SOLD, ABANDONED: 453 housing lots flagged, 93 reclaimed in Iloilo City

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

At least 93 housing lots and units have been reclaimed by the Iloilo City Local Housing Board after authorities found violations, including illegal sale, leasing, and non-occupancy by beneficiaries.

The move followed a citywide occupancy validation conducted by the Iloilo City Local Housing Office, which found that several properties awarded under government housing programs were no longer being used by their original beneficiaries.

ICLHO head Atty. Peter Millare said Thursday, March 19, that the office conducted a house-to-house survey across relocation sites to verify actual occupants and compare them with official master lists.

The validation process was conducted in coordination with homeowners’ associations, which helped reconcile discrepancies between listed beneficiaries and actual occupants per block and lot.

Millare said occupants who matched the official master list were verified and retained.

During the validation, he said authorities discovered properties had been illegally sold despite such transactions being prohibited.

He added that some units were vacant or abandoned, with others left idle for years or even decades.

Millare said these cases are subject to reversion under Section 14 of the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, which prohibits beneficiaries from selling, renting, or abandoning properties to nonqualified parties, ensuring the program’s intent is upheld.

The Urban Development and Housing Act, or Republic Act 7279, is the primary law governing socialized housing in the Philippines. It establishes the framework for providing affordable housing to underprivileged and homeless citizens while setting conditions to prevent the misuse of government-awarded properties.

He said violations render such transactions null and void.

Based on the validation, a total of 453 housing lots and units were identified as vacant or abandoned and recommended for reversion.

Of these, 93 have already been officially reverted through a resolution by the Local Housing Board.

Millare urged beneficiaries to make proper use of the properties awarded to them.

“For our beneficiaries, please take good care of the lots. The housing is awarded, precisely for the reason that you will build a house and stay there, not to abandon it. What they usually do is, since it was awarded to them, they believe it is reserved for them even if there is no actual house,” he stressed.

Millare emphasized that due process was observed, noting that notices were issued and opportunities to explain were provided before any reversion was finalized.

He said original property owners were issued notices of reversion, with copies furnished to barangays and homeowners’ associations.

Some beneficiaries filed appeals, but these were later denied by the board.

“We cannot just immediately revert because we also need to confirm that the lot is vacant, and there is also a notice to explain despite it being vacant,” he added.

“We cannot just revert the properties right away. Since we are helping the urban poor, we extend our patience and understanding, but if it is unreasonable, such as when the lot was awarded 15 years ago, and there is no actual house, that is already unreasonable,” he highlighted.

Despite the reversion, Millare clarified that affected individuals are not automatically disqualified from future housing programs.

He said they may still reapply, although the Local Housing Board gives priority to families displaced by government projects or those living in danger zones.

As of March 17, the city government has provided 8,750 housing units and lots, excluding those under public-private partnership projects.

The Local Housing Board, a multisectoral body under the ICLHO created in October 2023, is tasked with selecting and evaluating beneficiaries, reviewing housing programs, crafting policies, and approving awards.

It also has the authority to order the reversion of units in cases of violations such as illegal sale, abandonment, and non-occupancy.