ALMOST 600,000 housing units nationwide are now set to be built under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said this was the estimated number of units covered by 4PH, which already started construction during his first eight months in office.
The figure is still below the target of the current administration to construct 1 million new housing units per year to address the estimated 6 million housing backlog in the country.
“Kung hindi tayo makahabol this year, eh papaspas natin ‘yung mga next years para ‘yung average natin one million a year pa rin (if we cannot reach [the target] this year. We will make it up in the next few years so that our average will still be one million),” Marcos said at the sidelines of the distribution of various government assistance in Mandaue City last Monday.
The latest of the 4PH projects, which underwent a groundbreaking ceremony, was in Basak San Nicolas in Cebu City.
During the event, Marcos reiterated the importance of the local government units and Congress to ensure the success of 4PH by providing the needed sites and funding, respectively, for it.
He also assured the public that 4PH sites are provided with the needed amenities and services such as schools, markets, health centers and other business establishments to ensure their communities are sustainable.
The initial phase of the project located in a 25-hectare site in Basak covers ten 20-story buildings, which is expected to benefit about 8,000 informal settler families (ISFs) and low income earners in Cebu City.
Non transferable
Marcos reminded the 4PH beneficiaries that their housing units will not be transferable and cannot be rented out to other people.
“And kung kaya nila na ipa-rent out hindi nila kailangan ‘yung tirahan. Ibibigay na lang natin doon sa whoever is—kung sinoman talaga ang nangangailangan na wala silang ibang titirahan (If they rent out the units, that will only mean they do not need it so we will just give it to those who do),” Marcos said.
He said the 4PH is mainly meant to help reduce the number of informal settlers nationwide by providing them access to affordable housing.
The President said the government is trying to find ways to delay the period for 4PH beneficiaries to pay for their housing units.