President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has urged the local government units and housing agencies to closely collaborate with each other in a bid to build houses for Filipinos that are accessible to schools and workplaces.

During the nationwide turnover of 30,000 housing units to families on Monday, Dec. 5, Marcos emphasized that the goal is not only to provide housing units to low-income Filipinos but to also build houses that will not hamper the employment and studies of the families.

"indi lamang bahay ang itatayo, kung hindi titiyakin na malapit sa trabaho. Ang usual na sinasabi dapat ang pagpunta sa trabaho ay hindi lalampas sa isang taon – ay isang taon – isang oras (It is not just about building houses, but its accessibility to workplaces is ensured. What they usually say is that the travel time going to work must not exceed an hour)," Marcos said.

The President said this is the concept of "human settlements", which his administration aims to veer away from merely building housing projects.

"Pero ang aming tinitingnan, the travel time mula sa bahay hanggang sa trabaho ay hindi dapat lalampas ng isang oras. Dapat may malapit na eskuwelahan para sa mga bata. Dapat may malapit na palengke o maliit na mall para makapagbili ng mga pangangailangan ng mga pamilya. Lahat ito ay pinagsasabay-sabay kaya human settlements ang mga tinatayo natin (What we are considering is the travel time from home to work which should not exceed an hour. There should be a school nearby for the kids. There should be a market or small mall in the area for the families' basic needs. All of these are being considered, thus calling it human settlement)," Marcos said.

In order to achieve this, he urged all concerned agencies, including the local government units (LGUs) and private sector to coordinate in providing housing settlements for Filipino families.

"Ito’y hinihingi ko sa kooperasyon ng ating mga lokal na gobyerno at pribadong sektor, nawa’y maging panatag ang ating mga kababayan sa kanilang mga bagong bahay (This is the coordination I am asking from the LGUs and private sector to ensure that our fellowmen are at ease in their new houses)," Marcos said.

"Mahalagang mabigyan ang ating mga kababayan ng pangkabuhayan tulong upang malubos nila ang paninirahan sa kanilang mga bagong tahanan (It is important to provide our fellowmen livelihood aid to make the most of their stay in their new homes)," he added.

The chief executive also vowed that the (LGUs), Department of Human Settlements, National Housing Authority, the legislature, and national government will continue to collaborate to achieve the goal to build one million houses per year under the Building Better and More (BBM) housing program.

READ MORE: Marcos plans to build mid-rise, high-rise housing projects for urban poor