Expanded 4PH as a long-term governance commitment
The Marcos administration places housing at the center of its social development agenda, recognizing that decent shelter is essential to building stable families and resilient communities. Through the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program ensures that every housing unit built contributes to nation-building.
Originally launched in 2022, the program gained renewed direction in 2025 under DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, who expanded its framework to respond more effectively to the country’s diverse housing challenges. The Expanded 4PH now covers vertical and horizontal housing, rental and incremental housing, community mortgage initiatives, and the accelerated disposition of lands covered by Presidential Proclamations.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has consistently emphasized that housing is not merely about physical structures, but about nurturing families and shaping the nation’s future.
“Mga kababayan, ang bahay ay hindi lamang istruktura. Sa tahanan unang nahuhubog ang pagkatao, umuusbong ang pag-ibig, at binubuo ang mga pangarap. Kaya’t hangga’t may mga Pilipinong nagnanais ng sariling tahanan, hindi po titigil ang pamahalaan sa aming pagkilos. Walang hihinto sa trabaho. Walang maiiwanan sa Bagong Pilipinas,” President Marcos Jr. said.
A cornerstone of the Expanded 4PH is the strengthened Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), implemented by the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC). Through this program, organized informal settler communities are empowered to collectively acquire the land they occupy, transforming years of uncertainty into secure tenure. Nationwide, 34 ECMP projects now benefit approximately 7,000 families.
Complementing this initiative is the fast-tracked distribution of certificates of entitlement and lot awards to families residing on lands covered by long-standing Presidential Proclamations. For many beneficiaries, this marked the end of decades-long waiting and uncertainty.
To address the realities of urban congestion, high-density housing has been integrated into the Expanded 4PH, focusing on in-city and near-site relocation for families living in danger zones. Rental housing projects, including pilot initiatives with the University of the Philippines, further expand housing options for workers and informal settlers.
Through sustained public-private partnerships and people-centered planning, the Expanded 4PH continues to lay firm foundations for a stronger, more inclusive Philippines.
