The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (CREBA), the largest organization of housing developers and suppliers of housing units in the country, said the multi-billion government funds lost to the anomalous flood control projects, should have been spent wisely for the housing backlog, which is estimated at 6.5 million units.
CREBA President Noel “Toti” Carino, said as he expressed indignation over the flood control project scandal during a press conference Wednesday, Sept. 10, for the upcoming 2025 CREBA National Convention on October 15–17, 2025 in Baguio City.
“We are all so saddened by the turn of events to actually see so much money wasted, especiallly, we have a housing backlog. Imagine that kind of money being spent on putting up homes,” said Carino.
“So many of our citizens would have had a home by this time. I’m not talking as a realtor, but as a builder. Most of CREBA are actually developers, so this is something very close to their heart.” Carino lamented that while they follow the standards set by the Department of Housing and Human Settlements, they are at the receiving end of the substandard and failed flood control projects due to corruption.
“If you do something good inside your own development, it still is connected to the mainstream tributaries, where you have to unleash all these waters to go to the natural rivers and tributaries. And that’s where all the problem lies,” said Carino.
According to Carino, the differrent housing developer groups, including CREBA, pledged to deliver 250,000 housing units for the government’s 4PH program.
Actually, he said, the realistic annual housing unit production should be at least 5-10 percent or maximum of 350,000 units a year not one million units of the 6.5 million housing backlog.
