Manila: The Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program has broadened its scope to include all intended beneficiaries of government housing, spanning from the working class to informal sector workers and informal settler families (ISFs). This initiative offers multiple housing options tailored to the needs, capacities, and preferences of the beneficiaries, as announced by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
According to Philippines News Agency, DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling emphasized that the program aligns with the administration's directive to provide decent and affordable housing to more Filipinos amidst the ongoing national implementation of the 4PH. He highlighted the continuous turnover of housing units and the awarding of certificates to beneficiaries as key achievements of the program.
For informal settler families, the DHSUD has directed the Social Housing Finance Corporation to actively implement the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP). This initiative focuses on community-driven housing solutions, allowing for incremental improvements based on the beneficiaries' financial capacity.
The Expanded 4PH also introduces rental housing options for families unable to afford home ownership. Aliling noted that the agency has resumed distributing certificates of entitlement to beneficiaries under various presidential proclamations, positively impacting thousands of ISFs nationwide.
For the working class, the program offers both rental housing and homeownership options. Applicants for socialized housing projects under the Expanded 4PH can access Pag-IBIG Fund's housing loans, which feature interest rates as low as 3 percent over a 10-year period, and apply to both horizontal and vertical housing developments.
In recent developments, the DHSUD and its associated agencies have continued to award certificates of entitlement to ECMP and proclamation beneficiaries. They have also facilitated the processing of socialized housing units through the Pag-IBIG Fund. A socialized subdivision project in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, recently turned over its first house-and-lot packages to Expanded 4PH beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the Social Housing Finance Corporation has approved 36 ECMP sites since the program's revival last year, benefiting approximately 15,000 individuals. Secretary Aliling reiterated that President Marcos Jr.'s directive is to extend the government's housing program to those who need it most, a mission that the DHSUD and its attached agencies strive to fulfill by continuously refining and enhancing the Expanded 4PH.
