Manila, April 21 -- The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has granted developers a maximum 36-month deferment period to comply with balanced housing requirements, a move aimed at cushioning the local housing sector from the economic impact of the Middle East crisis.

In a news release on Tuesday, the DHSUD said that Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling approved the request of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) and the Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP) regarding compliance modes and timeframes for the Balanced Housing Development Program (BHDP).

Aliling added six more months to the 30-month extension originally requested by the developers' groups for project...