The House plenary. (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The passage of the measure seeking the extension of the National Housing Authority (NHA) Charter is a sure thing.

“It is our commitment to ensure the success of President Marcos’ housing program that would bring a meaningful change and significant impact to the lives of ordinary Filipino people,” Speaker Martin Romualdez said in a statement Sunday, May 21.

The existing Charter of the NHA will expire in 2025.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr., whose Palace tenure will last from 2022 to 2028, aims to build a million new houses per year in order to meet the total 6.15 million housing backlog.

“The proposal will drive progress and address the need for decent housing of every Filipino family,” Romualdez said, adding that his leadership is actively collaborating with lawmakers and stakeholders to advance the measure’s approval.

Earlier, Romualdez and presidential son, Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos joined forces in calling for the extension of the NHA Charter.

The Speaker, who represents Leyte's 1st district, and Marcos, the senior deputy majority leader, filed House Bill (HB) No. 8156, or “An Act strengthening the National Housing Authority, extending its corporate term, and amending for this purpose Presidential Decree No. 757,” on May 16, 2023, at the House of Representatives.

In their explanatory note, the authors stressed the need to expand, strengthen, and reorganize the NHA to adapt to the changing conditions in the housing industry and address the current problems of the agency.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development’s (DHSUD) Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program, which aims to address the country’s housing backlog by building decent and sustainable houses, is seen to benefit around 30 million Filipinos through the construction of 6.15 million housing units within six years.

From September to December 22 or during the program’s launch, the DHSUD has signed agreement with some 47 local government units (LGUs) to help work on the housing initiative.

HB No.8156 integrates all laws relative to the NHA, updates its charter, strengthens its functions, reorganizes its structure, and provides for its perpetual existence. It will allow the NHA to implement innovative and alternative solutions in addressing the housing needs of informal settler families, the lower-income classes, and the vulnerable sector.

The bill also allows NHA to develop, sustain, and reinforce its partnership with local government units and the private sector, generate income through the efficient utilization of existing and future assets, and strengthen citizen participation in the planning of housing programs and projects.

The first regular session of the current 19th Congress will end on June 2.