When Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling walked into the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on 26 May, he inherited one of the country’s most persistent challenges.

A housing backlog of more than six million units and sprawling informal settlements had long symbolized a crisis too entrenched to solve.

For decades, Filipinos dreaming of a secure home found themselves trapped in endless paperwork, prohibitive loan terms, or overpriced projects that never matched their needs.

The national shelter program had become little more than a promise, seldom translating into actual housing.

A hundred days later, the picture looks markedly different. Aliling, a construction professional with a reputation for reform, has wasted no time in reorienting the agency’s direction.

His leadership has been marked by a style rarely seen in government: one that begins with listening.

Rather than arriving with a set of ready-made prescriptions, he convened stakeholders across the housing spectrum — from private developers and local governments to urban poor organizations and civil society groups — to hear their frustrations and aspirations. Out of those conversations emerged DHSUD’s 8-Point Agenda, a roadmap that reflects not only policy priorities but also the lived experiences of the families the department is mandated to serve.

This approach stands in stark contrast to the struggles of the past. Previous iterations of the flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program focused almost exclusively on vertical developments, high-rise towers that often did not fit the circumstances of many Filipino families.

The application process was a bureaucratic labyrinth, with stacks of documents required, months of waiting, and approvals subject to discretionary bottlenecks.

Developers built hesitantly, wary of opaque rules, unpredictable standards, and the “facilitation fees” that had quietly become a cost of doing business. Families either fell through the cracks or were priced out altogether.

Horizontal shift

Aliling has begun to rewrite that narrative. Under Department Order 2025-021, the 4PH program has been expanded to include horizontal subdivisions, rental housing, and rehousing options, acknowledging that Filipinos’ housing needs are not one-size-fits-all. Families can now apply directly through DHSUD, the Pag-IBIG Fund, or accredited developers. This shift streamlines the process and makes the pathway to homeownership or tenancy more precise and faster.

The private sector has responded with enthusiasm, with more than 42 developers committing to build over 250,000 socialized housing units in the months following the reforms.

If inclusivity and efficiency define Aliling’s policy reforms, integrity defines his governance.

His declaration that “even one percent corruption is unacceptable” resonated across an industry long haunted by ghost projects and padded costs.

Unlike the rhetoric of the past, his administration has begun to back words with action, pushing forward investigations into irregularities and insisting on transparency at every stage of the process.

Developers who once factored “informal charges” into their budgets are adjusting to an environment where transparency is non-negotiable, while DHSUD employees report a renewed sense of accountability under their new chief.

Cooperative approach

Equally transformative is Aliling’s recognition that housing does not exist in isolation. Partnerships with the Land Registration Authority are streamlining the long and frustrating process of land titling, giving families the security of legally recognized ownership.

Coordination with Pag-IBIG Fund has yielded special loan rates as low as three percent, placing homeownership within reach of modest-income families.

The revival of the Community Mortgage Program through the Social Housing Finance Corporation offers collective financing schemes for informal settler families, a long-stalled mechanism now back in motion.

Perhaps most notably, an agreement with the Department of Education ensures that government housing projects will be integrated with schools, transforming clusters of houses into sustainable communities where families can live, learn and thrive.

Another reform that directly affects ordinary citizens is the push for digitalization. For many Filipinos, applying for housing once meant spending entire days in government queues, carrying folders of documents, and relying on luck to find the right official at the right time.

Aliling has pledged to fully digitalize DHSUD services by 2028, and early steps are already evident. The updated Citizen’s Charter reflects reduced processing times, electronic transactions, and transparent procedures, treating citizens as clients rather than supplicants.

This digital shift not only reduces opportunities for corruption but also restores dignity to families who cannot afford to lose daily wages just to process housing papers.

For all the momentum, Aliling is the first to acknowledge that the road ahead will not be easy.

The 20-year National Housing and Urban Development Sector Plan and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 provide long-term frameworks, but these goals require not only sustained political will but also institutional discipline to avoid sliding back into old habits.

The housing crisis is far from over, yet the past hundred days have proven that entrenched problems can yield to bold leadership and genuine reform.

Aliling’s early tenure offers a rare combination of vision and action. He has shown that housing policy need not be a story of broken promises. By confronting corruption, broadening program options, embracing technology, and forging genuine partnerships, he has begun to turn DHSUD into what it was meant to be: an institution that delivers dignity and security to Filipino families.

Culminating his first 100 days on 2 September, Aliling secured strong backing from Congress to boost DHSUD’s funding — a vital step in tackling the country’s persistent housing backlog. The House Committee on Appropriations had spent three hours on 1 September deliberating the agency’s proposed 2026 budget of P225 billion, a significant increase from the mere P5.562 billion initially listed in the National Expenditure Program. Acknowledging the gap, Aliling praised lawmakers for recognizing the urgency of a larger fund, noting that political and financial support are as crucial as policy reforms in turning plans into concrete results for Filipino families.

In just 100 days, Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling has demonstrated that transformative leadership in Philippine housing isn’t just possible — it’s happening. From zero tolerance for corruption to expanded housing programs, from digital transformation to genuine community engagement, DHSUD’s early achievements under Secretary Aliling represent more than policy reforms.

They represent a renewed possibility that the Filipino dream of homeownership and safe urban living can extend beyond the privileged few to embrace the many.

The housing crisis that has defined urban Philippines for generations won’t disappear overnight.

But Aliling’s first 100 days prove that with decisive leadership, inclusive governance, and unwavering commitment to transparency, even the most entrenched challenges can begin to yield to sustained, intelligent effort.