Having been part of this organization for ten (10) years now, it has been my earnest desire for PAREB to be a pool of highly professional REALTORS® renowned for excellent service in real estate brokerage, appraisal and consultancy. I am of the firm belief that giving primacy to our members’ professional development is a sure-win path towards building the Filipino REALTOR®’s Image of Excellence.
In my first report at the beginning of the year, I have outlined to you the development path we followed as a result of the strategic planning of the members of the National Directorate in December 12 and 13 through the tutelage of Professor Ryan Mercado which was followed by another strategic planning and leadership training for the local board presidents. Now, as we come to close the year 2008, it is my honor to report to you what we have accomplished together and where we are heading as we continue to soar high towards excellent service.
Professionalizing Realty Service
Professionalizing the ranks was most effective through the conduct of conferences, specialized trainings and seminars as well as continuing education courses to members. We had two regional conferences: Vis-Min and NCR-Luzon, both with the major goal of updating and upgrading the knowledge and skills of member REALTORS® in the backdrop of a rapidly growing technology and rising economies around the globe.
Regional Conferences
Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, known as the “The City of Gentle People” was the venue for the 2008 Vis-Min Conference held at Bethel Guest House on April 18-19. The conference was hosted by the PAREB-Negros Oriental REALTORS® Board (NOREB) under the leadership of Over-all Conference Chairman, VP for Visayas REALTOR® Gregorio L. Uymatiao, Jr. and Regional Conference Coordinator, NOREB President REALTOR® Ernesto C. Quiamco.
The Keynote Speaker for the event was Hon. Rodolfo G. Valencia, Representative 1st District of Oriental Mindoro, Chairman Committee on Housing and Urban Development of the House of Representatives, 14th Congress who spoke on the Marketing and Distribution of the One Million Homes Program of the government. In line with the conference theme “Onset to Professionalization” the rest of the topics discussed were “Guideline and Policies of the Anti-Colorum Task Force” by REALTOR® Pilar T. Banaag, Chairperson of the Anti-Colorum National Task Force; “Is the Philippines Ready for Climate Change?” tackled by Dr. Hilconida Calumpong, Director, Silliman University Institute of Environment & Marine Sciences and Prof. Renee Paalan, Coordinator, Silliman University Center for Tropical Conservation Studies. Dr. Henry A. Sojor, President of Negros Oriental State University talked about “Leadership”.
The second PAREB MLS Congress for 2008 was held in the morning of April 19 with the following speakers: REALTOR® Eleuterio P. Ong Vano, CIPS who talked on “How to Sell without Really Trying”, REALTOR® Ross M. Fernando on the topic “How to Use E-Mail Effectively for Your Realty Service Practice and REALTOR® Atty. Gil Mamaril who discussed some Articles of the Code of Ethics.
NCR-Luzon Regional Conference which was held on July 18-19 at the Hotel Kimberly in Tagaytay was hosted by the San Juan REALTORS® Board, Inc. It opened with the 3rd MLS Congress where the following topics were discussed: “Re-Engineering Destiny” by Motivational Speaker Raju Mandhyan; “Selling Strategies – Deal or No Deal” by VP for NCR REALTOR® Agnes M. Acosta; “How Well Do You Know Your Buyer” by REALTOR® Virginia T. Sering; “What Can Yahoo & Google Do For Your Business” by REALTOR® Crisanto Chua; “Blog and Beyond” by REALTOR® Juan Philip Evangelista; “Good Relations With Fellow REALTORS® Matter” by PAREB Secretary General, Atty. Gil Mamaril. The Congress ended with a Panel Discussion on “How To Handle Problematic Transactions.”
Keynote Speaker was Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Chairman of Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement Committee who talked about “Global Warming and Renewable Energy”. Other speakers were the Hon Rodolfo G. Valencia on Real Estate Trends and Forecasts, Mr. Nathaniel Von Einsiedel, Chairman/CEO, CONCEP, Inc. on “Urban Redevelopment”; Hon. Nestor R. Mijares IV, NEDA Undersecretary on “Economic Outlook of REALTORS®”.
On the lighter side there was a break-up session where the topic ”Is You Image Undermining Your Success” by resource persons Ma. Lucille Galang, APEX Philippines for the ladies and REALTOR® Arturo “Toto” H. Acosta for the gentlemen was discussed.
