ON FEBRUARY 14, 2019 Republic Act (RA) No. 11201 was signed into law. It created the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
Section 12 of the said Act reconstituted the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) as the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC).
The HSAC-Regional Adjudication Branch VI held a month-long celebration for its fourth anniversary. This year’s theme focused on “Inspiring Client Trust and Confidence through Active, Impartial, and Efficient Adjudication.”
What is HSAC?
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.
It is attached to the DHSUD for policy, planning and program coordination only.
HSAC is one of the key shelters of DHSUD. The other key shelter agencies are the National Housing Authority (NHA), the Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC), the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC), and the Home Development Mutual Fund (or Pag-Ibig).
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 RA 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.
The Commission is guided by the Constitutional provision that affords 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.
HSAC is committed to striving harder to deliver the best service to all Filipinos and to afford them an impartial and speedy disposition of their cases.
Happy 4th Anniversary, HSAC!/PN
