PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has declared the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) as a flagship program of his administration to address the 6.8 million housing gap and has directed all government agencies to submit an inventory of available suitable lands for the housing program.
The President, through Executive Order 34 that was signed on July17, also told local government units (LGUs), government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations to support and cooperate with the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) to ensure the successful implementation of the 4PH.
Marcos has committed to solve the 6.8 million housing gap until 2028 and build more than one million houses every year until the end of his term.
Marcos tapped the DHSUD to be the primary government office to oversee the implementation of the housing program and to be responsible for the management of housing and human settlements in the country.
The DHSUD, in coordination with other government agencies and LGUs, shall also identify the national and local government lands that are available and suitable for housing and human settlements and undertake the required activities for their development.
The EO, meanwhile, directs all national government agencies and instrumentalities, including GOCCs, as well as LGUs to also conduct an inventory of all the lands they own and submit the complete list to the DHSUD within 60 days from the issuance of the EO.
The land inventory shall include government-owned idle lands or lands that “have not been used for the purposes for which they have been originally reserved or set aside for at least 10 years, and on which no improvements have been made by the owner.”
“The Land Registration Authority (LRA) shall assist these agencies in the preparation of their respective inventories by providing a list of titles and the corresponding certified true copies thereof that are registered in the name of said agencies,” the EO added.
The DHSUD shall also recommend to the President, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the issuance of proclamations declaring public lands as alienable and disposable, for housing and human settlement purposes.
Under the EO, the DHSUD will acquire ownership and administration of the identified lands and immediately carry out their development.
Funding requirements for the implementation of the EO shall be sourced from current available appropriations of concerned agencies, subject to pertinent budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws.
Funding for the implementation of the program in the succeeding years will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
