De Castro, Villar at CREBA meet

Vice President Noli “Kabayan” de Castro and Senate President Manuel Villar will grace the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Associations (CREBA) Inc. national convention at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, Subic Free Port, Zambales on Oct. 24-25.

This was announced by CREBA National President Reghis Romero II and overall convention chairman Angel Vivas Jr. The convention theme is “Managing Land and Environment for Today’s Communities: Best Practices and Success Stories.”

On Oct. 24, De Castro will be the guest of honor and speaker after the land use forum on “Balancing Land Use for Food, Shelter and Environment.” De Castro is chairman of the government’s Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) which oversees housing development in the country.

Villar will be the special guest at the convention’s gala night program to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Council of Leaders of CREBA. Villar has long been supporting CREBA as the country’s leading real estate and housing industry organization.

Convention sponsors are Boysen Paint, MB Villar Group of Companies, Durawood Construction & Lumber Supply, Moldex Group of Companies, R-II Builders Inc., Prime Estate Ventures, Inc., Harbour Centre, Sta. Lucia Realty Development Inc., Prime Peak Properties Inc., BPI Family Savings Bank, Manila Water Company Inc. and Hausland Development Corporation.

CREBA is inviting all builders, professionals and other sectors to join the convention. Please contact the CREBA secretariat at 373-2270 to 75 or email: creba_inc.@yahoo.com.

Developers tackle green technology in Subic convention

Architect Stephen Sy Lau of the Hong Kong Department of Architecture and Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Development, will discuss "Green Technology: An Asian Perspective" on Oct. 25 during the national convention of members and stakeholders of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Associations (CREBA) Inc. at Subic Free Port, Zambales.

CREBA national president Reghis M. Romero II and convention chairman Angel G. Vivas Jr. said this year's theme is "Managing Land and the Environment for Today’s Communities: Best Practices and Success Stories."

Rene D. Almendras, business group director of the Manila Water Company, will be the forum panelist, while Architect Felino "Jun" A. Palafox will be the reactor. An open forum will follow.

Lau teaches architectural and environmental design at the department of architecture, Hong Kong University. He served as chairman of the faculty board of architecture, director of research graduate students, honorary professor of the Tongji University, the Southeast University and the Wuhan University, China and associate dean in 1998-2006; master architect coordinator and director of the Center of Architecture and Urban Design for China and Hong Kong in 2000-2007.

Convention sponsors are Boysen Paint, MB Villar Group of Companies, Durawood Construction & Lumber Supply, Moldex Group of Companies, Pag-IBIG Fund V.V. Soliven Group of Companies, R-II Builders Inc. Prime Estate Ventures Inc., Harbour Centre, Sta. Lucia Realty Development Inc., Central Country Estate Inc., BPI Family Savings Bank, Manila Water Company, and Hausland Development Corporation.

CREBA is inviting developers and industry professionals to attend the national convention. For inquiries, e-mail at creba inc@yahoo.com.

Country’s realtors, builders set meet at Subic

Manila Bulletin

The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Associations (CREBA) will hold its 2008 national convention with the theme “Managing Land and Environment for Today’s Communities – Best Practices and Success Stories” a the Subic Bay exhibit and Convention Center on Oct. 23-25.

CREBA national president Reghis M. Romero II and overall convention chairman Angel G. Vivas Jr. said a convention forum will focus on “Imperatives on Land for Food, Shelter and Energy” with Department of Agriculture Sec. Arthur C. Yap; Environmental Management Bureau Director Julian D. Amador and Habitat for Humanity Ms. Margarita Moran-Floreindo, as invited panelists.

Romero said, “Agricultural growth rate has consistently declined over the years, and at two percent, it is the lowest in the region. Food sufficiency and productivity are not directly proportionate to land size as shown by the United States, Israel, Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

These countries are major exporters of their excess agricultural products. The Philippines should replicate their successes for the benefit of our people.

“Certain laws have reserved land for housing and other urban uses, such as Presidential Decree No. 399 which sets aside 500 meters on each side of the national road or 1,000-meter strip along such road for the purpose. Republic Act No. 7274 or the Urban Development and Housing Act or the Lina Law, mandates the inventory, identification and acquisition of land for socialized housing. RA 7160 or the Local Government Code authorizes the local government units to reclassify land into different uses. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) is already in place with 85 percent of the LGUs having enacted their respective Land Use Plans.

“CREBA takes the position that these laws prevail over RA 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law. Therefore, the Department of Agrarian Reform has no jurisdiction over lands which are identified for non-agricultural purposes to said laws.

“Like food, shelter is also one of man’s basic needs. Government estimates the housing backlog at 1.5 million units.

CREBA estimates an annual production of 600,000 units for the next 20 years to eradicate homelessness.

“Real estate development and housing are the vanguards of urbanization which, in turn, represents an important path way out of rural poverty. The industry has a very high multiplier effect of 16.6 on the economy, where for every P1 million spent on housing, P166 million is contributed to the economy. Millions of workers and at least 68 million allied industries rely on its activities and growth.

“Land of conversion, estimated at a measly 0.36 percent, has practically no effect on rice production. Housing and real estate development should therefore not be blamed for the failure of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“Instead of using land to plant ethanol as am alternative source of energy, it is suggested that government tap our abundant natural sources of energy such as natural gas, ocean, geothermal, solar, wind, hydro electric, biomass and coal.

“The answer is a comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) that addresses the land requirements of the various sectors, aimed at economic growth. Agricultural lands should be zoned or mapped according to crop suitability, weather and economic advantages. A physical framework based on CLUP can serve as an effective guide to be a balanced land use.”