The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is giving private developers more breathing room to comply with the Balanced Housing Development Program (BHDP), acknowledging the tough economic climate and the impact of recent calamities.

Originally, Human Settlements Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling had set 31 December as the deadline for developers to meet the requirements of Republic Act 10884, particularly on balanced housing compliance.

But in a memorandum issued on 15 December, the department announced that the effectivity of ancillary sanctions has been suspended one last time — until 31 March 2026.

The extension, DHSUD said, takes into account the economic slowdown and the limited recovery time after the recent typhoons, earthquakes and other fortuitous events.

Aliling said the move is part of DHSUD’s effort to support the national economy while keeping the momentum going of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

“Private developers are our partners in nation building. It is important that they continue construction so we can help drive the growth of our economy amid what is happening now,” Aliling said.

He said that with the extension, the private sector is expected to ramp up the construction of socialized housing projects under the Expanded 4PH Program, in line with President Marcos’s directive.

The Expanded 4PH covers all socialized housing projects — both subdivisions and condominiums.

The DHSUD said the issue of non-compliance by some developers surfaced last July during the agency’s Zero Backlog Program, which focuses on clearing pending regulatory concerns. The initiative is headed by Supervising Senior Undersecretary Sharon Faith Paquiz.

Republic Act 10884 requires developers of new residential subdivision and condominium projects to allocate a portion of their developments to socialized housing — 15 percent for subdivisions and five percent for condominiums — or to comply through approved alternative options.