DHSUD unveils mass housing projects in NCR

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development said the low-cost housing the government will provide to informal settler families and minimum wage earners under the “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program” or 4PH will be situated within the cities of the National Capital Region, complemented with job opportunities and basic services, according to a report by Daily Tribune.

“Compared to the program of the past administrations, relocation sites are situated in Cavite, Bulacan and Calamba in Laguna, that’s why these relocated residents are going back to the cities because their jobs are there. The 4PH is the answer to these problems,” DHSUD secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said during Daily Tribune’s Straight Talk digital program.

Baseco as benchmark

He said the DHSUD has already identified government idle lots where the project will be erected, just like in Baseco, Manila, in coordination with the Philippine Ports Authority which owns the piece of land.

“The President instructed me to prioritize those informal settlers living beside the Pasig River and Manila Bay. They will be placed on that PPA property. It’s about 25 hectares, we are done with its groundbreaking and 60,000 housing units are set to be constructed on the piece of land. That’s about 20 to 30 floors. It’s like living in BGC. We will develop the area, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” he said, adding that the whole development will be shouldered by private developers.

Acuzar said the DHSUD will just serve as a conduit for the design and costing of the said development project, that’s why they are considering the inputs, as well as requests of these developers.

He said investors for the 4PH program, namely contractors and developers are interested in the government’s push to resolve the 6.5 million housing backlog and realize the Marcos administration’s dream that “Walang Pilipinong Walang Bahay sa Sariling Bayan.”

Street dwellers included

Acuzar said the 4PH project also includes street dwellers, as the local government units vowed to provide these street dwellers with jobs to earn to pay for their rent.

DHSUD had already sealed memoranda of agreement with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to help them in scrutinizing the list of families deserving to be included in the 4PH program.

“These people will be motivated to work and change their lives because they have decent homes to live in. Interested parties are urged to coordinate with their LGUs for them to be included in the said program,” he said.

Acuzar said a unit for a beneficiary measures 25-27 square meters, and they are going to pay only at least P4,000 compared to rent to own with the current prices of P7,000 to P8,000.

“Hopefully, we will cover all 6.5 million backlogs during the tenure of the President. That’s our ambition. But we will push to attain the dream,” Acuzar said.

New City development

As they plan to house ISFs, minimum wage earners and street dwellers in NCR, Acuzar said they have already anticipated that these cities might be congested in the coming years, that’s why aside from 4PH, the government is planning to roll out New City Development Project.

“We will conceptualize in the coming years the New City Development project after we iron out the human settlement to decongest NCR. We will make a city in Infanta, Quezon province, as well as in the Northern part of the country. We are currently identifying available lots in those areas to be transformed into New Cities. But nothing is final yet as we are focused on the 4PH, although there are already plans for it,” he said.