Government housing program gaining traction – DHSUD

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is confident of achieving the administration’s goal to build six million housing units by 2028, when President Marcos’ term ends.

Dubbed the “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino,” the administration’s flagship mass housing program aims to construct one million housing units per year over the next six years to erase the country’s housing backlog of around 6.5 million units.

In its yearend report released yesterday, the DHSUD said that five months since the program was launched, it was able to secure the “overwhelming support” of relevant stakeholders, resulting in the fast rollout of housing projects in the localities.

As of Dec. 21, the DHSUD has sealed 43 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with local government units (LGUs) in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

It has also led the groundbreaking ceremonies with 12 LGUs, signaling the official commencement of the housing projects in their respective localities.

Some provincial LGUs have already signed MOUs with the DHSUD, particularly on social preparation, informal settler families (ISFs) census enumeration, socio-economic profiling and the establishment of social parameters for the housing projects.

In a show of support, Marcos personally visited the ongoing Bagong Sibol Housing Project in Barangay Nangka, Marikina City last October and inaugurated the Palayan City Township Housing Project in Barangay Atate, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija earlier this month.

The DHSUD said both projects are touted to become model townships that will provide not only shelters to the beneficiaries “but also present opportunities for social and economic growth.”

“Soon-to-be residents will enjoy the amenities they will require in their day-to-day lives,” the DHSUD said, noting that the master plans for these townships include schools, marketplaces, open parks and health stations.

Earlier, Malacañang said that an executive order would be issued for the allocation of idle government lands for these housing projects.

The DHSUD estimates around 16,000 hectares of idle land resources viable for the housing program once the executive order is issued.

“Records show that the annual average housing production in the past years is pegged at approximately 200,000 housing units. At this rate, the gap in production would balloon at an unprecedented proportion, if not properly acted upon. Thus, the target to produce five times more every year came to being,” the DHSUD said.