Guidelines for Housing Developers

The Board of Investments (BOI) has approved the guidelines to encourage its registered housing developers to build socialized housing projects in the areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda. This initiative is BOI’s response to the massive devastation brought about by the super typhoon that led to loss of many lives and destruction of properties in the Eastern Visayas region.

Under existing rules, the BOI registered housing developers are required to allocate, for socialized housing, an equivalent of 20% of the project cost of their registered project or the corresponding area specified under the law.

The newly approved guidelines provide for additional modes for registered housing developers to comply with the BOI socialized housing requirement (SHR) and likewise supporting the rehabilitation efforts of government based on the principle of “build-back-better”. The principle focuses on long-term sustainable efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen capacities of communities to cope with future calamities. Registered developers may opt to donate either construction materials or land but only in areas specifically identified by the Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP) also known as the Yolanda Rehabilitation Master Plan.

The Master Plan enumerates the areas and the specific government interventions to rehabilitate the communities affected by the super typhoon in different cities and provinces in the country which include Leyte, Capiz, Tacloban City, Iloilo, and Eastern Samar, among others. The Plan focuses on four areas of rehabilitation namely: livelihood, resettlement, social services, and infrastructure.

BOI’s Typhoon Yolanda Guidelines was published and took effect on 23 April 2015.


The recently accredited guidelines grant registered housing developers additional modes to conform to the BOI socialized-housing requirement (SHR) and, likewise, supporting the rehabilitation endeavors of the government based on the principle of “build-back-better.”

The principle aims for long-term sustainable efforts to reduce susceptibility and fortify abilities of communities in coping with future disasters.

Registered developers may donate either construction materials or land but only in specific areas recognized by the Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP), also known as the Yolanda Rehabilitation Master Plan.

The CRRP specified the areas and the specific government intervention to rehabilitate the communities hit by Yolanda in different cities and provinces, including Leyte, Capiz, Tacloban City, Iloilo and Eastern Samar. The plan concentrated on four areas of rehabilitation, which are livelihood, resettlement, social services and infrastructure.

Timely release of budget

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), meanwhile, said it intends to focus on the timely release of the budget for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Yolanda-hit areas.

With the transfer of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery to the Neda, the economic oversight agency intends to work closely with the budget department to ensure that fund disbursements do not impede project implementation.

“We shall focus on the timely release of the budget, for projects included in the CRRP,” Economic Planning Secretary and Neda Director General Arsenio M. Balisacan said in a news statement.

“For this, we shall be working closely with the Department of Budget and Management to ensure that the requisites for responsible public financial management do not impede the efficient implementation of urgently needed rehabilitation projects,” he added.

The Neda said the reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in the Yolanda corridor will be overseen by a project monitoring office (PMO) within the Neda, under the Regional Development Office, headed by Deputy Director General Margarita R. Songco.

The Neda said the PMO will use the existing Regional Project Monitoring and Evaluation System  in monitoring the status and progress of  Yolanda-related projects, programs and activities (PPAs). This will serve as the basis for regularly reporting on the progress of work.

The agency also assured that it will regularly consult with local government units in the disaster-affected regions to ensure that PPAs are responsive to local needs.

It will also work with development partners from the private sector, civil society and the international development community to rebuild the economies in the affected areas and restore people’s jobs and livelihood.

“We are determined to build on the gains and learn from the shortcomings. Always our focus shall be to hasten the recovery process by eliminating administrative and policy bottlenecks in the implementation of priority PPAs,” Balisacan said.

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