Marcos turns over Bacoor housing units to relocated residents

MANILA, Philippines — The government remains committed in its goal of building six million houses until 2028, President Marcos said yesterday, as he turned over housing units to hundreds of families in Bacoor, Cavite affected by the Manila Bay cleanup.

A total of 360 families received their units under Phase I of the Ciudad Kaunlaran project.

Once completed, Phase I will be composed of nine five-story buildings totaling 540 housing units.

The President also led the groundbreaking ceremonies for the second phase of the project, which involves the construction of two five-story low-rise buildings, consisting of 120 housing units.

These resettlement projects in Barangay Molino II form part of the relocation sites identified for informal settler families affected by the Supreme Court mandamus to clean up the Manila Bay area.

The target completion for the turnover of all the housing units under Phase I will be before March. The second phase is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.

“As an immediate response, we expedite their relocation to new housing that is safe, high-quality, comfortable and has a well-organized community,” Marcos said in his speech.

The writ of continuing mandamus by the SC issued in 2008 directs the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other government agencies to clean, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay.

The Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino or 4PH Program aims to build 6.15 million housing units until 2028, the end of the Marcos administration’s term.

The country’s housing backlog was estimated at 6.8 million based on the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

Marcos said the National Housing Authority (NHA) was able to construct over 80,000 housing units nationwide in 2023.

He said the government has also provided shelter to Filipino families, including the P700-million budget through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program for families who were affected by natural and man-made disasters last year.

“It is your government’s desire to maintain sufficient funds to meet the housing needs of the many. NHA continues to develop and implement a housing program for the Filipino families,” Marcos said.

The President also led the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s 73rd anniversary celebration in Quezon City on Friday.?In his remarks, Marcos reminded DSWD personnel to continue serving the public with care and compassion.

“You are the country’s social welfare forces, always on red alert, in a country where distress calls from disaster victims and disadvantaged sectors never end,” Marcos said.

“As you put our people out of harm’s way and on to the road to recovery and a better life, always serve your clientele with care and compassion as you have been doing,” the Chief Executive said.

Marcos said the DSWD’s budget increased to P245 billion from last year’s P196.5 billion.