Approved DHSUD outlay crucial to resolving woes
The housing sector’s P3.9 billion budget this year is lower than their proposed P95.98-billion 2023 budget and their P7.61-billion current budget.
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The housing sector’s P3.9 billion budget this year is lower than their proposed P95.98-billion 2023 budget and their P7.61-billion current budget.
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The Senate's approval of the proposed P3.9 billion budget of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is significant to the government's goal of addressing at least 6.5 million housing backlogs.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar expressed gratitude for the support of the lawmakers during this week's Senate plenary deliberation on the 2023 budget of the government's attached agencies and corporations.
"We are deeply grateful to our good senators for their support. The provision of interest subsidy plays a very critical role in our housing program. I am also humbled by their trust and confidence in me and our bold plans to ensure that our President's vision to ensure that every Filipino family will have a house of their own becomes a reality," Acuzar said Saturday.
Among the lawmakers who supported the DHSUD budget were Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Minority Floor Leader Koko Pimentel, Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva, and Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Resettlement.
The housing sector's P3.9 billion budget this year is lower than their proposed P95.98-billion 2023 budget and their P7.61-billion current budget.
Of the approved amount, DHSUD will get P1.043 billion, the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission has P409 million, National Housing Authority with P2 billion, and Social Housing Finance Corporation will get P500 million while no budget allocated for the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation.
Hence, Hontiveros reiterated the appeal of the housing department for a budget reconsideration, including the P36 billion housing interest subsidy.
She said the interest subsidy will be crucial to improve the confidence of DHSUD's partner agencies in the private sector.
"(It will) in fact constitute the counterpart of the government in the bold and audacious program," she added.
Meanwhile, Ejercito said the successful implementation of DHSUD's program will be essential to the country's economic recovery efforts after being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Every year, the housing program receives one of the lowest allocation and we're hoping that next year's budget under the new administration, can hopefully be increased. The success of DHSUD lies in the financing side and collection. Our aim, dapat wala nang tawaging squatter sa sariling bayan (there must no squatters in our country)," he added.
DHSUD said it will be implementing its "Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program" to resolve the country's housing woes.
