Under Secretary Jose Rizalino L. Acuzar’s leadership, 2024 proved to be a defining moment for the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
Putting a premium on the housing woes in the country, especially of the poorest of the poor, the Department has already started delivery of the first units under 4PH with no less than President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ceremonially awarding units to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Dec. 17.
The awarding was among the highlights of the Pamaskong Handog para sa OFWs held in Malacanang which was a collaboration between the DHSUD, the DMW, PCO and other national government agencies.
“Simula na po ito ng tuluy-tuloy na turn over at delivery ng 4PH units. Unti-unti nang naitatayo ang mga nasimulan nating mga proyekto sa ilalim ng Pambansang Pabahay,” Secretary Acuzar said.
“Sa mga susunod na buwan ay marami pang 4PH units ang ating iaaward,” he added.
Currently, 56 4PH projects are simultaneously being developed and constructed in different parts of the country. Some of these have condominium buildings already completed and ready for takeout—two years after the program was launched.
It will be recalled that 4PH was launched in September 2022, shifting the national government’s housing program to vertical or multi-story buildings to maximize land use.
Secretary Acuzar hit the ground running by conceptualizing the 4PH Program along with key officials of the DHSUD. The president eventually declared it the flagship program by virtue of Executive Order 34.
Designed to bridge the housing gap using primarily private funds, the 4PH Program received wide support from housing stakeholders, particularly local government units (LGUs), government financial institutions (GFIs), private banks, developers, and contractors, which have a significant role in implementing the flagship housing program.
“The ongoing 4PH projects are solid proofs of our concept that we can tap private funds in government housing,” Secretary Acuzar stressed.
“Ang 4PH po ang nabuo nating formula para lutasin ang housing backlog. Kailangan lamang po na hanapan ng paraan para mas bilisan ang mga proseso at ma-maximize ang resources ng gobyerno,” he added.
Undersecretary Garry De Guzman is overseeing the nationwide implementation of the flagship Pambansang Pabahay.
At the height of the nationwide implementation of 4PH in 2024, DHSUD also pursued urban renewal and development while actively participating in the national government’s disaster response.
Secretary Acuzar turned challenges into opportunities in steering DHSUD as an active contributor to President Marcos Jr.’s “conveyor belt of aid” when a series of destructive typhoons struck various regions.
DISASTER RESPONSE
The Department was among the national government agencies that actively participated in the “conveyor belt of aid” ordered by the President to assist victims in recovering from the havoc wreaked by Typhoons Carina, Enteng, Kristine, Pepito, and Ofel.
Taking to heart its role as the lead agency of the government’s Shelter Cluster, Secretary Acuzar designated Undersecretary Randy Escolango as Undersecretary for Disaster Response and subsequently launched two impactful programs to aid calamity victims –the Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program (IDSAP) and the distribution of housing materials and essentials (HOMEs).
Under IDSAP, the DHSUD provides unconditional cash assistance of P30,000 to families whose houses are damaged while P10,000 to those with partially damaged shelters due to artificial or natural calamity.
As of December 13, more than P130 million of the P200 million IDSAP funds have been utilized to assist disaster victims. Some 6,000 families received the said cash assistance.
In addition to IDSAP, the DHSUD also distributed HOMEs to thousands of families in the Bicol Region following the onslaught of severe tropical storm Kristine.
Each HOME kit costs about P15,000 and consists of GI sheets, plywood, lumber, and nails.
URBAN RENEWAL
While at the height of the nationwide implementation of 4PH, Secretary Acuzar was also tasked with leading the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD), which was in charge of the Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli (PBBM) Project, which aimed to bring back the glory of the waterway and maximize its economic potential through tourism and transportation connectivity.
Just like 4PH, the rehabilitation of the Pasig River and its tributaries was declared a priority of the Marcos Jr. administration by virtue of EO 35, which created the 15-agency IAC-PRUD.
So far, the IAC-PRUD has opened the 500-meter showcase area at the back of the Manila Central Post Office up to the entrance of Intramuros near Plaza Mexico. The place is now among the favorite spots of both local and foreign tourists visiting Manila. Work is underway on another pilot area under the PBBM Project.
Another pilot project on urban renewal was the Pasay City Staging Area, which was completed to ensure there was no displacement of informal settler families applying for 4PH. Undersecretary Avelino Tolentino III is closely supervising this.
The staging area has amenities like a playground, commercial stalls, and a daycare center.
PLANADO PROGRAM
The DHSUD also launched in February its nationwide Plan and Do, or PLANADO Program, which aims to enhance land use planning and urban development in the country.
Spearheaded by the Environmental Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Bureau, PLANADO is a strategic response to the goal of establishing “organized and well-planned settlements” as envisioned under the Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance.
It focuses on two major outputs: achieving zero backlog on Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) and Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans by 2028 and promoting urban development for the next generation.
The program, supervised by Undersecretary Henry Yap, is an initiative to streamline and digitalize land use and urban planning and development processes. Its aim is to foster the creation of smart, green, resilient, and inclusive human settlements.
INSTITUTIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
From January to September 2024, the Department issued a license to sell (LS) to 367 projects, equating to 143,301 residential units. The issuance of LS protects homebuyers from unscrupulous developers and transactions by requiring the conformance of these projects with the prescribed standards.
On urban development, the Department processed cumulative data for 138 Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) and Provincial Physical Framework Plans (PDPFP) for sustainable and resilient human settlements. Fifty-eight CLUPs and four PDPFPs were approved, while 65 CLUPs and 11 PDPFPs are for finalization, adoption, and approval.