DHSUD identifies state lands for housing
EO 34 empowered the DHSUD to identify national and local government lands that are suitable for housing and human settlements, including new townships and estates development, in coordination with concerned government agencies and local government units
Photograph courtesy of DHSUD Identification of government-owned land across the country is being fast-tracked by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to realize the goal of providing 6 million homes to Filipinos.
To fast-track the identification of government-owned land across the country particularly for housing, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, or DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar created technical working groups, or TWG, to implement the provisions of Executive Order 34.
EO 34 empowered the DHSUD to identify national and local government lands that are "suitable for housing and human settlements, including new townships and estates development, in coordination with concerned government agencies and local government units."
Through Department Order 2023-020 dated 25 November, Acuzar instructed the TWGs to lead the identification and vetting of government-owned lands for housing, human settlements and urban development.
The TWGs consist of pool of experts on environmental, land use, urban planning and development, public housing and settlements, and Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino, or 4PH, Program from both the Department's central and regional offices.
The TWG-Central Office will be headed concurrently by the Undersecretary for Planning, Undersecretary Henry Yap, while TWGs in the Regional Offices are to be headed by chiefs of their respective Environmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Divisions.
Flagship program
EO 34 declared 4PH as flagship program of the government and mandated DHSUD to lead activities on idle land inventory.
"We've been discussing with some local government units and national government agencies on how we can achieve a comprehensive list of land assets we can use. This order should stimulate more activities on the ground as we aggressively implement the 4PH," Acuzar explained.
Based on the order, tasks of TWGs include validation of submitted land inventory, land suitability assessment and coordination with national and local government agencies.
The order also granted authority to TWGs in recommending the approval of policies, guidelines, plans, projects and activities that will support the land inventory, identification and determination of process.