CALAMBA CITY (PIA) – The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) in CALABARZON stressed the need to balance promoting open spaces within the government’s flagship housing program.
In a briefing during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, Regional Director Jean Paul Ilao explained that the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4PH) requires real estate developers that 40 percent of the total land area of the project be dedicated to open spaces.
“Our Secretary [Rizalino Acuzar] has required real estate developers who wish to participate in the 4PH program to dedicate 40 percent of the housing site to open spaces. This must be complete: open spaces and commercial spaces,”
These standards, Ilao emphasized, follow the Batas Pambansa No. 220 and Presidential Decree 957 which aim to protect buyers from fraudulent and unscrupulous real estate developers.
Jenica Hosingco, Project Development Officer of DHSUD IV-A, emphasized that local government units are major stakeholders to the Marcos Jr. administration’s flagship housing program, as they determine both national and local government lands suitable for human settlement, enabling key shelter agencies to build housing facilities.
“One of the roles of local government units is to propose sites for housing purposes, which will then be inspected by the DHSUD. These sites must meet the required standards. They shouldn’t be too elevated or hilly. As much as possible, the proposed sites should be flat and suitable for residential purposes.”
Engr. Emmanuel Glipo, chief of Housing, Real Estate Development and Regulation DivisioN (HREDRD) of DHSUD IV-A assured that prospective developers undergo careful compliance measures to ensure the area’s suitability for inhabitation, including its location and environmental impact.
“Before releasing permits, we make sure that prospective developers have submitted complete documents. We have never issued a license with incomplete requirements because we also consider the area’s suitability with the environment and location, both of which were determined by the LGU,”
Glipo emphasized: “We do not issue licenses to developers who submit incomplete documents that do not meet our list of requirements.”
In 2024, DHSUD CALABARZON conducted orientations on the 4PH program to 55 local government units, exceeding its initial target of 10 LGUs.
It has also inked 23 Memoranda of Understanding for the implementation of 4PH, including the municipalities of Alitagtag, Balete, Ibaan, Cuenca, Calatagan, Tanay, Rodriguez, Taytay, San Mateo, Calauan, Luisiana, Calamba, and Alaminos.
Meanwhile, three (3) local government units in Batangas have signed their Memoranda of Agreement including the municipalities of Alitagtag, Ibaan, and Balete in Batangas Province.
Ilao added: “DHSUD is the key agency that oversees and monitors the implementation of the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pamilyang Pilipino Program. We also conduct groundbreaking ceremonies to start the construction of these housing facilities because we are also pushing for vertical housing for our kababayans.”
Launched in September 2022, the DHSUD aims to build one million housing units annually until 2028 to address the country’s 6.5 million housing backlog. (PB/PIA-4A)