DMCI Homes Poor Quality and Maintenance

Why you should not invest in DMCI Homes. Actual complaints, bad experiences from real residents about poor quality, management and maintenance.

The problem with STP, which you can read below, is not just happening in Riverfront Residences but also in East Raya, so these concerns are common in DMCI properties. They are good at marketing their properties with landscaping but the quality, management and maintenance is very poor.

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Open Letter to DMCI Riverfront Management,

First, residents of DMCI Homes Riverfront Residences and East Raya, two properties in Pasig, are exposed to toxic air pollution, which can cause respiratory illnesses. The STP or Sewage Treatment Plant is right beside residential buildings inside the compound, and is emitting toxic smell every day but especially at night and early morning. The mere fact that it is emitting bad smell suggests it is toxic and can cause respiratory illnesses, worse it can even be carcinogenic. The extent of this air pollution is so big that the building where we live is not even close to the STP and yet we can still smell it. DMCI has been highly irresponsible in addressing this air pollution. There have been complaints from residents (even on Facebook page of Homeowners) and yet the Property Management Office or PMO did not act on this! And this has been going on for years now. How come the STP is right beside a residential building? How come the DMCI did not plan the land area well to isolate this building from the residential buildings? That is very materialistic and immoral of DMCI to cramp and build as many buildings as they could without allowing for space knowing that this STP exposes residents to respiratory illnesses.

Read more here: healthrisklivingindmci.blogspot.com

Is this the kind of home you want to waste your hard-earned money on?
You will get so stressed asking, following up that they repaint the neglected condo buildings,
where residents live at DMCI Riverfront 

interior of condo building where residents live has not been repainted with only two benches, one of which is even broken

Second, if you do building inspection, as is the norm, then you would've known a long time ago that the paint has already peeled off the walls beside the elevators. There's hardly any chair in the lobby and one of the only two benches is broken. They have not repainted buildings since it opened in 2008 but were prompted to undertake such project with the construction of the Conducto or Kaginhawaan bridge in 2017, prioritizing the three buildings which are not the oldest but were facing the bridge. So it was prompted by marketing efforts and a desperate attempt to save face in the disastrous planning of DMCI, which did not leave any safety perimeter between the bridge and the residential building. Another proof it is so marketing driven which benefits DMCI, and not homeowners is the fact that they are only repainting the exterior and not the interiors of the buildings. They undertook this project as early as May, with the one of the painting companies sending a bid as early as February, but the management did not bother to consult the homeowners even if we are the ones who will shoulder costs. We were only informed of the multi-million repainting project in August, and the charges were reflected immediately the following month.  

Third, the gardens in the building lobbies are awful and need better plants and maintenance. The gardeners are only tending to the gardens outside. We do NOT leave outside the buildings. We live inside the buildings. So you need to give it as much or even more attention than the outdoor gardens. If this is your marketing strategy to attract people, then you're doing an awful job at it because people will look at the buildings and they will see the huge difference. The back of the elevator has been designed to contain plants but since property opened way back 2009, DMCi has not planted a single plant there and they are using all sorts of excuses, such as they don't have plants but they have plants for new subdivisions they are developing; that they need time to grow plants, but this excuse has been going on since 2008 and they never worked on it. Why do we have to call their attention to it? Why didn't they take the initiative to ensure plants are there before property opening? The gardeners were told to water the plants inside the buildings only once in two weeks even if, mind you, the roof is see through so the sun and heat penetrates and it's summer! At 41 degrees, no matter what plant you have there, they will die. Meanwhile, they water the outdoor plants every day! And they cultivated plants for the jogging path in time for their Easter party to attract customers. That is so hypocrite and so skin deep because the building interiors where residents live do not have well-tended gardens.

interior of condo building where residents live is neglected and has not been repainted

Fourth, it is so amusing that I saw six people cleaning the front-end pool one time. Meanwhile, there's only one person assigned to do the cleaning of the seven floors of a building, including the parking lot. The staff need to give due attention and cleaning to our buildings. We live inside the buildings and not in the clubhouse. I've observed they are only particularly clean with the clubhouse. It would help if you could put trash bins in the building lobbies.

indoor garden of condo buildings where residents live is pathetic and neglected

Fifth, speaking of the clubhouse, be reminded that this is a residential and NOT A COMMERCIAL property. As such, having the basketball court and the clubhouse rented out to outsiders for parties and events is uncalled for and just a pathetic, cheap money-making scheme. The clubhouse and the amenities inside are intended for residents only and should be respectful of our right to privacy. There was a delivery truck at 7 in the morning and and a truck pulling out as late as almost midnight, loading and unloading plastic chairs and huge tables with metal that cause such an irritating and disturbing sound and which awakened residents. When you accept payments for these events, you don't even hire additional staff and guards. The guards are to look after our safety and our property, and not to act as traffic enforcers to event guests who wish to park their cars. This is extra work for them and the guards are unable to focus on what they should be doing - protecting us, the residents, and our property. Likewise, the cleaners are distracted and are pulling their efforts in maintaining the clubhouse when they should be cleaning and looking after our buildings. You admitted to having these function hall, rented out to attract potential customers (per Raquel Alfafara of Main Office Property Management) at the discomfort, lack of privacy and security of us, residents and homeowners. The function hall is not designed for such events with deejays, hostings, music as the windows are open and unable to contain sound inside. We should be able to sleep and enjoy silence whenever we want and not only after midnight.    

A home should be a sanctuary of tranquility. When I go home, I want to relax and the last thing I want is noise pollution and pumping loud music or videoke from the function hall, which sometimes can be as late as 2 in the morning on a weekday night with drunk men howling and even the guards could not reprimand them because they are drunk and because the Property Manager of DMCI himself negligently allowed that the party last until 2am. Bear in mind, we, the residents have the right to relax and sleep at ANY time of the day. It doesn't have to be at 10 in the evening. 

Sixth, when there are problems in Riverfront subdivision, DMCI does not provide support or resources even with the STP problem mentioned above, which is your accountability as you made grave mistakes in terms of design, its location and its construction. So you ought to send budget and resources to rectify your wrong and given the scale of the problem, which affects the health of residents and could not be resolved by your PMO and yet, you do not send budget or resources. How difficult would it be to construct a small one-storey building when you could manage to build bridges and subdivisions? They claim that it was a case of "wear and tear" but if their property managers are checking the buildings and ensuring quality checks are in place, the parts would've been replaced before their due time or before they were broken. Besides, putting the blame on the parts is a lousy excuse because the building itself is not fully covered or sealed. It is only partially covered by plants! So obviously the smell leaks out of the building.  


Operations Manager FB Rapiñan, his secretary Raquel Alfafara, Area Manager Peachy Fabricante and her OIC Area Manager, Jayson Lucea, along with property managers for Riverfront, Dionisio Montevirgen or DJ and Joseph Otep Carizo have been most incompetent in addressing and resolving the problems.