‍Boracay, Malay, Aklan, September 2 – Twala, a DOST-backed digital signature and digital identity startup, and the Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), the preeminent consortium of mass housing developers in the country, have come together in a partnership to hasten digitalization in the housing sector. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was electronically signed at the close of the OSHDP Affordable Housing Summit 2023, held at the Henann Regency Resort & Spa in Boracay, Malay, Aklan on September 1-2, 2023.

The summit hosted more than 200 real estate developers from all over the country.

Twala is an all-Filipino tech startup that helps organizations automate their paper-based workflows and processes with its document intelligence platform and trust services.

OSHDP represents the leading voices in mass housing development within the Philippines. It is presently the only private sector organization with national membership of real estate developers primarily engaged in socialized and economic housing.

The MOU with OSHDP  pursues Twala’s mission to help unlock billions of pesos tied to inefficient paper-based processes. Last April 12, Twala likewise collaborated with the Supreme Court to provide inputs in their ongoing work to draft rules to allow electronic notarization in the country. Last August 25, Twala e-signed a PhP 2 million, 2-year agreement with the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) to modernize its operations and improve member services using its innovative digital solutions.

The OSHDP Affordable Housing Summit 2023, an annual convention, gathered influential policymakers, government leaders, and renowned experts from the real estate industry including Land Registration Authority Deputy Administrator Judo Bonifacio, Philippine Guaranty Corporation President Alberto Pascual, Architect Felino Palafox Jr., and Architect Cathy Saldaña, among many others.

Under the theme "Raise 1 Up, Raise Juan Up," the summit underscored OSHDP's commitment to support the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) of the government, to help nurture the growth of every Filipino by ensuring access to dignified, decent, and affordable housing.

Atty. Third Bagro, Twala’s Co-founder and General Counsel, joined a panel of experts in discussing the subject: "Digital Transformation: Harnessing Technology for a More Efficient Housing Industry." The panel, which included Teddy Sumulong, President of Land Registration Systems Inc., Anurag Verma, Country Manager of Lamudi, and Kevin Carreon, Founder of MatchHome.

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"The MOU with OSHDP is a significant step towards leveraging technology in the housing sector. By advocating for digital transformation, we aim to make housing transactions more accessible, efficient, secure, and affordable for all Filipinos, especially for OFWs and Filipinos abroad." Bagro said after electronically signing the agreement with Paolo Giovanni Olivares, the National President of OSHDP.

“Secure and cost-efficient services like what we see in Twala are key in the digitalization journey of our sector. We look forward to working closely with Twala to push the digitalization agenda, especially in the use of digital signatures and electronic notarization. Together, we are committed to making housing more accessible and efficient for every Filipino.” Olivares said.  

Under the MOU, OSHDP and Twala commit to jointly advocate for the adoption of digital technologies within the Philippine housing sector, aiming to promote accessibility, efficiency, security, and affordability in housing transactions.

They likewise commit to collaborating to raise awareness among industry stakeholders, policymakers, and the public about the advantages of digitalization in the housing sector through seminars, workshops, and informational campaigns.

Finally, OSHDP and Twala agreed to combine their expertise to provide policy recommendations to relevant government agencies and bodies to facilitate the integration of digital technologies into housing processes, ensuring a more efficient and accessible housing sector for all.

This collaborative effort between Twala and OSHDP represents a pivotal step toward the digital transformation of the Philippine housing sector. The partnership seeks to harness advanced technology to streamline processes, boost transparency, and make affordable housing a reality for a broader segment of the population.