Government to launch rent-to-own program

President Arroyo has ordered housing czar Michael Defensor to implement the rent-to-own housing program proposed by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

De Venecia himself revealed the presidential instructions yesterday, saying he was elated that Mrs. Arroyo has supported his proposal for a Mexican-style mass housing strategy.

He said the House committee on housing chaired by Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles has also expressed its support for his idea.

De Venecia said there are at least 100,000 unoccupied housing units in various sites funded or developed by Defensor’s agencies.

They have remained unoccupied because of unaffordable down payment requirements, he said.

"But under a rent-to-own scheme, these units can be occupied without the occupants making a down payment. Their rentals would be considered as payment for their units," he added.

He stressed that all it takes to move the housing program or any other government project for that matter forward is a little imagination and creativity.

"I think this is the best Christmas gift we can offer to the masses of our people," said De Venecia.

The Speaker also announced that the House would soon pass a bill seeking the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development so that housing programs can be better coordinated and implemented.

The Nograles committee has already endorsed the measure for plenary debate and approval.

Many employees of agencies under Defensor are strongly opposed to the proposed creation of the housing department, fearing that they might lose their jobs.

But Nograles has assured them that no one would be rendered jobless by the planned newest addition to the bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, a Mindanao congressman is seeking President Arroyo’s help to get the House-approved rent control bill moving in the Senate.

"This is an SOS to President GMA. Please certify Bill 214 as urgent," Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri (Lakas, Bukidnon), the measure’s principal author, said yesterday.

He said a presidential certification could convince senators to tackle the bill that seeks to extend Republic Act 8437, the rent control law that is expiring at the end of this year.

The certification would be the best gift the President can give the more than one million renters of apartments, rooms, houses, and other dwelling units covered by the law, he said.

The House unanimously approved Bill 214 in October and immediately sent it to the Senate, which has reportedly decided not to tackle it before year-end and see what happens to rentals after the law expires.

Under Zubiri’s measure, rent control would be extended for three more years beginning on Jan. 1. Dwelling units covered would be those renting for P9,000 a month in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities, and P6,000 in all other areas.

Landlords would be allowed to increase their rent by not more than 10 percent a year during the three-year period.