President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday led two groundbreaking ceremonies for the construction of more than 20,000 housing units for residents of Camarines Sur as part of the government’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
“This is one of the projects of my administration that is anchored on our goal of providing a comfortable, orderly, and decent life to all our countrymen,” President Marcos said in his speech during the groundbreaking for the construction of housing units on Panganiban Drive in Naga City.
“Having their own house is the dream of all Filipinos who want to have a place where they can start a new chapter of their lives,” the President said.
This is the first housing project under the 4PH program that was entered into by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) with a provincial government.
Camarines Sur’s 4PH Project aims to build five residential towers with 11,880 housing units on a 6-hectare land on Panganiban Drive, Naga City. Four commercial buildings surrounding the residential towers will also be built.
President Marcos said his administration’s goal is to build 1 million houses each year under his six-year term as the President to provide Filipinos with decent housing and address the 6-million-unit housing backlog in the country.
Residents in the new housing projects could also have easy access to basic and vital facilities such as schools, markets, medical facilities as well as livelihood infrastructure.
The President called on different government agencies, construction companies, private financial institutions, and other partners to adhere to government rules and regulations in carrying out their projects.
Housing officials reported that as of March 13 this year, the DHSUD has signed 83 memoranda of understanding (MOU) and four memoranda of agreement (MOA) with local government units (LGUs) nationwide.
As a result of the initiative, groundbreaking ceremonies were held in 17 LGUs all over the country.
Under the MOU, the DHSUD and the government financial institutions will collaborate on funding strategies and the allocation of financial, technical, and operational resources.
To date, the Pag-IBIG Fund has allocated P250 billion for the 4PH project.
At the groundbreaking ceremony of the 4PH project in Balatas in Naga City, the President called on the DHSUD to be transparent in its transactions on housing projects.
President Marcos also tasked the housing agency to formulate measures and strategies that will ensure the establishment of affordable housing projects for Filipinos.
In a speech, Gov. Luigi Villafuerte declared Marcos as an adopted son of the province of Camarines Sur as a sign of gratitude for what he has done for the province, especially during calamities.
Camarines Sur is the home province of former Vice President Leni Robredo, Mr. Marcos’ closest rival for the presidential seat in the 2022 election.
They were also rivals during the 2016 vice presidential race that Robredo won. An election protest by Marcos did not prosper, however, and the Supreme Court upheld Robredo’s victory as vice president in the 2016 elections.