Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (PPAB)

Time is not on their side, but Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. Lray Villafuerte still hopes that senators would still be able to pass their counterpart measure to the prosposed Rental Housing Subsidy Program Act.

The proposal institutionalizes a P3,500 aid to cover the rent of temporary abodes of every informal settler family-beneficiary of socialized housing projects from the time they are made to leave their current dwellings up to when they are able to transfer to their government-built low-cost homes.

The House of Representatives version of the measure, House Bill (HB) No.9506, had been passed on third and final reading last December. But for it to become a law, a Senate version must also be passed.

The current 19th Congress will end after the June 2 to 13 session days. Lawmakers from both legislative chambers (House and Senate) are currently on recess.

“The 19th Congress can set this rental subsidy plan for homeless families in motion—in support of President Marcos’ goal of providing livable and affordable houses for homeless Filipino families—if the Senate were to pass its version of this House-approved proposal when both legislative chambers reopen in June," Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party (NUP), is an author of HB No.9506

"I remain hopeful that the Senate could still pass a counterpart bill before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die this June," said the former three-term Camarines Sur governor.

He said that under this House-approved social protection proposal, a Rental Housing Subsidy Program shall be established by the government to enable informal settler beneficiaries (ISBs) to access the formal housing market through the DHSUD (Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development).

This will enable the ISBs to lead decent lives during the transition period between their leaving their current informal settlement dwellings and their relocation to their new and permanent abodes in government-built mass housing projects.

“The amount of the subsidy, which shall not exceed P3,500 per beneficiary-family, shall be based on, among others, the prevailing rental rates in the concerned locality and the economic standing and potential of the family,” Villafuerte said.

He said the Marcos administration’s medium-term plan under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 “highlights the importance of healthy housing conditions and well planned urban development in achieving inclusive growth and a globally competitive economy".

Citing Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Villafuerte said there are about 4.5 million homeless people in the country, three million of whom are in Metro Manila.

“This number of homeless people is possibly the most in any city in the world as estimated by some organizations,” he said.

He explained that poverty is not the sole reason for homelessness, as the Philippines’ unique condition in the Asia-Pacific Region “exposes our citizens to various disasters that are not apparent in other countries where housing is likewise a problem".

The Philippines is struck by about 20 typhoons every year and experiences frequent seismic activity, both of which force thousands of families to leave their homes temporarily or permanently, he said.