The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has branded President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s Administrative Order 21 as another huge push for the ongoing nationwide rollout of the flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said that AO 21 will benefit poor Filipinos who continue to dream of owning a house of their own.

"Lubos po akong nagagalak sa tuluy-tuloy na suporta ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, gayundin ng iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno, para masolusyunan ang bottlenecks sa pagpapatupad ng Pambansang Pabahay at iba pang development programs ng gobyerno," Secretary Acuzar said.

"Ang AO pong ito ay isang malaking bagay para sa mahihirap nating kababayan na laging nasa isip ng mahal na Pangulo...lalong magiging affordable ang ating mga pabahay dahil sa paglalaan ng lupa ng gobyerno sa 4PH," he added.

Through AO 21, Malacanang directed the entire bureaucracy to ensure the optimal use of government lands in support to national development goals.

Signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on April 30, AO21 aims to strategically manage and optimize the utilization of the country's land resources by consolidating a comprehensive list of all government lands.

The AO defined government lands as idle or abandoned lands or those that are no longer used for the purpose for which they have been reserved or acquired; lands that are already titled or have yet to be titled under the name of the government; and other lands that will be prescribed under the AO.

To implement its provisions, the AO also created an Inter-agency Coordinating Council that will create a Master List of all government lands.

The council is co-chaired by the DHSUD and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with the head of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as vice chairperson. Member agencies include the Departments of the Interior and Local Government, Agriculture, Justice, and Information and Communications Technology (DICT); Office of the Executive Secretary; Office of the Solicitor General; Land Registration Authority; and Commission on Higher Education.

Primarily, the coordinating council will prepare and submit to the President a digital Master List of government lands, and update the same as necessary. The list may indicate the location of the land, total area, property classification, current actual use, among other relevant information.

The council is also directed to ensure the timely submission of land inventories by government offices, as well as the integrity, completeness and accuracy of the data. With DICT, the council will study, formulate and implement a mechanism for the digitalization of the Master List.

Meanwhile, the DENR – Land Management Bureau (LMB) is tasked as the coordinating council’s secretariat to provide administrative and technical support. The bureau will also serve as the repository of all documents and information relative to the Master List.

“In the AO, all hands that we need are already onboard. We are giving our full attention to come up with the Master List the soonest so that we can identify the areas that are suitable for housing and immediately consider it for Pambansang Pabahay,” Secretary Acuzar added.

The coordinating council is also instructed to formulate the implementing guidelines of the AO, indicating the format of the Master List and the process and mechanism for reporting and submission of respective inventories of government offices with functions on land identification and inventory.

Within 60 days from the effectivity of the implementing guidelines, all national government agencies and instrumentalities are directed to prepare and submit to the council through the DENR-LMB a complete inventory of lands in their possession. The DHSUD and the DENR-LMB will likewise coordinate with the local government units for the latter’s submissions in accordance with Republic Act 7279.

The Administrative Code of 1987 vests in the President the power to reserve for public use any lands of the public domain and patrimonial lands, as directed by existing laws. Meanwhile, Republic Act 11201 directs DHSUD, DENR and DAR to jointly identify government lands suitable for housing and rural development.