DHSUD secures mass housing pledge from top developers

At least 42 private developers have pledged to deliver more than 250,000 socialized housing units to support President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s recalibrated Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program, according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

The pledge was formally conveyed to DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling in a joint letter signed by leaders of four major real estate and builders’ associations: the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations, Inc. (CREBA), the National Real Estate Association (NREA), the Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), and the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA).

“In manifestation of our shared optimism towards your administration and the potential of a recalibrated 4PH to deliver meaningful solutions to our country’s overwhelming housing needs, we are pleased to submit the initial list of private developers who have expressed commitment to participate in the production of socialized housing under the program. To date, these commitments total 251,846 units,” the groups said in the letter dated July 7, 2025.

“We see this not merely as a numerical pledge, but as a concrete reflection of the mass housing sector’s confidence in the direction the Department is taking under your stewardship,” the developers added.

The organizations credited DHSUD’s reform efforts, such as streamlining permitting processes, adjusting price ceilings, updating technical standards, and pushing for the creation of Housing One-Stop Processing Centers (HOPCs), as reasons for their support.

They also proposed piloting a dedicated HOPC specifically for 4PH-related transactions to speed up project approvals and construction timelines. This, they said, would enhance coordination among government agencies, local governments, and the private sector.

“The private sector stands ready to do its part. With your continued leadership and the collaborative mechanisms now being set in motion, we are confident that the Expanded 4PH can finally deliver large-scale, inclusive and sustainable housing solutions for Filipino families,” they said.

DHSUD Secretary Aliling hailed the development as a major boost to the President’s flagship housing initiative.

"This commitment is a clear testament that the recalibrated and expanded 4PH as directed by President Marcos Jr. is on the right track. This also strengthens our resolve to provide decent homes and dignified living for government housing beneficiaries under the President’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas,” Aliling said.

The Marcos administration’s expanded 4PH program aims to address the country’s 6.5-million housing backlog through innovative partnerships with the private sector and local government units.