MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos’ flagship housing program kicked off in Quezon City yesterday with the groundbreaking ceremony and memorandum signing between the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Quezon City government.
The Chief Executive earlier ordered the DHSUD to solve the country’s housing backlog by providing safe, decent and sustainable shelter to 6.5 million families in six years.
Human Settlements Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to officially launch the Marcos administration’s housing program, with a housing project at Harmony Hills Terraces in Barangay Batasan Hills.
Officials of DHSUD’s key shelter agencies and representatives from the local government unit witnessed the signing and groundbreaking ceremonies.
“The cooperation of everyone is crucial in achieving the comfort this project promises. We in the DHSUD trust in your commitment of support now until every Filipino family has a roof over its head,” Acuzar said.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be the President’s emissary in sending this good news to our kababayans here in Quezon City, and in the country as a whole – eventually, the dream of every Filipino family to own a house will come true through the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program,” Acuzar said, referring to the administration’s Pambansang Pabahay Para Sa Pilipino: Zero ISF Program for 2028.
The program, a brainchild of Marcos, aims to build one million housing units per year.
For its part, the Quezon City government has committed to allocate and secure for the DHSUD parcels of land for the development of various housing projects.
“The MOA signing solidified our previous agreement to work hand-in-hand in building houses for the city’s residents, especially the ISFs (informal settler families),” said Mayor Belmonte, adding that through this agreement they “hope to build many housing projects that will benefit Quezon City residents, especially those who cannot afford a home they can call their own.”
The MOU mandates the DHSUD to facilitate, either directly or through its Key Shelter Agencies or KSAs, the implementation of the housing projects in collaboration with the LGU and other relevant agencies.
Meanwhile, the Quezon City LGU is tasked to expedite the processing of required permits and licenses to be issued by local authorities for the project’s full implementation. It will also carry out the beneficiary listing which will include social preparation, ISF census enumeration, socioeconomic profiling and the establishment of social parameters.
Acuzar likewise enjoined the private sector and concerned government institutions to help the DHSUD in fulfilling the administration’s priority housing program.
“Admittedly, we need the help of everyone… kasama po kayo sa mga haligi ng tagumpay nito.”
Aside from the collaboration with the Quezon City government, the DHSUD also secured during the same event a partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines. The DHSUD and DBP signed an MOU mandating the financial institution to formulate a housing loan program and for the DHSUD to identify project funding requirements.