The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is starting 2026 with a clear message to developers: if your papers are complete, expect faster approvals.
Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling has ordered the immediate release of all compliant applications for Certificates of Registration and Licenses to Sell (CR/LS) within the first 10 working days of the year.
The directive applies to qualified private developers of socialized housing projects and covers applications that fully meet updated rules and documentation requirements.
The move is designed to keep the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program on track, while injecting momentum into the broader housing and real estate sector. Faster licensing means projects can move more quickly from the drawing board to construction—supporting jobs, demand for materials, and local economic activity.
Aliling instructed Senior Supervising Undersecretary Sharon Faith Paquiz, relevant bureaus, and all DHSUD regional offices to prioritize CR/LS processing to ensure a steady pipeline of socialized housing units nationwide. He stressed, however, that the accelerated timeline applies only to fully compliant applications, signaling that regulatory standards will not be diluted in the push for speed.
From an industry perspective, the order addresses a long-standing bottleneck. Lengthy approval timelines have often delayed project launches, raising costs and dampening investor appetite.
By drawing a firm line between complete and incomplete filings, DHSUD is nudging developers to improve compliance while rewarding those ready to build.
The agency acknowledged that it has no consolidated national data yet on how many applications will benefit, as processing remains decentralized at the regional level. Aggregated figures will be released once reports are completed.
The fast-track push builds on 2025 reforms, including updated price ceilings, simplified tax-exemption procedures, and streamlined licensing—signaling that DHSUD sees speed, not just scale, as critical to expanding affordable housing in 2026.
