applications across all its regional offices.
Under the system, every LTS application must be acted upon within the 15-day period — either approved, denied, or issued a Notice of Deficiency of Requirements (NDR), the DHSUD said.
To prevent deficient paperwork from unnecessarily stalling housing projects, DHSUD also introduced the Temporary License to Sell (TLS), which gives applicants one year to complete missing requirements. It clarified the recent transfer of supervisory functions previously handled by Senior Undersecretary Sharon Faith Paquiz.
The directive came only after Paquiz submitted her resignation, describing the move as a routine administrative step to ensure continuity and an orderly turnover.
On the BF Resort Village dispute, DHSUD said the issue had been resolved within the department and is now before the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC).
DHSUD likewise maintained that it remains on track to help deliver 1.13 million housing units by the end of the Marcos administration through direct housing production and financial assistance programs.
The department stressed that faster processing does not mean looser regulation.
While working with private developers to meet the country’s housing needs, DHSUD said it would continue to strictly police the market and protect homebuyers — including overseas Filipino workers — from unsafe, unauthorized or questionable developments.
The agency said its reforms are aimed at achieving both goals: faster housing delivery and stronger protection for homebuyers.
