Ever the supportive cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed confidence Wednesday, Dec. 21 that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would be able to achieve the latter's lofty housing project target.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez (2nd from left) accompanies President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to the groundbreaking in Nueva Ecija on Dec. 21, 2022 (Speaker's office)

Romualdez and Marcos were both on hand Wednesday during the “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino: Pamaskong Handog ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos at ng Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)" event in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

The event was primarily a groundbreaking at a Pag-Ibig housing site in Barangay Atate in Palayan City. The Marcos administration is planing to build one million houses every year under the program in the next six years.

“Building six million houses is the target of President Marcos Jr., I am very confident we can achieve this through our unity in purpose and the cooperation of all stakeholders in the program,” Romualdez said.

“Six million houses may be just another target to accomplish, but imagine giving six million families houses they can call their own," noted the Leyte 1st district congressman and Lakas-Christian Muslims Democrats (CMD) president.

"That is not only addressing the housing backlog, it is also realizing the dreams of millions of Filipinos who yearn for a house they can call their own,” the Speaker said of the administration's housing target.

Wednesday's event also featured the signing of the memorandum of agreement among Palayan City Mayor Viandrei Nicole "Vianne" Cuevas, DHSUD Sec. Jose Rizalino Acuzar, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso, and others officials from the Social Security System (SSS), Pag-Ibig, and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

“President Marcos is addressing the country’s woes on all fronts almost simultaneously: food security, foreign investments, jobs and livelihood, public order and safety, health and social protection, and now social services like housing,” Romualdez said.

“We in Congress will do everything to support our President in all of his programs because we also believe that if we work as one, we can achieve even the greatest of ambitions. This is how we move forward, this is how we move mountains," added Marcos's top ally in the legislature.

The DHSUD earlier said that the housing backlog--if not addressed--could reach 10.9 million by the end of the Marcos administration in 2028.

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