LAST week, my column discussed the salient features of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11201 which highlights the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD). Nevertheless, one of the features of the said law is the creation of the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC).
The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) was reconstituted and shall be known as the HSAC. The adjudicatory function of the former was transferred to the latter. The HSAC is attached to DHSUD for policy, planning, and program coordination only.
HSAC is a purely quasi-judicial agency. It is mandated to adjudicate, among others, disputes relating to real estate development, homeowners association, and appeals from decisions of local and regional planning and zoning bodies.
The Commission is guided by the constitutional provision that afford all persons the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative bodies.
It has the following power and authority:
* to promulgate rules and regulations governing the hearing and disposition of cases before it and its Adjudicators, as well as those necessary to carry out its functions;
* to administer oaths, summon the parties to a controversy, issue subpoenas requiring attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of such books, papers, contracts, records, statements of accounts, agreements, and other as may be material to just determination of the case;
* to hold any person in contempt directly or indirectly and impose appropriate penalties in accordance with law, and to exercise such other powers as are implied and necessary, or incidental to carry out the express power granted to the Commission.
It has original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide cases involving subdivisions, condominiums, memorial parks, and similar real estate developments; cases involving homeowners associations; disputes involving the implementation of Section 18 of RA No. 7279, as amended by R.A. No. 10884 and its implementing rules and regulations; and disputes or controversies involving laws and regulations being implemented by the DHSUD, except those cases falling within the jurisdiction of other judicial or quasi-judicial bodies.
It exercises exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all cases decided by the Regional Adjudicators and appeals from decisions of local and regional planning and zoning bodies.
As we celebrate National Shelter Month, the HSAC is committed to attending to all applicants or requesting parties who are in need of our services during our mall exhibits.
Next week, the DHSUD together with KSAs will have a back-to-back housing fair in SM City Iloilo and Robinsons Place Bacolod./PN
