The Commission on Appointments has confirmed Jose Ramon Aliling as Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and Theresa “Tess” Lazaro as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

In his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Aliling laid out an expanded vision for the national housing roadmap, citing new components under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program.

Once limited to vertical housing, 4PH now includes horizontal development, rental schemes, and rehousing initiatives to reach a broader range of beneficiaries.

“We expanded the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program or 4PH which used to only have one modality which is vertical development. So now we include horizontal development, rehousing, and rental schemes,” Aliling said in his opening statement.

Aliling thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the opportunity to serve and pledged to promote “safe, resilient, and sustainable communities,” especially for vulnerable sectors.

He underscored a commitment to inclusivity in DHSUD’s programs, pointing to revived housing finance initiatives and the relaunch of the community mortgage program which aim to help informal settler families and low income earners.

“Our key shelter agencies have also been tasked with focusing on the most vulnerable sectors, relaunching the community mortgage program or CMP and scaling up housing finance programs to reach more beneficiaries,” he said.

To improve housing services, Aliling said the DHSUD will fast-track its digitalization and set up one-stop shops nationwide to simplify permit and regulatory processes. He also ordered stricter enforcement of building standards in subdivisions and condominiums.

Climate resilience remains high on the agenda, with Aliling vowing tighter compliance in the approval of socialized and economic housing sites. He said DHSUD will ensure new housing projects are flood-resilient and better situated to withstand natural hazards.

“That (flood-resilient housing) is included in our initial study on where we will give approval and where we will set up housing projects,” he said.

Aliling expressed confidence that more Filipinos — particularly those in the lowest income brackets — would soon realize their dream of homeownership under the Marcos administration’s expanded housing plan.

“Under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program, more Filipinos, especially the poorest of the poor and those in the lower income bracket, will realize their dreams of having a decent house of their own,” he said.

Lazaro confirmed as DFA chief

The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday confirmed Theresa “Tess” Lazaro as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), replacing Enrique Manalo, who will return as Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Manalo’s resignation was among those accepted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last month as part of a Cabinet “recalibration.”

During her confirmation, Lazaro assured lawmakers that the DFA continues to uphold ASEAN Centrality in balancing multilateralism and minilateralism in the Indo-Pacific.

“The Philippines is a strong believer in multilateralism. ASEAN Centrality remains the guiding principle we follow,” Lazaro said in response to questions from Senator Loren Legarda.

Asked about the conflict in Gaza, Lazaro reaffirmed the Philippines’ support for the UN-backed Two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating peaceful resolution through dialogue.

A career diplomat, Lazaro previously served as DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs. She also led Philippine negotiations on the long-delayed Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and represented the country in talks with China regarding supply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Aside from Lazaro, the CA confirmed 59 other DFA officials.

Ruiz, Aguda, Marciano bypassed

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Jay Ruiz, Information and Communications Secretary Henry Aguda, and Philippine Space Agency head Joel Marciano Jr. were bypassed and would have to get fresh appointments from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to Assistant Majority Leader of the Commission on Appointments (CA) Senator Joel Villanueva.

The CA adjourned without scrutinizing and approving the ad interim appointments of the three officials.

The CA deferred the appointment of Aguda due to the “lack of material time.” It said it would resume consideration of their ad interim appointments “until further notice.”

Meanwhile, Ruiz’s appointment was not discussed by the CA — not even at the panel level.

Marciano’s confirmation was deferred by the body last February after he failed to prove his competence to be the head of PhilSA, which was created in 2019.