House backs bigger DHSUD budget to spur housing

Lawmakers on Monday threw their support behind a higher budget for the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), citing both social impact and economic multiplier effects from the housing sector.

During deliberations on the proposed P5.5-billion budget for 2026, DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, together with officials from Pag-IBIG Fund, Social Housing Finance Corporation, National Housing Authority, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation and Human Settlements Adjudication Commission, presented updated targets under the government’s Zero Backlog Program, alongside new digitalization and streamlining initiatives.

The session, presided over by Reps. Roger Mercado and Jam Baronda, also emphasized alignment with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, which now covers horizontal housing, rental schemes, incremental housing, and a revitalized Community Mortgage Program.

Rep. Albee Benitez said a stronger housing budget would make “economic sense,” noting that home construction stimulates demand in more than 50 allied industries.

“There should be more funds given to the housing department because it makes economic sense and it helps more Filipinos,” Benitez said in Filipino.

“Some DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) projects could even be realigned to housing, because it does not only make economic sense — it makes a lot of sense overall.”

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez stressed that housing is not just an infrastructure issue but a matter of dignity.

“It’s about time Congress really looked into the needs of the housing department,” he said.

“The DHSUD has long been the poor cousin of all departments, receiving one of the smallest budgets. Why did the department not ask for more?”

Secretary Aliling explained that DHSUD chose not to request additional funding out of respect for the budget process.

“The reason we did not ask for additional funds is that we want to respect the process. We went through the system, we tried to explain, but unfortunately this was the allocation we received from the NEP. So we want to respect the DBM’s (Department of Budget and Management) decision,” Aliling said.