Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to intervene and review his flagship housing program, known as 4PH, being implemented by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, describing it as “out of tune.”
“I have noticed there is room for improvement in the housing budget. There is still time for the President to intervene and review it. After all, in his message, the President emphasized that the DHSUD’s 4PH program is his flagship initiative,” Pimentel said.
“There is something off. There is something wrong with that program. So please find out what it is because this concern is for the administration of President Marcos,” he added.
The 4PH program, which stands for “4Ps for Housing,” aims to provide affordable housing to low-income Filipinos.
However, it has faced criticism for its focus on condominium-type housing, which some argue is not suitable for all beneficiaries, particularly those living in rural areas, Pimentel said.
“The program is not aimed at benefiting the homeless poor who live on the streets,” he said.
Initially, the housing program aimed to provide 6 million housing units at the start of President Marcos’ term, but this target has been reduced to 3.2 million units, specifically condominium types, to be constructed over a six-year period.
The proposed budget for the DHSUD in 2025 is P6.363 billion.