CEP & CRES
In line with our Advocacy in helping professionalize the Real Estate Service Practice, the following Constituent Member Boards have conducted the Comprehensive Real Estate Seminar (CRES) and Review that prepared those who are aspiring to get their license as brokers for the licensure examination given last May and October 5, as gathered from DTI records:
| NCR |
| LUZON |
| VISAYAS |
LPCRB |
| ACRB |
| CEREB |
MANAREB |
| BCRB |
| CCBR |
MBR |
| CLRB |
| ICRB |
MVRB |
| LCQBR |
|
|
MUNREB |
| MAREB |
| MINDANAO |
PLAREB |
| MEXREB |
| BReBI |
PMRB |
| RBR |
| DBRFI |
PRB |
| RBSC |
| NOMIREB |
QCRB |
|
|
|
|
SJBR |
|
|
|
|
LUZON |
|
|
|
|
ACRB |
|
|
|
|
The San Juan REALTORS® Board also conducted a CRES in Laoag City for the prospective members of the PAREB – Laoag City REALTORS® Board that will be created in a later date.
On the other hand, some Boards conducted the Continuing Education Program (CEP) that earned the full 16 or 20 units and some conducted meetings that earned CEP credits.
MLS
The MLS has continued to be the avenue for the widely sharing of information about properties among the members of PAREB. Early this year a Deed of Conveyance was signed between PAREB and RPLMX transferring the operation of RPMLX.com to the former. We were informed that the software used by RPMLS has more capabilities and it is what most of the members of NAR, USA is using.
The first MLS Congress was held in Makati and co-hosted by the PMRB, while the second and third were held during the Vis-Min and NCR-Luzon Conferences, respectively.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AND RECRUITMENT
Total membership registered a growth of 22.71% from the same period last year. As of September 15, 2008, the total member in good standing was 1,680 as against 1,369 last year distributed among the 46 local constituent member boards as follows:
=
Certificates of Membership were issued to members who paid their PAREB dues for 2008. Using our newly purchased ID printing machine, IDs were issued to members who likewise paid their dues for 2008 and submitted completely filled out Membership Data Forms (MDF).
Based on the said Membership Data Forms (MDF), a membership database file was generated which could be used in producing a REALTORS® Directory with picture and profile of every member. Unfortunately this Directory could not be published at this time because of the few submission of the MDF.
At the start of the year, through the efforts of our Secretary General, Atty. Gelacio Mamaril, SEC Registration papers of constituent member boards were collected to ascertain that they were in order and to enable PAREB to help those boards whose papers were either expired/revoked or non-existing. Out of the 44 member Boards, there were 20 Boards that were active, 15 with registration papers either suspended or revoked and 9 which did not appear in the SEC list of registered corporations. Efforts were done by the local Boards, with the assistance of PAREB, to regularize their SEC papers. To date, only 8 Boards have remained with inactive SEC papers, half of whom have already applied for the lifting of the revocation of their papers or for the registration of their Board with SEC.
REALTORS® BULLETIN
The REALTORS® Bulletin which is published quarterly has continued to bring valuable and educational information to the members.
BOARD VISITATION
Visiting the Boards in Mindanao and the Visayas was given priority because of their distance from PAREB in Manila. Unlike their counterparts in the NCR-Luzon regions who meet every month for meetings, the Vis-Min local board presidents hardly met because of their distance from one another where in some cases mobility requires travelling by sea.
Board Visitations in Mindanao started with attendance to the noontime general membership meeting of the Davao REALTORS® Board Foundation on March 12, 2008. Another meeting with the members of the General Santos REALTORS® Board was conducted after Davao since General Santos was only 3 hours away from Davao by land. The following day was spent in travelling from General Santos to Davao City, then, to Cagayan de Oro City by land.
Immagine non trovata
On March 14, 2008 we met with the Iligan REALTORS® Board. Highlight of the visit was a courtesy call on the city Mayor, the Hon. Lawrence Ll. Cruz, resulting in the appointment of the Iligan REALTORS® Board as a member of the City Housing Council. The visit in Cagayan de Oro was capped with the attendance to the First Anti-Colorum Task Force Seminar Workshop where we met the officers and members of the Pagadian REALTORS® Board who also attended the seminar.
