DAVAO CITY — The Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA) has asked the Davao City government to consider partnerships with private developers for socialized housing projects.

SHDA Board Member Sol G. Lagmay said they have had initial discussions with Zoning Administrator Roy Ryan A. Rigor and Assistant City Administrator Tristan Dwight P. Domingo on possible joint ventures wherein the local government will provide the land while the developers will take care of the housing development.

“According to (Mr.) Rigor, they have community mortgage program projects wherein that’s where we (developers) can (come in) for socialized housing development,” Ms. Lagmay told the media in a forum.

SHDA is the country’s main organization of housing and real estate developers.

SHDA Secretary Cecille Anne S. Ilagan, for her part, said the skyrocketing cost of property in the city has been hampering socialized housing developers from pursuing projects.

“Although we are one with government in trying to provide socialized housing and we are required to do so, but it makes it really difficult because of the cost of raw land. We have a lot of challenges,” Ms. Ilagan said.

She cited the Quezon City government as an example for private-public partnership deals. “In Quezon City, they have government property and then they build there a socialized housing and they even went vertical already, socialized medium rise buildings (MRBs).”

“Developer and the government is a good partnership, so that developers won’t have a hard time getting land,” she added.

SHDA is holding its annual Housing Fair on Oct. 18 to 22 at the Abreeza Mall Davao with at least 24 developers expected to participate.

“Hopefully we will be able to show to the people the different projects that we have here in Davao… during the opening we will invite those in the housing industry and the agencies in government to also participate,” Ms. Ilagan said. — Maya M. Padillo

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