A MILITANT lawmaker yesterday questioned the government’s socialized housing program under the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), saying the poor cannot afford its high amortization rates.
Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT) said the DHSUD’s Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) is not realistic because each housing unit will cost P1.4 million and the government’s P1.5 billion subsidy is too small since it will only amount to P1,500 for each of the 1 million targeted beneficiaries.
“Kung titingnan po ‘yung presyo ng pabahay, hindi ito pabahay para sa mga mahihirap e (If you look at the housing cost, it’s really not for the poor),” Castro told the House Committee on Appropriations tackling the proposed P5.9 billion budget for 2024. “Sa isang mahirap ba kakayanin mo ‘yung P1.4 million? (For someone who is poor, can you pay P1.4 million?”
The militant lawmaker said the measly P1,500 subsidy is only enough to pay the loan interest for each of the 24-square meter housing units.
She cited the case of housing beneficiaries in Calauan, Laguna who could not pay the P600 monthly amortization and are now receiving notices of foreclosure of property.
“Yung subsidy na pino-propose natin that is P1.5 billion. Kung idi-divide natin ‘yan sa target niyo na 1 million, ang ibibigay niyo lang na subsidy ay P1,500 para sa interest. Di ba napakaliit nito? Kaya tingin ko po wishful thinking at panaginip ‘yung tina-target natin na 1 million (The subsidy you’re proposing is P1.5 billion. If we divide it by the target which is 1 million (beneficiaries), the subsidy you’ll give is only P1,500 for interest. Isn’t that too small? That’s why, to me, I think the 1 million target is just wishful thinking, a dream),” Castro said.
Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said the amortization cost is at around P3,500 to P4,500 but the rate will be increased after five years, since the salaries of beneficiaries are expected to increase during that period.
He said that out of the total cost of each housing unit, a beneficiary will only have to pay P400,000 for 30 years to the state-run Home Development Mutual Fund, with a 6 percent annual interest, of which 1 percent will be charged to the beneficiary and the remaining 5 percent will be paid by the government.
Acuzar said Castro should not look at the amount of subsidy but instead consider the government’s efforts to keep informal settlers in the city where they work.
He said the beneficiaries of the previous administration’s housing project were complaining because they were pushed out of the city so what the department did under him was to look for ways to keep them in the city where they are working, even if it is expensive.
“Noong unang program, iyong mga mahihirap itinatapon natin sila sa off-city relocation site para mabigyan ng pabahay (In the initial program, we dumped our [beneficiaries] in off-city relocation sites to give them housing),” Acuzar said, but later apologized after Castro told him to refrain from using the word “dump.”
“Gumawa kami ng paraan paano sila makakabili sa in-city, so subsidy grant with amortization kaya huwag niyo po titignan ‘yung presyo. Ang tingnan niyo po ‘yung support ng gobyerno sa monthly amortization (We looked for ways for them to buy in-city, so we resorted to subsidy grant, so don’t look at the amount. Look at the government’s support to the monthly amortization,” Acuzar added.
Castro however insisted that the current minimum wage of P610 for Metro Manila and even lower in other areas will not be enough to pay the monthly amortization rate.
“Para sa akin panaginip lang ‘yan para doon sa sinasabi niyong mahihirap kasi yung P3,500, imagine niyo po ‘yung sweldo ng mga mahihirap P610 per day dito lalo na sa ibang regions (To me, it’s just a dream for the poor because that P3,500, how can they pay it? Imagine the salary of the poor here is P610 and even worse in other regions),” she said.
