DHSUD chief’s anti-corruption drive propped

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling’s campaign against corruption in the housing sector continues to gain momentum among stakeholders.

The Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) and the DHSUD Employees Association (DHSUDEA) recently expressed full support for Aliling’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption in separate statements.

“Integrity, transparency, and accountability are values that must guide every stakeholder as we work together with government to address the country’s housing needs,” SHDA said.

“Together, we believe in building not only homes, but also trust and a better future for all Filipinos,” the group added. SHDA is one of the country’s four major developers’ associations.

For its part, DHSUDEA, headed by its president Roel Fernandez, joined the growing list of organizations backing the housing chief’s stance against corruption.

“We, the DHSUD Employees Association, stand in full support of Secretary Aliling’s strong and unwavering stance against corruption in all housing sectors, both in government and private institutions,” the group said.

DHSUDEA said the support represents a collective pledge of honesty and integrity from DHSUD employees and underscored its commitment to uphold the agency’s moral standards.

“Corruption has no place in our mission of building communities and providing every Filipino with access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing. With great hope, it is through our collective vigilance and shared culture of honesty that we can build the housing sector every Filipino deserves,” it added.

The statements followed a public declaration of support from the Construction Project Management Association of the Philippines (CPMAP), which lauded Aliling’s anti-corruption advocacy.

“Your head-on and straightforward stand against this social cancer is an inspiration to us — a reminder that there is still hope for our nation and there are still clean and committed public servants,” CPMAP said.

Aliling thanked stakeholders for their support and assured them of DHSUD’s commitment to clean governance.

“Let us join and help President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in fighting corruption. Let us start in the housing sector and show that corruption can be defeated. Let us not lose hope,” Aliling said in Filipino.

In a speech last week, the DHSUD chief stressed that “even 1 percent of corruption is unacceptable,” a statement that drew initial backing from CPMAP.

Investigations are ongoing into alleged corruption involving flood control projects worth billions of pesos.