Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna announced that two recently inaugurated condominiums in the city are open to all qualified residents, not just city employees.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 20-story San Sebastian Residences and the San Sebastian Super Health Center, Lacuna stressed that her administration is committed to helping residents achieve homeownership.

She added that the city has transitioned from a “rent-forever” policy to a “rent-to-own” model, allowing occupants to eventually own their units after paying the full cost.

“You might think this is only for employees, but it’s not,” Lacuna said. “This is open to everyone who wants to own their own home. You are welcome. Just coordinate with the Manila Urban Settlements Office (MUSO) and if you qualify, why not?”

The initial beneficiaries of the San Sebastian Residences are city employees who were selected through a fair public raffle.

Also present at the inauguration were Vice Mayor Yul Servo, Third District Representative Joel Chua, MUSO chief Danny de Guzman, City Engineer Moises Alcantara and several city councilors.

Lacuna expressed gratitude to Chua for his consistent support for the projects, particularly the health center, which will benefit residents of the Third District and praised the collaborative efforts between the national and local governments, stating that many achievements can be realized through such partnerships.

For his part, Chua commended Lacuna for the successful inauguration of the housing projects and the accompanying health centers.

He also stressed that Lacuna’s medical background has significantly strengthened the city’s primary health care system.

“The new health centers and health laboratory are important primary health care facilities with modern equipment and competent healthcare providers,” Chua said.

“Tertiary hospitals are the support system to local facilities. When the primary system is efficient, it will alleviate the burden on tertiary facilities, which handle more complex health cases,” he added.

In 2025, three major hospitals in Manila — Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Tondo Medical Center, and San Lazaro Hospital — received a combined P305 million in national budget allocations for equipment and infrastructure upgrades.

Several public schools in the city also received significant funding — P120 million for new school buildings in 2025 and P240 million in 2024.