House Speaker Martin Romualdez has lauded the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program, which now provides more options for Filipinos to realize their dream of owning a home.

He commended President Marcos for directing the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to broaden the reach and responsiveness of the government’s flagship housing initiative. 

The recalibrated program, Romualdez noted, makes housing units more affordable and accessible to millions of Filipino families.

“Pangarap ng marami sa ating mga kababayan ang magkaroon ng bahay na matatawag nilang sarili. Ngunit dahil sa mataas na presyo ng bilihin, kakulangan sa kita, at iba pang gastusin, marami ang patuloy na nangungupahan o napipilitang manirahan sa mga delikadong lugar,” Speaker Romualdez said.

(It is the dream of many of our fellow Filipinos to have a house they can truly call their own. But due to high prices of goods, insufficient income, and other expenses, many continue to rent or are forced to live in hazardous areas)

“Isang makabuluhan at makataong hakbang ang pagpapalawak ng 4PH upang makapamili ang ating mga kababayan ng pinaka-angkop na solusyong pabahay batay sa kanilang pangangailangan at kakayahan,” he added.

(Expanding the 4PH program is a meaningful and humane step that allows our people to choose the most suitable housing solution based on their needs and capacity.)

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling earlier announced that pursuant to the President’s directive, the expanded 4PH now includes horizontal or subdivision-type projects, rental and incremental housing, and a revitalized Community Mortgage Program (CMP). These options provide beneficiaries with more choices tailored to their specific needs.

Speaker Romualdez emphasized that the recalibrated housing kulay gray metallica is a critical step toward addressing the country’s housing backlog, which currently stands at 6.5 million units. He noted projections that the backlog could rise to over 10 million by 2028 if left unaddressed.

“Tungkulin ng mga lingkod-bayan na tulungan ang bawat Pilipino na maabot ang kanilang pangarap na magkaroon ng sariling bahay. Magtatagumpay ang Expanded 4PH sa pagtutulungan ng Kongreso at ng Marcos administration, lalo na sa pagbalangkas ng 2026 national budget upang matiyak na may sapat na pondo para suportahan ang programang ito,” he said.

(It is the duty of public servants to help every Filipino achieve their dream of owning a home. The Expanded 4PH will succeed through the collaboration of Congress and the Marcos administration, especially in crafting the 2026 national budget to ensure there are sufficient funds to support this program.)

The Speaker assured the public that Congress will carefully review the budgets of key shelter agencies to ensure every peso is spent wisely and will help bring decent housing within reach of ordinary Filipinos.

As part of the expanded program, specific agencies have been assigned crucial roles: the Social Housing Finance Corporation will lead CMP enhancement, the National Housing Authority will oversee rental housing, the Pag-IBIG Fund will provide low-interest financing, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation will develop the secondary mortgage market.

In addition, the agency is implementing measures to streamline housing processes, including full digitalization, one-stop housing centers, and policy reforms to fast-track application processing and eliminate backlogs.

DHSUD also reported that four major private developer groups have committed to producing over 251,000 units under the recalibrated 4PH.