At least 30,000 housing units will be built for Cebu City residents under the flagship project of the current administration, the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday.
During the groundbreaking ceremony of a housing project in Cebu, he challenged the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD) to build around 1 million housing units each year during his term of office.
The President said he was confident that such a target was attainable.
“With the help of DHSUD, under the stewardship of Secretary Jerry Acuzar, I believe that we could meet the target under my term,” the President said.
“I am challenging the DHSUD to be steadfast in your duty to provide low-cost housing for our people who need shelter,” he said.
The Chief Executive said the project is an excellent example of the whole-of-government approach, with all sectors of society contributing to the betterment of the people.
At the same event, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez assured the public there was sufficient funding for the President’s housing program.
Romualdez, along with other local officials of Cebu, including Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, also attended the groundbreaking rite.
The housing project in Alumnos, Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City is being carried out under the Marcos administration’s 4PH.
The initial phase of the project, comprising 10, 20-story buildings within the 25-hectare development site, is expected to benefit about 8,000 squatters and low-income earners in the city.
The entire South Coastal Urban Development Project is composed of three phases in different areas in Cebu City, covering a total of 60 hectares.
Government figures showed that there is a backlog of 6 million housing units in the Philippines.
Under the 4PH project, the President said his administration, through the DSHUD, starts with identifying and preparing the parcel of land where the housing units would be built.
Aside from the housing units, the President said the government will also build other infrastructure in the area such as schools, markets, health centers, and other business establishments to sustain the community.
Acuzar expressed his gratitude to Marcos Jr. for his all-out support for DHSUD, particularly in the implementation of the Pambansang Pabahay.
“Rest assured, Mr. President, that we will double our efforts for the successful implementation of the ‘Pambansang Pabahay,’” he added.
It was the fourth time since last year that President Marcos Jr. joined DHSUD in launching and inspecting housing project sites.
The Cebu City groundbreaking is the 16th such event throughout the country since the Pambansang Pabahay was launched last September.
Over 80 local government units from Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao have already signed memoranda of understanding so far.
“We will sustain the positive momentum to achieve our goal of building 1 million housing units annually in the next six years,” Acuzar said.
On Monday, the President also vowed to repay the people for their unwavering support.
“That’s why we will not stop, I will never forget the warmth of your support, I will never forget. That’s why I always think the support and the affection that I receive from you I have to pay back. And if it takes the rest of my life, I will happily spend the rest of my life paying it back to you,” the President said in his speech during the distribution of government assistance at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex in Cebu.