The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will provide around 30,000 housing units for Cebu City residents under its flagship project, the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH).
Under the whole-of-government approach, President Marcos, with the help of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD), said these shelter requirements would be met with Monday’s launch of the Cebu City South Coastal Urban Development Housing Project.
In his speech during the groundbreaking ceremony of the housing project, President Marcos said it would be a big challenge for the DSHUD to build around 1 million housing units each year during his term of office.
The chief executive, however, pointed out that he is confident that it is not impossible to attain such target.
“Sa tulong ng mga masisipag na kawani ng DHSUD, na pinangungunahan ni Secretary Jerry Acuzar, naniniwala akong kayang-kaya natin itong makamit sa ilalim ng aking panunungkulan,” President Marcos said.
“Kaya naman hinahamon ko ang DHSUD na manatili kayong matatag upang matupad ang ating pangakong mura at maayos na pabahay para sa mga kababayan nating nangangailangan,” the President added.
The chief executive said the project is an excellent example of the whole-of-government approach, with all sectors of society contributing for the betterment of the people.
“Kagaya nito, hindi magiging matagumpay ang programang ito kund hindi tayo nag-uugnayan at nagsasamahan at nagsasanib puwersa ng national at saka ng mga local government,” the President noted.
“Kaya’t ang lahat ng departamento na kailangan na makilahok doon sa lahat ng program, hindi lamang ang housing, hindi lamang ang mga LGU, kung hindi lahat. Kasama natin dyan ang House of Representatives, kasama natin ang mga senador, kasama natin siyempre ang ating private sector na tumutulong sa atin,” President Marcos pointed out.
At the same event, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez assured there is sufficient funding for the President’s housing program.
The Speaker, along with other local officials of Cebu, including Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, also graced the groundbreaking rite.
The housing project in Alumnos, Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City is implemented under the Marcos administration’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH).
The initial phase of the project, comprising 10, 20-story buildings within the 25-hectare development site, is expected to benefit about 8,000 informal settler families (ISFs) and low income earners in the city.
The entire South Coastal Urban Development Project is composed of three phases in different areas in Cebu City, covering a total of 60 hectares.
Government figures showed that there is around 6 million backlog in the housing units in the Philippines.
Under the 4PH project, the President said his administration, through the DSHUD, starts with identifying and preparing the parcel of land where the housing units would be built.
“Ang proyektong ito at iba pang mga pabahay ng 4PH ay para sa mga minimum wage earners, informal settlers, mga nakatira sa danger zones, at sa mga kababayan nating naghahangad ng mura, simple, at komportableng bahay,” President Marcos noted.
“Sisiguruhin din nating mananatiling abot-kaya ang buwanang hulog at bayad para sa mga bahay na ito kaya patuloy po ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa Kongreso upang maging matagumpay ang programang ito,” the President said, adding that these housing units would all be disaster-resilient.
President Marcos also thanked the local government of Cebu City and other concerned government agencies for its full support of the housing project.
Aside from the housing units, the President said the government will also build other infrastructures in the area such as schools, markets, health centers and other business establishments to sustain the community. (PND)