 Membership meeting with General Santos REALTORS® Board, Inc. |  Iligan REALTORS® Board courtesy call on Mayor Cruz |
The visit to the Western part of the Visayas which was postponed twice because of the successive typhoons that visited the area, happened after a stronger typhoon Frank devastated that part of the country. Badly hit was Kalibo where majority of the members of our Aklan REALTORS Board (AREB) reside. A report to the National Directorate of the devastation that our colleagues in the Capiz area suffered prompted a hat to be passed around and the sum of money gathered that day was divided among the three Boards, majority of which went to AREB.
In separate meetings, both Iloilo City REALTORS® Board (ICRB) and Roxas City REALTORS® Board (RCRB) were given updated on the activities of PAREB and RESCOP.
During the meeting, the core group of RCRB expressed their concern about their Registration which had been revoked by SEC. Upon approval of the National Directorate, they were immediately issued the letter of endorsement to use PAREB in their change of name or new registration.
Although Kalibo was not physically visited there was constant communication with the president of AREB. The visit to the NOREB on April 18, 2008 coincided with the Vis-Min Regional Conference. Occasionally attendance in the general membership meetings of Cebu REALTORS® Board was an opportunity to give the group updates on PAREB and RESCOP matters and induct new members.
 Iloilo City REALTORS® Board |  Roxas City REALTORS® Board |
Attendance to the monthly joint NCR-Luzon Local Board Presidents (LBP) meetings was made a priority so I could give updates on PAREB and RESCOP matters. Interaction with officers and members of the different local boards was done during those times that we were invited to general membership meetings, inductions, anniversary celebrations, business meetings and other social functions. The Christmas party of San Juan REALTORS® on December 13, 2007 was a good time to meet the members of the, then, youngest member Board of PAREB. This was followed by the party of Rizal REALTORS® Board on the 16th, Muntinlupa REALTORS® Board on the 19th, Malabon-Navotas REALTORS® Board and Pasay-Makati REALTORS® Board on the 20th. Paranaque, Las Pinas, Alabang REALTORS® Board had an early induction of Officers and Directors in December 13, 2007. The rest of the Boards had theirs early part of this year like Manila Board of REALTORS® on January 8, 2008, Mexico Pampanga REALTORS® Board on January 15, REALTORS® Board of Lipa City on February 9 and Las Pinas City REALTORS® Board on the 27th. Pasay-Makati REALTORS® Board celebrated their 49th anniversary on April 25 and I had the privilege of attending the golden anniversary of Quezon City REALTORS® Board on September 12.
 The Christmas party of San Juan REALTORS® on December 13, 2007 |  Rizal REALTORS® Board Induction & Christmas Party, Dec. 16 |
 Muntinlupa REALTORS® Board, Dec.19 |  Malabon-Navotas REALTORS® Board |
 Pasay-Makati REALTORS® Board, Dec. 20 |  Manila Board of REALTORS®, January 8, 2008 |
 Mexico Pampanga REALTORS® Board, January 15 |  Las Pinas City REALTORS® Board, Feb. 27 |
 Lipa City REALTORS® Board Induction, Feb. 8, 2008 |  Golden anniversary of Quezon City REALTORS® Board, September 12. |
BOARD ORGANIZATION
Creation of PAREB- Cainta REALTORS® Board (CRB) was approved on June 5 and PAREB-Tarlac City REALTORS® Board (TCRB) on May 2. Presentation of Charter and Induction of Officers and Members of CRB was done during the NCR-Luzon Conference, while TCRB have scheduled theirs for October 24. The creation of PAREB-Dagupan City Board of REALTORS® is now under process. Starting with a membership of 25, the official list was received by PAREB on September 25. The Board orientation which is scheduled on October 4 will be conducted by the Board Organization Committee headed by its Chairman, PAREB Past President REALTOR® Oscar P. Garcia.
Advocacy and Vigilance
The Committee Against Unlicensed Real Estate Practitioners whose term expired last December, 2007 was recreated and renamed as Anti-Colorum Task Force, the purpose of which is to stop or at best minimize the proliferation of unlicensed realty service practitioners which has remained unchecked. The same task force was organized at the local board level. Seminar-workshops for members of the local task force which were attended by DTI representatives were done in Cagayan de Oro for the Mindanao Region, Cebu City for the Visayas and Manila for the NCR and Luzon Regions. Topics taken up were Brokerage Law and the National Code of Ethics; DTI Ministry Order No. 39, Department Administrative Order Nos. 6-94 and 3-00; Presidential Decree 957 and Batas Pambansa 220. A review of the previously mentioned topics was necessary to better equip the members of the task force in educating the “colorum” practitioners. While we believe that it is the duty of DTI to police the unlicensed practitioners; we found it our responsibility to pursue one of the objectives of PAREB which is the enhancement of the realty service practice, and one of its purposes which is “to promote and maintain high standards of conduct in the transactions of the real estate business”. As a result of our education campaign, several DTI regional and provincial offices have reported a remarkable increase in real estate salesmen who applied for a license.
