The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is confident of exceeding the target set under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) for housing agencies to build 1.28 million units between 2017 and 2022.
DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario in a press conference on the sidelines of the inauguration of BALAI Muntinlupa yesterday said key shelter agencies have attained 84 percent of the PDP target as of middle of 2021, building 1.1 million housing units.
Del Rosario said DHSUD builds an average of 195,000 units per year.
With the remainder of 180,000 units of the target to be built from July to December and the entire 2022, Del Rosario said they will likely exceed the target.
Del Rosario also announced the government’s BALAI housing program or countryside housing initiative (CHI) has ongoing partnerships with other local government units (LGUs) like Quezon City, Malabon, Kalookan, Pateros and Valenzuela to provide housing for their employees as well as relocation of informal settlers.
Acmad Rizaldy Moti, chief executive officer of the Home Development Mutual (Pag-IBIG) Fund, admitted the difficulty of rolling out BALAI in the form of single-detached units in the National Capital Region due to costly land prices.
The LGU of Muntinlupa, however, is a test case for a condominium type of housing, as it is the first BALAI in NCR.
BALAI Muntinlupa is composed of 668 units co-developed by the LGU and Bella Vita of Ayala Corp.
Each unit measures 30 square meters and valued at P1.2 million but sold for P750,000. Housing beneficiaries are qualified to apply for loans at very low interest and 30 years of repayment from Pag-IBIG.
Moti said since 2020, despite the pandemic, Pag-IBIG Fund has been able to sign partnerships worth P1.08 billion with nine different LGUs and institutions all over the country through the CHI, which shall bring 3,638 housing units for their respective beneficiaries.
