The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has launched a nationwide intervention to address mounting delays in housing-related transactions, deploying top officials and undersecretaries to all 17 regional offices following an internal audit that traced processing bottlenecks to the field level rather than the agency’s Central Office.
Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the regional deployments began this week as part of a sweeping effort to fast-track pending applications, assess office performance, and implement reforms aimed at improving public service delivery.
The move comes after complaints from industry stakeholders alleging that transaction delays were concentrated at the DHSUD Central Office. However, the department’s own audit found that the majority of pending applications—including licenses, certifications, and other regulatory permits—were stalled in regional offices.
Aliling said the initiative forms part of DHSUD’s broader 8-Point Agenda, particularly its Zero Backlog Program and streamlining campaign designed to improve efficiency and accountability across the agency.
“We want to ensure that every regional office delivers the same level of efficiency and responsiveness expected from the Central Office,” Aliling said, noting that transactions at the national headquarters are monitored in real time and processed within prescribed review periods.
Undersecretaries assigned to the regions have been instructed to establish accountability mechanisms, closely monitor operational performance, and recommend corrective measures to prevent recurring delays.
The housing chief also underscored the role of digitalization in sustaining reforms, expressing confidence that DHSUD’s ongoing modernization initiatives would help eliminate backlogs and improve the delivery of housing and regulatory services nationwide.
The department said the intensified oversight is expected to speed up transaction processing and restore stakeholder confidence in the agency’s regulatory system.
