Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary, Jose Rizalino Acuzar, has set a goal of one million houses to be constructed each year from 2023 to 2028, for a total of six million by the end of this presidential term. Such ambition has brought intrigue within the Philippine housing market and has begged the question of feasibility and sustainability from the program's onlookers.
4PH Program Initiatives
The sudden action for mass construction and housing is part of the current administration's Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program. As per the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the DHSUD aims to maximize the use of land resources—particularly the vacant, idle, blighted, and underutilized government and private-owned lands for housing and mixed-use development. Its initiative is anchored in a goal of zero informal settler families (ISFs) in the Philippines, fulfilling the United Nations' 11th Sustainable Development Goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Reports from government agencies and facilities have noted that there are 3.7 million ISFs in the Philippines, with a concentration of half a million families in Metro Manila alone. With the past administrations' highest average of homes built at 200,00 per year and the COVID-19 pandemic's aftermath, a housing crisis for low-income families has emerged as an alarming concern for the DHSUD and other departments of the Philippine government.
Administrative Players Involved
As noted by the program's Operations Manual, The 4PH Program focuses on constructing low, mid, and high-rise projects near sources of livelihood of the ISFs and other target beneficiaries. It tackles projects within urban and metropolitan areas such as Metro Manila and notes the importance of developing other rural parts of the Philippines. The DHSUD stresses the importance of collaboration between its department and the local government units (LGUs), where the former's responsibilities include facilitating the provision of funds for housing projects and monitoring the implementation of the program, and the latter acts as the main partaker for the planning and management of their respective projects.
Aside from these players, the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), participating Government Financial Institutions (GFIs), and private banks have established special lending programs that suit the needs of the DHSUD and borrowing LGUs. Moreover, the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (HFMFC) has been tasked with providing liquidity to GFIs and private banks and attracting more funds for housing projects.
Current Updates of the Program
President Ferdinand Marcos has publicly encouraged this program, attending numerous groundbreaking ceremonies across the Philippines in support of Secretary Acuzar and the DHSUD. As of April 2023, the President has announced that approximately 1.2 million units are underway and expressed his eagerness to visit these sites after completion. These units spread across 364 ongoing projects, with the PNA reporting that ten of which are in the construction stage in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; Marikina City and Quezon City in Metro Manila; Tanauan City, Batangas; Palayan City, Nueva Ecija; Biñan City, Laguna; Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur; Ilagan City, Isabela; Roxas province; and Northern Samar province. Their progress has already exceeded the administration's target of one million houses annually, proving the feasibility of Secretary Acuzar's ambition. Moreover, the same report states that the DHSUD has already signed agreements with 123 LGUs and thus shows enthusiasm for this program's success.
Along with the benefits of providing housing to Philippine ISFs, Secretary Acuzar has expressed the opportunity for economic growth and resilient jobs for workers and companies within the construction and housing industry. Such allows for approximately 1.7 million jobs every year from 2023 to 2028. Thus, private developers and other participants will find prospects of recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and livelihoods, therefore strengthenig the nation's economic stability and gross domestic product (GDP).
Housing and More
The President and the DHSUD have also noted the importance of expansion and inclusivity of this program, where the construction is to incorporate key public facilities such as schools, hospitals, etc. Overseas Filipino Workers have also been noted as part of the 4PH Program's beneficiaries, with the Secretary Acuzar signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino. More is definitely yet to come with the scope and possibility of the program and its goals for the Philippine community.
The public is yet to see the full expanse of the 4PH program and awaits its yearly and six-year coverage reports on how Secretary Acuzar and the DHSUD are able to meet their zero ISFs goal by the end of 2028. With the collaboration of multiple government departments and support from the President and parties of interest, Filipinos hope to see a successful implementation of this much-needed housing program.