The Marikina City local government signed on Friday, Oct. 7, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for a mega housing project under the “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program.”
The MOU was signed by Marikina Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro, and DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar.
Vice Mayor Marion Andres, and District Representatives Marjorie Ann “Maan” Teodoro and Stella Quimbo also witnessed the signing and participated in the groundbreaking ceremony afterwards.
The Bagong Sibol Housing Project, located at Barangay Nangka in Marikina City, is projected to accommodate more than 10,000 families.
According to the development plan presented at the site, the project involves the construction of a compound of multiple high-rise buildings, reaching up to 21 floors each.
Under the “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program,” the DHSUD aims to build six million housing units over the Marcos administration's six-year team.
The agency hopes to produce a million housing units per year, a significant increase from the previous 200,000 annual target, said DHSUD Assistant Secretary Avelino Tolentino during the Laging Handa briefing last Sept. 14.
Tolentino added the program was created to address the 6.5 million housing need in the country, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)’s data from 2017 to 2022.
The DHSUD urged local governments all over the country to join the “pabahay” program.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the program have been conducted in Quezon City, Bataan, Iloilo, Bacolod City, Roxas City, and Mandaue City.