Despite a meager budget allocation, housing officials led by Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling defended the National Expenditure Program (NEP) during deliberations before the House of Representatives this week.

Speaking before the Appropriations Committee presided by Rep. Oging Mercado, Aliling said the DHSUD respects the budget process and will make do with the funding provided by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The DHSUD and its attached agencies — the National Housing Authority (NHA), Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC), and Pag-IBIG Fund — proposed a P225-billion budget for 2026 but were allotted only P5.562 billion under the NEP.

"We will maximize this allocation in furtherance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s pro-people housing program under the Expanded 4PH (Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino)," Aliling said.

"We respect the budget process that's why we defended what was allocated for us in the NEP, and we did not ask for additional funding," he added.

In his opening statement, Aliling highlighted the directive of Marcos to expand modalities under the 4PH to reach more beneficiaries. He cited gains of the recalibrated flagship housing program since he assumed office last May and laid out DHSUD’s direction for the next three years.

"Alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulo, abot na ng Expanded 4PH ang lahat ng income segments dahil sa mga bagong modalities sa ilalim nito, katulad ng rental at incremental housing, socialized horizontal housing, enhanced community mortgage program at iba," Aliling said.

While Aliling emphasized that the department will not request additional funding, several lawmakers, including Representatives Rufus Rodriguez and Albee Benitez, pointed out the “very low” allocation and pushed for more resources.

Aliling was joined by Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene Acosta, SHFC President and CEO Federico Laxa, NHA General Manager Joeben Tai, HSAC Executive Commissioner Maria Victoria Beltran, and NHMFC President Renato Tobias in defending the NEP allocation for the housing sector.

Most members of the House committee expressed support for increasing the DHSUD budget, noting the need to boost the department’s capacity to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing.