PRESS RELEASE
14 March 2025

PCC, DHSUD sign MoA to strengthen housing sector

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) for a more competitive housing sector in the country.

PCC Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo and Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar signed the MoA during a ceremony on March 14, 2025, at the DHSUD office in Quezon City.

"It is our hope that this joint objective will help steer us towards a future where housing becomes more attainable and affordable, where no single firm dominates the housing market, and where every Filipino can reasonably aspire towards a home," Aguinaldo said.

Under the MoA, the PCC and DHSUD will collaborate on several key areas, including notifying each other of jurisdictional concerns, monitoring the housing sector for anti-competitive practices, coordinating on policy formulation, and supporting investigations and enforcement of competition laws. The agencies will also share relevant data and documents on matters related to mergers, acquisitions, and enforcement cases, conduct joint capacity-building activities, and hold regular consultative meetings to address common issues and enhance their understanding of competition law and policy.

This partnership builds on the PCC’s ongoing efforts to address anti-competitive practices in the housing sector. The PCC has previously fined a property developer for abuse of dominance through an exclusive internet service provider (ISP) arrangement.  The PCC took further action by issuing Enforcement Advisory Letters to multiple property developers whose condominiums or subdivisions were the subject of complaints for having exclusive ISP arrangements. These advisories offer developers an opportunity to rectify their practices and avoid lengthy legal proceedings.

This MoA with DHSUD is the PCC's 32nd overall, underscoring the Commission's ongoing commitment to fostering fair competition and strengthening regulatory coordination across sectors. Since its inception in 2016, the PCC has partnered with numerous government agencies and organizations, including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Agriculture, among others.

The PCC, created under the Philippine Competition Act (PCA), safeguards consumer welfare by ensuring fair market competition. It is mandated to investigate and penalize businesses that engage in anti-competitive agreements, abuse their dominant market position, or pursue mergers and acquisitions that harm competition.

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REFERENCE:
publicaffairs@phcc.gov.ph
PCC Public Affairs and Research Division

LINK: https://www.phcc.gov.ph/resource-details/pcc-dhsud-sign-moa-to-strengthen-housing-sector