Housing czar Jose Rizalino Acuzar on Tuesday led the fourth anniversary celebration of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, reaping praises from various lawmakers who branded him “extraordinary.”
Senators JV Ejercito and Risa Hontiveros described Acuzar as “extraordinary” for his inovative concepts, Ejercito commended Acuzar’s stewardship of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s flagship housing program— the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) program.
“We have a very daunting task ahead, a very gargantuan task of producing one million houses every year… we need to think outside the box and be extraordinary. Si Sec. Jerry (Acuzar) na talagang napakasimpleng tao, self-made man, palagay ko sya po ‘yung X factor na kailangan natin for the Department of Human Settlements,” he said in a message.
Hontiveros cited the role of DHSUD in curbing the 6.5 million housing backlog through Pambansang Pabahay and vowed support toward achieving its goals.
She said she would continuously push for funding support for the realization of the Pambansang Pabahay as vice chairperson of the Senate finance subcommittee that tackles the budget of DHSUD.
Under the program, the DHSUD is set to build and dispense one million housing units every year until the end of the current regime.
Amid DHSUD’s achievements in the past year, Acuzar promised to persist in its thrust to maintain and improve the vibrancy of the housing and urban development sector in the country, especially with “effective leaders at the helm and a committed workforce by their side, the DHSUD will, no doubt, be moving mountains in the years to come.”
“There may be great challenges ahead of us, but greater opportunities are likewise awaiting us on the horizon. And so, I enjoin everyone to hang tight and soldier on as we improve the lives of Filipino families one adequate, resilient and sustainable house at a time,” he said.