THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has transformed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) into a people-centric and pro-poor initiative with the addition of new modalities to cover all income brackets in 2025.
“The President’s directive is clear — the Expanded 4PH must reach the intended beneficiaries of government housing, that is our countrymen in the low-income bracket, those in the danger zones and the informal settler families,” Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said.
“That is why we have further expanded the program so that there will be a program that fits the needs and capacities of our countrymen,” he added.
Under the transformative leadership of Aliling, the Expanded 4PH now includes horizontal or subdivision-type development, rental housing, revival of enhanced community mortgage program (ECMP), incremental housing, Presidential Proclamations, temporary shelters and most recently the high-density housing.
The housing program initially focused only on vertical or condominium-type development which did not gain traction due to affordability issues.
Under the Expanded 4PH, Aliling tasked each of the department’s key shelter agencies to lead specific modality with the Pag-IBIG Fund launching its low three-percent interest rate for all socialized housing projects, 4.5 percent for economic housing and its mega sale for thousands of acquired assets.
The Social Housing Finance Corp. is spearheading the ECMP, HDH and incremental housing, while the National Housing Authority is in-charge of the rental housing on top of its regular shelter programs, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. taking the lead on secondary mortgage market.
According to the DHSUD, the SHFC quickly revived 34 ECMP project sites all over the country which will benefit around 35,000 people.
The DHSUD also entered into a memorandum of agreement with the University of the Philippines-Diliman for the Pook Marilag Residences, a pilot rental housing scheme for UP constituents.
Aliling’s move gained massive support from various stakeholders, including urban poor groups and private developers.
Immediately, public housing advocates lauded the revival and enhancement of the pro-poor CMP and are now assisting the DHSUD in identifying areas for ECMP and incremental housing.
Over 34,000 units were either taken out or are now ready for takeout under the Expanded 4PH modalities since the addition of more modalities.
“We just need to sustain the momentum, and look at other options to further improve the flagship housing initiative of the President. Under my watch, DHSUD’s doors are wide open for dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure alignment of efforts between the public and private sector,” Aliling said.
