All government agencies were ordered to come up with an inventory of suitable lands where housing units will be built to address housing backlog in the country.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. issued the order as he declared Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) as a flagship program of the government through Executive Order (EO) No. 34.

“The 4PH Program is hereby declared as a flagship program of the government,” the President’s EO read.

The massive housing program aims to build one million houses every year until 2028.

Based on the EO, the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) serves as the lead implementing agency of the program.

For such purpose, Marcos directed all national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs) and other government entities to support and cooperate with DHSUD to ensure the successful implementation of 4PH program.

The DHSUD was also tasked to identify national and local government lands suitable for housing and human settlements.

With regard to public lands, the DHSUD is mandated to 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.

The EO also directed national government departments, agencies and instrumentalities, including GOCCs and LGUs, to conduct an inventory of the lands they own and submit the complete list of to the DHSUD within 60 days from the issuance of the President’s order.

“The inventory of lands 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 as certified by the concerned LGU, pursuant to Section 8, Paragraph 2 of Republic Act No. 7279 (Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992), as amended, and Sections 5.II (d) and 24 of RA No. 11201 (the law that created the DHSUD),” the EO read.

The Land Registration Authority (LRA) was also task to provide a list of titles and the corresponding certified true copies thereof that are registered in the name of said agencies.

According to the EO, the DHSUD will acquire ownership and administration of the identified lands of concerned agencies for housing and human settlement purposes and immediately carry out the development of those lands.

The funding requirements for the EO’s implementation will come from the current available appropriations of concerned agencies, subject to pertinent budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws.

The funding requirement for the succeeding years of program implementation will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

According to the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the country’s housing need estimates have accumulated to 6.8 million in 2017-2022.

This prompted Marcos to implement the housing program to address housing backlog in the country.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by BETHEENA UNITE

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