More than 100,000 housing units will be delivered next year, Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar bared. President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Noel Pabalate)
"In next year, sa tingin namin na may made-deliver na bahay talaga, more than a hundred thousand, by next year, kasi nagtatayuan pa (We think that by next year, the government will be able to deliver more than a hundred thousand as construction is still ongoing)," Acuzar said during an inspection of a housing project in San Fernando, Pampanga. The Human Settlements chief explained that the construction of a 12-storey housing building will take almost a year and a half, stressing the need to ensure the housing units' integrity. He also cited that looking for land is among the challenges the government is facing in building housing units that aims to address the housing backlog in the country. Almost 20 projects are under construction at present, Acuzar added. "Yung iba, naka for bidding, yung iba for processing. Aabutin ito, in a year's time, baka mga 50 projects in the same time ang ginagawa (Others are under bidding, while others are for processing. This will take in a year's time, maybe about 50 projects at the same time)," the housing official said. Acuzar also expressed confidence that the government will be able to achieve the six-million housing target by the end of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s term. He explained that the first year of the project will take time but once the local government units familiarize themselves with the process, the delivery of the project will be faster. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is leading the implementation of the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program, which aims to address the 6.5 million housing backlog in the country. The housing agency has so far signed more than 150 memoranda of understanding under the program, which will be carried out in 28 locations across the Philippines.