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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Camarines Sur solons' bill to help solve 8.25-M housing backlog

Camarines Sur solons' bill to help solve 8.25-M housing backlog

Published Aug 4, 2025 02:49 pm

At A Glance

  • A group of mostly Camarines Sur-based congressmen are pushing for the enactment of the National Precast and Industrialized Construction Promotion Act as a way to address the country's huge backlog on housing as well as the delays in the construction of homes.
Camarines Sur 5th district Reps. Migz Villafuerte (left), Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. Luigi Villafuerte (Facebook)
Camarines Sur 5th district Reps. Migz Villafuerte (left), Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. Luigi Villafuerte (Facebook)


A group of mostly Camarines Sur-based congressmen are pushing for the enactment of the National Precast and Industrialized Construction Promotion Act as a way to address the country’s huge backlog on housing as well as the delays in the construction of homes.
The measure is embodied in House Bill (HB) No.2511, authored by Camarines Sur 5th district Reps. Migz Villafuerte, Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. Luigi Villafuerte, Camarines Sur 1st district Rep. Tsuyoshi Horibata, and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.
The authors said that the “adoption of modern solutions in the construction industry such as the use of precast concrete and other industrialized construction techniques … offer faster, more efficient and potentially more sustainable, eco-friendly building solutions".
They noted theccountry’s enormous housing backlog, which stood at 8.25 million homes or units as of March 2025. As such, the solons sais the measure was “timely and efficient".
Migz Villafuerte says that HB No.2511 aims for advancing “faster, cleaner and cost-efficient construction methods by streamlining the construction process through the manufacture and use of precast and prefabricated components to boost the construction business".
Apart from ensuring resilience during natural disasters through quality-controlled, offsite construction methods, Luigi Villafuerte said that the adoption of precast and prefabrication methods will “reduce construction-related carbon emissions and minimize on-site waste that shall be aligned with green building standards globally".
The proposed statute provides for a package of incentives in order to encourage housing developers to use precast systems in their mass housing or climate-resilient infrastructure projects. There include:
·       Expedited issuance by local government units (LGUs) of building permits;
·       Grant by the  Department of Finance (DOF) of income tax breaks and duty-free import privileges to investors or businesses involved in precast construction or industrialized construction technologies;  
·       Low-interest green financing for housing developers by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Landbank of the Philippines (LandBank)  and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG); and
·       Inclusion by the Board of Investments (BOI) of precast manufacturers in the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) in the registration list for those eligible for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, including Value-Added Tax (VAT) exemptions and investment facilitation support.
The bill sets up a National Committee on Industrialized Construction (NCIC) to monitor the precast and prefabrication enterprises and undertake various tasks, like recommending policy refinements and funding, international benchmarking and facilitation of technology transfer and training with foreign partner-institutions.
This panel shall comprise representatives from the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), of Transportation (DOTr), of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev).
“Precast and industrialized construction can accelerate the building  process, allowing for faster delivery of housing units and potentially reducing costs while being environmentally friendly. The controlled environment of precast factories allows for better waste management and recycling of materials to reduce carbon emission," Migz Villafuerte said.
"It will improve construction efficiency and sustainability, as precast construction allows for the mass production of building components in a controlled factory environment, leading to greater precision and faster assembly on-site," he noted.
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