Marcos promises affordable homes at 4PH turnover

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday pledged to deliver more affordable houses as he led the turnover of units under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program in Taytay, Rizal.

“We have come a long way, but we are still working hard to reach our target number of houses in the coming years,” he said in Filipino during the ceremony, which also marked the seventh anniversary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

Since Mr. Marcos took office in 2022, the government has built more than 423,000 housing units under the program, according to official data.

The DHSUD is targeting 1.133 million housing units by 2028, with about 90,000 units planned for completion this year.

Mr. Marcos said the government is not only speeding up construction but also making it easier for families to finance their homes.

He cited lower interest rates offered by the Home Development Mutual Fund, also known as Pag-IBIG.

Pag-IBIG is offering a 3% interest rate for the first five years of loans under the Expanded 4PH Program to help keep monthly payments affordable for qualified members.

“With the help of subsidies from the government, more families now have the opportunity to own their own [house],” Mr. Marcos said.

He added that the administration would continue expanding housing production, including through modern construction methods.

The President visited a Megawide Construction Corp. precast plant, saying such facilities would help speed up building and increase output.

“We will do everything we can to not only build this plant that you see today but also to expand and multiply it to speed up construction and increase the number of homes we can provide,” he added.

During the event, Mr. Marcos awarded lot certificates and financial assistance to beneficiaries under the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program. He also handed certificates of entitlement to beneficiaries of longstanding presidential proclamations, granting them security of tenure on land they have occupied for decades.

The President said the government would continue working with private developers to accelerate construction, streamline procedures and widen the program’s reach.

“As long as there are Filipinos dreaming of their own home, the government will continue to act to support this dream,” he said.

The DHSUD, created under Republic Act No. 11201 in 2019, oversees housing and urban development policies nationwide. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana