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CEBU CITY, Philippines — Condo unit owners of San Marino Residences, one of the properties developed by Landtraders World Properties Corporation at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City, are crying foul over what they describe as years of neglect, financial mismanagement, and alleged abandonment by the developer.
From broken elevators and fire hazards to mounting electricity debts and unpaid association dues, homeowners say they have been left in dire conditions while still being forced to pay exorbitant fees.
A homeowner who requested anonymity for security reasons reached out to CDN Digital to reveal the ongoing ordeal.
“Good evening, ma’am. Not only is electricity our problem, but the building itself, grabe, gi-abandon mi sa developer for a few years na. The two elevators are broken, and even though we have been complaining for years, they keep ignoring us.”
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The resident lamented that despite paying association dues, maintenance issues have been left unaddressed. She highlighted the fact that their fees had doubled over the years without any improvements.
“They keep collecting association dues but never spent it to repair or clean the building. Initially, they charged us P70 per square meter, but 2-3 years ago, they increased it to P130. We don’t understand where our money goes because they never do their job of keeping the building safe and livable. We have fire hazard warnings, but we don’t know where to go for help. It feels like we are being ignored and abandoned, yet they continue demanding payment from us.”
Landtraders has yet to respond to calls and messages from CDN Digital as of this writing. Attempts to reach the company through their official Facebook page and multiple contact numbers on March 4 have gone unanswered.
Hundreds left in the dark
The scandal surrounding Landtraders escalated when Visayan Electric Company (VECO) cut off power to three of its residential properties—San Marino Residences, Corinthians Residences, and Royal Garden Residences—due to unpaid electricity bills amounting to millions of pesos.
Despite homeowners asserting that they had been diligently paying their dues, their payments were allegedly not remitted to VECO, resulting in mass disconnection.
The power cutoff has affected more than 392 units in San Marino Residences and around 270 units in Corinthians Residences, leaving families in distress.
Many unit owners claim they have always settled their obligations on time, only to be left in the dark due to alleged financial mismanagement by the developer.
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Developer shifts blame
Despite mounting allegations, Landtraders earlier denied mismanagement, arguing that they had previously advanced payments for electricity during the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Odette when some homeowners struggled to pay.
“Landtraders World Properties Corporation went the extra mile by advancing payments for the developers’ bills of its unsold units. This assistance was provided to ensure uninterrupted operational services. However, as much as we want to continue offering this level of support, our diminishing inventory limits our ability to sustain these advances,” the company stated.
The developer urged homeowners to take responsibility for paying their dues to prevent further service interruptions.
However, unit owners strongly dispute these claims, pointing out the company’s double standards.
“Kung naay usa ka buwan nga wa ka kabayad, putlan dayon mi. Dili sad na tinuod nga dili mi kabayad tanan,” they said.
(If there is a month that we had not paid, they would cut off electricity. It is not true that all of us cannot pay.)
City Hall steps in
On February 25, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia directed the Office of the Building Official (OBO) to investigate the affected buildings. While acknowledging that condominium management falls under private jurisdiction, Garcia said that public welfare was at risk.
“It doesn’t anymore involve just your company; it involves the entire city of Cebu, and as Mayor, I have to step in,” Garcia said.
He warned Landtraders that its operations remained subject to compliance with business, building, and occupancy permits.
City Hall has also requested VECO to restore power while homeowners work on securing individual meters, a process complicated by the fact that many unit owners only possess unsigned certificates from Landtraders rather than notarized proof of ownership.
Beyond electricity
Apart from electricity woes, residents are dealing with a host of other safety and security issues.
A homeowner from Parthenon Residences, another Landtraders property, revealed that security guards abandoned their posts due to unpaid salaries. Additionally, garbage has been piling up in the parking area, leading to unsanitary living conditions.
“Ang mga security guard, ni-resign na lang kay wa na sila sweldo. Samot pa, ang basura sa parking area nagtapok na lang, walay mokuha,” the homeowner said.
(The security guaards, they resigned because they had not been paid their salaries. Worse, the pile of garbage at the parking lot has become bigger, nobody would pick it up.)
Back in San Marino Residences, residents continue to endure broken elevators and unaddressed maintenance concerns.
“Need jud siya e spread kay para wla na sila mabiktima kay ang landtraders daghan na sila condo na under nila mama pero ila rjud gipang biyaan~ Hopefully mka recover tawn amo condo kay dli ni siya ingon ani pag open,” the homeowner said.
(This need to be spread so that others would not be victimized because Landtraders have many condos under them but they had neglected and left them — hopefully, our condo could recover because now it is not the same as the time when it opened.)
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