PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. is eyeing the issuance of a new Executive Order (EO) for the implementation of the government mandate to reserve its idle lands for housing projects.
Marcos clarified that the new issuance “will not create a new regulation,” but only implement the provisions of Section 24 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11201 to identify the said idle lands.
A government land is deemed “idle” if it has been unutilized for at least 10 years and suitable for urban development.
Among the agencies which will be tasked to conduct the assessment are the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
Over 16,000 hectares of idle lands are expected to be covered by the inventory.
The issuance is expected to help DHSUD in achieving its target of building 6 million housing units by 2028.
Marcos will meet with private banks and financial institutions to secure their commitment to assist DHSUD in reaching its goal by providing financing to potential homeowners.
DHSUD proposed a P36 billion budget, which will be used as interest subsidy for its mass housing program.