The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has partnered with 21 local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas to build affordable housing for low-income earners in the region, under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program, which aims to provide housing units to those who cannot afford them.
Various stages of implementation of participating provinces, cities, and towns are ongoing in some areas, with eight of the 21 sites considered priority after completing the five phases of the program process and with identified beneficiaries, according to DHSUD 6 (Eastern Visayas) Director Michael Victor Tezon.
The 21 local governments involved in the project include Tacloban City, Ormoc City, Alangalang, Albuera, Kananga, MacArthur, Mahaplag, Matag-ob, Mayorga, Palo, Sta. Fe, and Tanauan in Leyte province, as well as Southern Leyte's provincial government and Libagon town, Biliran's provincial government, Motiong and Catbalogan City in Samar, Guiuan in Eastern Samar, and Bobon, Lavezares, and Catarman in Northern Samar.
These projects, with 2,394 initially identified potential buyers, are in the towns of Guiuan, Albuera, MacArthur, Alangalang, Ormoc City, Tanauan, Catbalogan City, and Libagon, and all have approved designs, giving low-income earners a chance to own a house with monthly amortization for as low as PHP1,700 per month.
To avail of a housing unit, a beneficiary must be a first-time home buyer and a member of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) for at least two years, have a stable monthly income, not have an outstanding Pag-IBIG short-term loan or account foreclosed or canceled, and not be more than 70 years old upon loan maturity, according to Tezon.
Each unit costs about PHP1.31 million, with the government subsidizing the loan interest of Pag-IBIG, and the project is funded by a private housing developer supervised by the DHSUD, except in Ormoc City, where the local government is funding the project.
The Marcos administration's 4PH program prioritizes high-density/vertical development and uses government and private lands, and the DHSUD oversees and monitors the implementation of 4PH, providing parameters or specifications and extending support and technical assistance to local government units, developers, and other program partners.
The DHSUD also facilitates the issuance of development permits and licenses to sell, ensuring that the program is implemented efficiently and effectively, and that the benefits of the program are felt by the low-income earners in the region, who will have access to affordable housing and a chance to own their own homes.
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