PBBM’s vision coming to fruition: DHSUD delivers tangible result
Expand government housing program to benefit more Filipino families—from the working class down to the informal sectors; bring housing-related services down to the grassroots; and provide dignified living for the vulnerable ones.
Thus were the marching orders given to me by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. when I assumed as Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) in May 2025.
Almost nine months after, the Department and our attached agencies have gained big wins and recorded milestones in pursuit of those missions.
LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE, ANCHORED ON COMPETENCE, INTEGRITY
We started by introducing the Department’s 8-Point Agenda anchored on competence, integrity and efficient service delivery, stressing zero tolerance to any form of corruption—hence, strengthening and further professionalizing the institution.
With this, DHSUD earned more respect, trust, and confidence of stakeholders, especially private developers and homeowners associations, with whom we engage in sustained dialogues via our open-door policy. Through these no-holds-barred meetings, perennial concerns are now proactively being addressed, and ensured relevance of government policies.
Staff members from the bureaus and regional offices went to the grassroots to bring services closer to the people with utmost transparency. We embrace proactive and people-centric approach in delivering public service.
TRANSFORMATIVE REFORMS, POSITIVE RESULTS
The positive reforms initiated are now yielding life-changing and inspiring results for our kababayans, particularly those who are in need of housing assistance the most.
By recalibrating the flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program which is now aptly called Expanded 4PH, DHSUD has widen the range of beneficiaries to cover practically all the income segments—from income decile 7 or families that earn P47,000 (in Metro Manila) and P34, 000 (outside NCR) down to low-wage earners, including those in the informal sectors.
For the working class, Pag-IBIG Fund has implemented its lowest 3 percent interest rate for socialized housing units for up to 10 years.
Under the Expanded 4PH Program, all socialized housing projects—both vertical or the condominium-type and horizontal or the house and lot packages—are now covered.
Delivery and takeout of both vertical and horizontal housing units have been continuing throughout the country. In fact, the first house-and-lot packages under the Expanded 4PH were turned over to beneficiaries in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro recently.
We revived the pro-poor community mortgage program which is now called Enhanced CMP.
Under ECMP, the Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) has been distributing certificates of lot award to beneficiaries from 36 approved sites, while the National Housing Authority (NHA) is busy awarding certificates of entitlement covered by various Presidential Proclamations—ending decades old of wait for security of land tenure to thousands of informal settler families.
Offering more dignified living conditions to ECMP and Presidential Proclamation beneficiaries was made possible by incorporating incremental housing into the Expanded 4PH to improve their plight. This is in close collaboration with the urban poor groups and non-government organizations.
To prevent further deterioration and for identified families to finally occupy their dream homes, the SHFC was tasked to revive and improve unoccupied high density housing projects intended for those living in danger zones, initially in the cities of Caloocan and Valenzuela.
To further widen the range of our beneficiaries under the Expanded 4PH Program, DHSUD is piloting rental housing projects with the University of the Philippines in Diliman and Los Baños campuses, and with local governments like Quezon City, Iloilo City and Victorias City.
On the regulatory side, we launched the Department’s Zero Backlog Program that addressed more than 3,000 actionable items as far back as 2021. This was complemented by streamlining of licensing and permitting process after the review and subsequent revision of old policies, rules and regulations to cope up with the call of times.
SUSTAINING GAINS THRU DIGITALIZATION
To sustain all of these gains, we are now in full swing with our digitalization after the formulation of a roadmap toward a full digitization by 2028, in compliance with the directive of President Marcos Jr.
Gradually, DHSUD is shifting manual processes to digital to improve internally, and eventually externally for the convenience of the transacting public.
All of these impactful gains were achieved with the cooperation and relentless support of DHSUD personnel—from the executives down to the rank and file staff.
Indeed, much has been achieved but we still have a lot of work to do. So let us build up on these wins, sustain the momentum, and help our President in pushing for a more progressive and stronger Bagong Pilipinas.
Finally, to make our reforms sustainable, my co-workers in DHSUD and its attached agencies should be inspired to serve our country with competence and integrity and at the same time, believe that doing the right things is the right thing to do.
The author is the Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)
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