Bumili ng bahay pero ‘di pa naibibigay? Alamin ang iyong karapatan

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | January 13, 2026

Dear Chief Acosta,

Bumili ako ng isang unit ng bahay at lupa mula sa isang property developer. Base sa aming napagkasunduan, at gaya rin ng nakasaad sa kontrata, maibibigay dapat ang unit sa akin noong Enero 2024. Sa kasamaang palad, hanggang ngayon, ang proyekto ay malayo pa sa pagtatapos at ang pinakamasama ay napipilitan pa rin kaming ipagpatuloy ang aming buwanang amortisasyon tulad ng nakasaad sa aming kontrata. May maaari ba akong gawin hinggil dito? – Alexa

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Dear Alexa

Ang pagkakaroon ng isang lugar na tinatawag na "tahanan" ay tiyak na nasa mga pangunahing prayoridad ng bawat indibidwal. Dahil dito, ang negosyong real estate at konstruksyon ay isang malawak na industriya. 

Sa kasalukuyan, may mahigpit na kompetisyon sa pagitan ng mga developer, at ahente o nagbebenta ng mga real estate kaya makikita na ginagawa nila ang lahat para lamang maakit ang mga posibleng maging kliyente nila. Ang ilan ay gumagawa at nangangako ng mga bagay na higit pa sa kung ano ang talagang magagawa at posible sa loob ng aktuwal na kapasidad ng developer.  Pinakamasama nito, ang ilan ay nasasangkot sa mga mapanlinlang at maling representasyon. 

Ang mga senaryo na ito ang tinutugunan ng Presidential Decree No. 957 (P.D. No. 957) o tinatawag na “Subdivision and Condominium Buyer’s Protective Decree.” Sa Seksyon 20 at 23 ng nasabing batas, nakasaad na:

“Section 20. Time of Completion. Every owner or developer shall construct and provide the facilities, improvements, infrastructures and other forms of development, including water supply and lighting facilities, which are offered and indicated in the approved subdivision or condominium plans, brochures, prospectus, printed matters, letters or in any form of advertisement, within one year from the date of the issuance of the license for the subdivision or condominium project or such other period of time as may be fixed by the Authority.

Section 23. Non-Forfeiture of Payments. No installment payment made by a buyer in a subdivision or condominium project for the lot or unit he contracted to buy shall be forfeited in favor of the owner or developer when the buyer, after due notice to the owner or developer, desists from further payment due to the failure of the owner or developer to develop the subdivision or condominium project according to the approved plans and within the time limit for complying with the same. Such buyer may, at his option, be reimbursed the total amount paid including amortization interests but excluding delinquency interests, with interest thereon at the legal rate.”

Sa kaso na Zamora Realty and Development Corporation and/or Ernesto Zamora vs. Office of the President of the Philippines and Edilberto C. Gallardo (G.R. No. 165724, November 02, 2006, Ponente: Honorable Associate Justice Romeo J. Callejo, Sr.), ipinaliwanag ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman na: 

“It is thus clear that the law provides two remedies in case of incomplete development of the subdivision project: (1) reimbursement of the total amount paid, including amortization interests but excluding delinquency interests, with interest thereon at the legal rate; or (2) for the buyer to suspend amortization payments until the completion of the project. These remedies are available to the prospective buyer to give effect to the law’s intent to protect the buyers from abusive owners/developers of subdivisions. In cases of incomplete development, it is the developer who is the one at fault, as it would then have violated its promise to the prospective buyers to provide the necessary facilities in the subdivision. The aggrieved party, therefore, is the prospective buyer because of the non-fulfillment of the