Solon calls DHSUD’s flagship housing program a ‘failure’

MANILA — A lawmaker tagged as “failure” the government’s flagship housing program, after the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development fell short of its target to construct one million housing units per year in the first two years of the Marcos Jr. administration.

The DHSUD initially wanted to plug the country’s housing backlog of six million by 2028, but it slashed its target by half to just 3.2 million housing units. 

DHSUD’s budget sponsor at the House of Representatives, Rep. Toby Tiangco, explained that the initial model for the program did not work due to funding issues, prompting the agency to consider adjustments.

“Ang yabang-yabang pa ng secretary ng DHSUD na magbi-build daw ng one million na pabahay every year sa anim na taon ni Presidente Marcos… ano na ang nangyari ditto sa target na one million a year?” ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro asked during the House plenary debates on the proposed DHSUD budget for 2025.

“Inaamin naman po natin na hindi na-meet ang targets at may dahilan para doon… ‘Yung unang modelo ng paghabol sa ating housing backlog ay hindi natugunan ng mga developer,” Tiangco replied.

“Dahil hindi sapat ang pondo para makapagtayo ng one million housing units kung ang pagbabasehan natin ay ‘yung pondong manggagaling sa GAA (general appropriations fund). Kaya ang naisip ng DHSUD during that time ay mag-iba ng business model para ma-engganyo ‘yung private sector, private developer… Hindi nga naging madali ito para sa private sector developers, kaya binabago natin ito base sa nakita nating pagkukulang o pagkakamali,” he added.

“’Yung mga nanggagaling sa bibibig ng matataas na opisyal ng ating gobyerno, tine-take ‘yan ng ating mamamayan as a true statement… Umasa tayo pangatlong taon na maggawa sana ang one million…Failure at nagkamali at hindi totoo itong one million a year,” Castro said.

DHSUD would need a guarantee fund requirement of P4 trillion to deliver the P3.2 million housing units by 2028. Of this figure, more than 12,000 are expected to be delivered by the end of this year, 168,000 next year, 595,000 in 2026, 1.35 million in 2027 and 1.1 million in 2028.

“Ang kailangan para gumulong ito is ‘yung formal approval and issuance of the sovereign guarantee para ma-bid out na ng NHA ang projects na ito,” Tiangco noted.