Investments in low-cost mass housing as registered with the Board of Investments (BOI) hit almost P92 billion the past two years, indicative of continued interest of developers in this segment. 
 
But data from the BOI show a slight decline in registered investments in 2015, as real estate activities registered fell 8 percent to P43.95billion from P47.94 billion in 2014.
 
The total number of real estate projects registered by the BOI the past two years totaled 220, generating 49,832 jobs.
 
SM Development Corp., the real estate arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc., owns the top five biggest projects registered with the BOI the past two years. The SM projects are mostly high rise condominiums with units sold at below P3 million each.  
 
The current Investment Priorities Plan (2014-2015) allows the registration for incentives of economic and low-cost housing, both horizontal and vertical, based on a price ceiling of P3 million and subject to geographical considerations.
 
 Granting incentives to this segment of the housing market aims tomake units more affordable as the perks like the income tax holidays they enjoy will translate to savings for homebuyers. 
 
Property firms are aggressive in developing housing projectsin an effort to address the 5.5-million housing backlog, bulk of which are in the economic and low-cost housing.