Just two weeks into his post, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling has rolled out sweeping reforms to realign the government’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program — placing the nation’s poorest at the center of the agenda.

Among his first bold moves was the expansion of the 4PH program to include horizontal or subdivision-type housing developments to cater to a broader segment of the population, especially low-income Filipinos and the most impoverished communities.

“The directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is clear — the new 4PH must prioritize the poorest of the poor and those in the lowest income bracket,” Aliling said.

“That is exactly what we’re doing by expanding the program to modalities that benefit the underprivileged,” he added.

Days after his appointment on 26 May, three private developers pledged more than 50,000 horizontal housing units under the expanded 4PH — which was widely seen as a strong vote of confidence in the secretary’s housing vision.

Aliling has also sought direct input from other private sector players. The country’s four largest developer groups — the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association, National Real Estate Association, Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines, and the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association — have submitted their recommendations for enhancing the 4PH’s reach and effectiveness.

The DHSUD is currently studying their proposals, alongside a fresh initiative to explore rental housing under 4PH. In a recent meeting with University of the Philippines officials led by UP president Angelo Jimenez, Aliling discussed a pilot rental housing project on UP campuses — a proposal welcomed by the university’s leadership.

“The new 4PH must be inclusive. That’s why we have opened the program to new housing modalities that will give more Filipinos the chance to live in decent, safe and affordable homes — homes that will allow them to live with dignity and to become productive members of society,” Aliling said.

He also directed the National Housing Authority to shift its focus toward benefiting the poorest of the poor. He likewise called on the Social Housing Finance Corporation to revive its Community Mortgage Program targeting informal settler families.

To strengthen housing consumer protection, Aliling issued Department Circular No. 2025-008 mandating the swift resolution of complaints against developers. The directive enhances DHSUD’s regulatory oversight over homeowners associations and private developers.