The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has completed the deployment of modular shelter units to several provinces, establishing a new national standard for emergency housing in 2025.

This initiative follows a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to provide safer, more dignified temporary housing for families displaced by natural disasters.

Undersecretary Ed Robles led the deployment, coordinating with local government units and national agencies to reach regions hit hardest by earthquakes, fires and typhoons this year.

In October, the DHSUD launched “Bayanihan Villages,” using these modular units as transitory shelters initially for areas hit by powerful earthquakes in Cebu and Davao Oriental.

As of 12 December, the agency reported completed installations in the Cebu municipalities of San Remigio, Daanbantayan and Bogo, as well as Tarragona and Manay in Davao Oriental.

Additional units have been turned over in San Juan City for victims of a recent fire. These units will also serve as staging areas for beneficiaries of the Expanded 4PH housing program.

“Each unit deployed represents a real family — parents, children and grandparents — who need immediate shelter after a disaster,” DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said. “President Marcos’ directive is clear: under the Bagong Pilipinas, no one is left behind.”

Aliling stressed that the modular program prioritizes safety and dignity over traditional temporary tents, describing the units as secure spaces for families to use while their communities recover.

He committed to further improving the villages by adding facilities such as health clinics and learning centers to aid in long-term rehabilitation.

Work is currently ongoing for more units in Mandaue City and Bogo in Cebu, along with Baganga and Tarragona in Davao Oriental. The department is also preparing to deploy additional units in Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, pending final site inspections and approval by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.