 NCR-Luzon Seminar Workshop |  Anti Colorum Sem Workshop Mindanao |
 Visayas Anti Colorum Sem Workshop | |
At the start of our term, PAREB Legal Focus Group, through National Director and General Counsel, Atty. Ted Kalaw IV coordinated with Hechanova Bugay & Vilches law firm, NAR’s local counsel to address the concern about infringement of the trademark “REALTOR®” and the service mark “R”. Inasmuch as Atty. Editha Hechanova has ceased to be NAR’s local counsel-of-record, our General Counsel has implemented initiatives in communicating with NAR, USA, the owner of the trademark, through its president REALTOR® Richard Gaylord, “to provide information on guidelines and parameters for PAREB to assist NAR in protecting and enforcing NAR’s REALTOR® trademark in the Philippines, given PAREB’s role as the exclusive licensee of such in this country”.
ONE MILLION HOMES PROGRAM
To initially address the housing backlog in the Philippines, the One Million Homes Program was launched by the government. The program aims to build one million houses for the homeless within 3 to 5 years and PAREB was appointed as the lead organization for its marketing and distribution.
Linkages
We have continued to strengthen our relationship with NAR, USA through our communications with REALTOR® Richard Gaylord, NAR President, REALTOR® Susan Barlin, NAR President’s Liaison to the Philippines and REALTOR® Gail Lyons, NAR Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific. Every year a delegation from PAREB attends the NAR Convention in the U.S. This year about 26 members are attending the Convention in Orlando, Florida on November 5-10
To ensure the continued compliance of the conditions of the International Affiliate Agreement entered into by PAREB and NAR USA, I reviewed the original Agreement entered into in Nov 2, 1960 by, then, National Association of Real Estate Boards (NAREB) and, then, Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards, Inc. and the Supplemental Agreement signed on November 12, 1990. This review showed the need to amend our existing Code of Ethics which was promulgated on 1960. One of the conditions stipulated in the Original Agreement is that “PAREB shall promulgate and enforce, and cause its Member Boards to adopt and enforce the Code of Ethics substantially similar to the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Real Estate Boards. The Supplemental Agreement further specifies that the Code of Ethics subscribed to by PAREB shall be identical to that of NAR. Although PAREB’s Code of Ethics was similar to that of NAR’s when it was promulgated in 1960, it remained as is while NAR’s Code of Ethics was revised and amended several times through the years; hence a revised PAREB Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice which will take effect on January 1, 2009 will be presented during the National Convention.
To establish linkage and pursue a cooperative partnership with other NAR cooperating associations in Southeast Asia, PAREB on July 21, 2008, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore’s Institute of Estate Agents to provide for exchange, representation, and other mutual benefits. SVP Janet S. Sy signed the MOU for and in behalf of PAREB in Singapore.
We have continued to establish linkage with different government agencies by paying courtesy calls on the heads of these agencies.
 Courtesy Call Noli de Castro Jan 10 2008 |  Courtesy Call DTI |
 Batangas Gov. Vilma S Recto Jul 6 2008 |  BSP Gov. Amando Tetan gco Sept 3 |
 SBMA Administator Sept 8 08 |  SBMA Chairman Salonga Sept 10 2008 |
Financial Stability
To ascertain the integrity of PAREB’s financial statements, if it presents fairly in all material respects the organization’s financial position, we have engaged the services of Endriga, Manangu and Associates, an independent auditor.
Raising high the banner of the Philippine Association of REALTORS® Board in the midst of great socio-economic challenges was indeed an exciting journey for us. And I am proud to declare that we have more than reached our set goals for the year primarily because of the coordinated and united efforts of the officers and directors, advisers, local board presidents, members nationwide and staff of PAREB. Thus, allow me to express my sincere gratitude to all of you.
