By Anna Mole
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna — Residents in the Calabarzon region can expect more housing programs as the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) continues to roll out additional projects under the expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program (4PH) following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide decent shelter for every Filipino family.
Lawyer Richard Manila, Regional Director of DHSUD Calabarzon, has reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to accelerating housing development, particularly in fast-growing areas like Calabarzon.
“Calabarzon plays a vital role in the President’s flagship program, the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program or 4PH. Recently, the program was expanded. Initially, it focused primarily on vertical developments, such as condominium-type housing but under the visionary leadership of our Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, we are now broadening the program’s modalities which will allow us to cater to more of our fellow Filipinos and deliver a greater number of housing units across the country,” Manila explained.
The 4PH initiative aims to address the country’s housing backlog by constructing 6 million housing units by 2028.
In Calabarzon, several local government units have already partnered with DHSUD to begin or expand housing projects. These include large-scale in-city vertical housing developments in Silang, Bacoor City, Imus, Carmona and Trece Martires in Cavite, Alitagtag and Ibaan in Batangas, San Mateo, Rizal and Cabuyao City, Laguna.
Manila said 500 housing units have already been turned over to beneficiaries in various sites across the region this year.
Meanwhile, an additional 15,015 units are in the final stages of construction and set for turnover in the coming months.
With the continuous rollout of the expanded 4PH program, DHSUD projects that this number could stretch up to 25,826 housing units in CALABARZON, reflecting an accelerated pace of development and greater regional coordination with LGUs and developers.
Manila stressed that the success of the expanded 4PH relies on the strong commitment of LGUs, which play a vital role in identifying government land, issuing clearances, and facilitating permit processes.
“We have strengthened our relationship with local government units so that these programs can have more synergy and alignment. And not only with LGUs, we are also talking to the private sector so that they can help with the programs implemented by our present administration,” he said.
The 4PH is aligned with the national goal of achieving zero informal settlers in urban areas by 2028, and ensuring that every Filipino family has access to safe, decent, and affordable shelter.
