In its continued effort to capacitate its partners to ensure sustainable developments, the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development, the Housing Arm of the BARMM, through the Policy Development, Coordination, and Regulation Division PDCRD), under the Technical and Regulatory Services (TRS) conducted the Training on the Devolved Real Estate Regulatory Functions for the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Lanao del Sur on October 8-9, 2024, at the EM Manor Hotel, Cotabato City.

Supporting the MHSD during the training, in celebration of the National Shelter Month, was the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)-Region XII, led by Jayharie C. Mantil, REA, REB, MPA, JD, Chief of the Housing and Real Estate Development Regulation Division (HREDRD) together and his team of resource speakers.

Suharto S. Wahab, En, REA, REB, Director II for TRS, formally opened the training by expressing his gratitude to the participants for their active participation. He encouraged them to share their challenges and experiences, emphasizing that this would help the MHSD identify areas where they could provide support and intervention.

“This two-day training is both timely and relevant, especially for the LGUs, as they play a crucial role in issuing development permits and other regulatory documents. We strongly encourage everyone to have their Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) in place, as it serves as the foundation for effectively regulating developments within your area,” said Director Wahab.

Atty. Janice-Zah M. Macapantar, Chief of the Environment, Land Use, and Urban Development Division, welcomed the participants by commending the LGUs of Lanao del Sur for their active participation and involvement.

She emphasized that the MHSD remains steadfast in providing support, technical assistance, and necessary guidance to ensure the successful implementation of their devolved functions.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our commitment to empower local government units in enhancing their capacity to manage their own land use functions. Integrating land use planning at the local level is not just about compliance to the national policies, but also about creating sustainable, resilient, and inclusive communities,” Chief Macapantar stated.

LArc. Jehanna Abdulkarim, Chief of PDCRD, presented the MHSD profile and its key services, which included housing production, community support services, real estate regulations, land use technical assistance, and monitoring and evaluation.

Chief Mantil then provided an overview of the services and primary functions of DHSUD, which included policy making, coordination, regulation, and performance monitoring.

He also presented Topic 5, focusing on the monitoring of subdivisions, and Topic 6: Joint Memo Circular No. 01, Series of 2021 that details the creation of the Anti-Illegal Real Estate Practices Interagency Task Force at the national, regional, and local levels, along with mechanisms to address legal real estate transactions.

Engr. Koeln Grace T. Gayapa, HHRO III of the Permits and Licensing Unit, HREDRD presented an overview of Executive Order No. 71, which emphasizes the devolution of the powers of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (now DHSUD) to approve subdivision plans to cities and municipalities, in accordance with R.A. No. 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991.

She also discussed the permit and license requirements and presented the Orientation on Technical Guidelines for BP 220 and PD 957 IRRs, and Topic 4 on the Compliance to Balanced Housing.

Following the comprehensive presentations from DHSUD, the participants were divided into two groups for a workshop. Each group was provided with a sample Locational Plan and was tasked to evaluate and review its Preliminary Subdivision and Development Plan (PSDP), including the stages involved in processing and approval, to identify any deficient documentary and compliance requirements.

After group deliberations, the participants presented their findings, receiving constructive feedback from the Resource Speakers on the identified deficiencies.

The participants were composed of municipal planning and development coordinators and engineers from the provincial government, and LGUs of Binidayan, Pagayawan, Pualas, Lumba Bayabao, Buadipuso Buntong, Wao, Marawi City, Balindong, Butig, and the MHSD-Lanao del Sur.

Esmael W. Ebrahim, Bangsamoro Director General, expressed his gratitude to the participants for their active participation and for successfully completing the training. He also lauded the DHSUD for its continued support to the MHSD in providing technical assistance to the different stakeholders.

“This training is very important for the LGUs and we hope that the knowledge gained here will be put into action as it is very important to learn, but the most important thing is that learning can be translated into actions.” BDG Ebrahim emphasized.

Minister Atty. Hamid Aminoddin D. Barra, Minister, officially concluded the program by thanking everyone who contributed to the success of the event especially mentioning the efforts of the PDCRD. He also shared how busy the Ministry has been in its efforts to give the best services to the constituents especially this October in celebration of the National Shelter Month this year.