THE CONTINUING SAGA, THE SCAM, THE FRAUD, THE DECEIT THAT IS CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE

A Happy New Year to everyone.  Its 2012, a new year, a new start, and what have we in store at Cambridge Village?

Well the New Year still saw Empire East Land Holdings Inc still selling units here without a License to Sell, so nothing new there.  Still the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board fail to take appropriate action against the developer, Empire East Land Holdings Inc, "the Beast".

So why no action? Well HLURB is busy investigating itself, trying to find out why it has allowed the developer for several years to continue breaking the law.  Well, the Beast has been instructed now for over 6 years now not to sell, and it is still selling strong.  No wonder, when its only deterrent is pitiful fines from HLURB.  10,000 pesos per unauthorised sale, and HLURB has mustered up fining the Beast a total of some 37 units.  With sales over some 3,000 units, and only 621 of those being legal, HLURB is a long way off the mark.  But they will sit there, waiting for the Beast to furnish them with sales figures, letting the Beast drag everything out, and still not stopping the ever increasing sales.

Where is the action?  Why has HLURB failed to do its job?  Well why HLURB investigates itself, we have been told of the "pay offs", so no wonder that no one listens to our complaints.  It is pay offs at all levels, corruption is healthy and well in the Philippines.

Yet President Noynoy is trying to rid the Philippines of its corrupt tag.  No chance.  Whilst GMA may be the target at the moment, what about everybody else?  Andrew Tan is the President of Alliance Global, Megaworld Corporation, Empire East Land Holdings Inc, he owns the lot, but it seems at what cost!  The Department of Justice is already investigating the issue of Iloilo airport, its a GMA and Andrew Tan connection, but does it stop there.  It seems during GMA's presidency there are many questionable land purchases through Megaworld.  Favourtisim, or is it corruption?

Even Cambridge Village it seems comes under the GMA and Andrew Tan allegiance.  In a Philippines Star feature, 26th July 2003, Megaworld/Empire East announce the joint venture between Daewoo Engineering and Construction and Empire East over the condominium project to be known as Cambridge Village.  A project, whose agreement is signed during GMA's state visit to Korea.  So did GMA have some form of involvement in this most corrupt of developments?

The corruption, the lies, the cheating and the stealing has been evident at all levels.  It started from day one, from the very start the project started.  In fact, the developer, again through the Philippine Star, announces to the world its plans for Cambridge Village.  It is in negotiations with Daewoo, the project will be 50 clusters, it will be 4,500 units, and it will be completed by 2007.  Lies, lies and more lies.  Residents only started moving into the very first units in 2007.  In fact, by 2007, the developer still had its only ever License to Sell for 621 residential units and 94 commercial units.  So, 4,500 units to be built by 2007, they will be lucky to do that by 2017.  Infact by 2007 the developer was still struggling to build the first 8 clusters of the project!!

Even then, most of us buyers are not even made aware of a project to this scale.  In 2009 I was told Cambridge Village was to be a 28 cluster development, yet in 2003 they were talking about 50.  But the developer has not even negotiated for the land to do this project, and then there is questions over the land ownership on the land that they bought anyway!  So what is the developer up to?  How big is Cambridge Village to be?  One thing for sure, the developer is not spending any money to improve the amenities and the facilites that currently exist, facilities that may be adequate for 28 clusters, but no more than that. 

So Cambridge Village, a possible 4,500 unit community.  With no playground, no school, and plenty of empty residential and commercial units.  With minimal facilites and amenities, which the developer retains ownership of.  With no residents association, and an association that exists under the control of the developer.  What is the future of Cambridge Village?  One thing is for sure, the developer will retain control of the project for years to come, and the residents will have to suffer that.  With little or no support at barangay level, municipal government level, and national governmental level, if you buy into Cambridge Village, you really are left on your own.

If you are looking at investing money on a condominium in the Philippines, give Cambridge Village a wide berth.  In fact, the way the realty market is over here, and with HLURB failing to keep control on it, you really are better off not investing your money.  You are better off buying land and building your own property.  Buyers beware of condominiums, beware of Megaworld, and certainly the Beast.