Housing regulators told: Open your books on permit approvals

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A top Philippine real estate executive is pressing housing regulators not only to clear a backlog in permit approvals but to publicly disclose data on the process and to explain shifting rules that developers say have upended projects already underway.

Anthony Leuterio, president of A Better Real Estate Philippines, issued a formal statement calling on the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to release a full accounting of how many Licenses to Sell (LTS) it has approved in the past six months, broken down by region, category, and project type.

“Transparency is not a threat to government authority; it is the foundation of public trust,” Leuterio said.

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The call comes amid mounting complaints from developers and brokers nationwide who say housing projects have stalled because LTS applications are bottlenecked at the DHSUD national office.

An LTS is a prerequisite for legally selling or promoting a housing project.

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The DHSUD in Central Visayas had earlier dismissed reports of delays affecting hundreds of housing units in the region.

But Leuterio said several developers continue to wait months for approvals despite having submitted complete and compliant requirements.

Beyond the permit backlog, realtors are also urging the government to explain sudden changes in regulatory requirements — particularly those imposed on projects that have already broken ground.

“The relationship between government and the private housing sector must be a two-way street. Government must not only issue mandates — it must listen to the men and women on the ground who are building the homes, selling the units, and serving the buyers every single day,” Leuterio said.

He warned that leaving these issues unaddressed would have consequences reaching well beyond the housing sector.

Real estate is the single largest driver of bank loans in the Philippines, he noted, and activity in the sector generates downstream employment across construction, manufacturing, utilities, and financial services.

“Let us act like it — with transparency, with urgency, and with genuine love for this nation,” he added.

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