Manila, Sept. 8 -- The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development on Tuesday urged prospective homebuyers to verify that a real estate project has a valid license to sell before making a purchase.

The DHSUD said the license to sell is an official document certifying that a developer's project has met minimum regulatory requirements before it can be offered to the public.

The document identifies the project name and location, developer or owner, project type and scheduled completion date, according to a public advisory.

A valid license indicates that the project complies with regulations under Presidential Decree 957 and Batas Pambansa 220, the agency said.

The requirement covers subdivision lots, house-and-lot projects, far...