Undersecretary Elpidio Jordan of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) on Monday lauded the effort of the local officials of Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Capiz to intensify their socialized housing program and to help the homeless.
“For the past several decades, the lack of decent housing remains a big concern that warrants government attention because the majority of our people cannot afford to have their own home. In this, we need a more integrated approach in addressing our housing needs and as part of government, the efforts to solve the housing problem must be intensified and coordinated with all government agencies involved,” Jordan said.
“Hopefully, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, which was only created during the previous Duterte administration, can pave the way for the government to better address urbanization and its challenges with greater efficiency and capacitate local government units to effectively respond to the growing needs of urban and rural poor dwellers,” he added.
Those living along the danger zone and those to be relocated would benefit from the socialized housing units of the local governments of Iloilo City, Iloilo; Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, and Roxas City, Capiz.
Jordan believes that the government must invest properly and strategically so that construction and housing, which are key engines of job creation, would get the attention it really needs.
“For our part in the PCUP, we are committed to fulfill the mandate given to us with regards to linking accredited urban poor organizations to the pertinent government agency, such as the DHSUD, that could help them solve their problems, which includes housing and livelihood,” he emphasized.
“The DHSUD has a very important role in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s program for poverty alleviation because it merges the functions of the previous Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, and the planning and regulatory functions of the previous Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board,” he noted.
