The Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) met with urban poor and other groups to come up with policies on how their members would benefit from the government's housing programs.

"This engagement with sectoral groups underscores the inclusivity of the administration’s housing program. That every Filipino family can take part of the Pambansang Pabahay Program," said DHSUD Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Garry de Guzman.

Present during the dialogue were the Kalipunan ng Masang Pilipino (KAMPIL), Pilipino Drivers Transport Academy Philippines (PDTap), and Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators (PADPAO).

The three groups also shared their inputs during the dialogue, especially on the aspect of estate management and payment collection efficiency.

Under the program, sectoral groups may tie-up with host local government units in managing the housing units for their members.

PDTAP National President Orlando Marquez expressed his support to the housing program citing the benefit for their homeless members which include jeepney, bus, taxi, van, and tricycle drivers.

For its part, the PADPAO team requested technical assistance from DHSUD to access development loans from the Development Bank of the Philippines which has already entered into an MOU with DHSUD in support of the housing program.

Speaking for low-income earners and informal settler families in Teresa, Rizal province, KAMPIL Chairperson Jervino Maglunob assured DHSUD that they are more than willing to participate and ready to implement, applying their best practices in building homes for its members.

"The DHSUD is enjoining more sectoral groups to join the call to address the country’s housing backlog pegged at more than 6.5 million units," said de Guzman.