The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) closed 2025 with a flurry of activity, collaborating with government agencies while prioritizing the welfare of public housing beneficiaries — a reflection of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push for dignified living for all Filipinos.

Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling led a strong second half of the year after rolling out DHSUD’s 8-Point Agenda upon assuming office in May, anchored on transformative, proactive, and collaborative leadership. Early results of his reforms began showing in the final weeks of 2025, benefiting housing stakeholders, particularly homebuyers and developers.

CLOSE COLLABORATIONS

Aliling opened DHSUD to all stakeholders, holding dialogues with urban poor and housing advocacy groups, private developers, LGUs, and government agencies to align efforts.

Before year-end, DHSUD secured approval from the DOF-BIR for Revenue Memorandum Order No. 048-2025, streamlining tax exemptions for socialized housing projects. This followed the release of Joint Memorandum Circular 2025-001 with DEPDev on December 1, which raised the price ceiling for socialized housing under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

The department also forged a data-sharing agreement with DOST and DENR to support risk-informed, climate-resilient urban planning, and partnered with DSWD to enroll graduating 4Ps beneficiaries into the Expanded 4PH Program.

“We will continue to coordinate with other agencies and the private sector to further improve our services,” Secretary Aliling said.

INTERNAL REFORMS

Aliling addressed over 3,800 backlogged regulatory issues within the department, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for corruption and highlighting integrity, transparency, and accountability.

“Even 1 percent of corruption should not be tolerated,” he stressed.

DHSUD also accelerated digitalization, unveiling a roadmap to fully digitize processes by 2028.

EXPANDED 4PH UPDATES

The Expanded 4PH Program now goes beyond vertical housing to include horizontal developments, rental housing, the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), incremental housing, Presidential Proclamations, temporary shelters, and high-density housing in urban areas.

“President Marcos Jr.’s directive is clear — the Expanded 4PH Program must reach intended beneficiaries: low-income citizens, those in danger zones, and informal settler families,” Aliling said.

The ECMP revival covers 34 project sites nationwide, benefiting around 35,000 individuals through collective land acquisition. Certificates of entitlement and lot awards were distributed to about 5,000 families under long-standing Presidential Proclamations, giving them secure tenure and peace of mind.

Rental housing initiatives expanded through partnerships with UP Diliman and UP Los Baños, serving low-income campus workers and informal settlers. Collaboration with Victorias City LGU in Negros Occidental further highlights national-to-local coordination. At least 10 additional rental projects are scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.

“In expanding the Expanded 4PH Program, we ensure there is a suitable housing solution for every Filipino, tailored to their capacity and needs,” Aliling noted.

FIRST GOVERNMENT-LED HOUSING EXPO

DHSUD, together with Pag-IBIG Fund, launched the first government-led National Housing Expo, bringing private developers together to showcase socialized housing projects. President Marcos Jr. personally opened the expo and awarded symbolic keys to beneficiaries.

BAYANIHAN VILLAGES and MODULAR SHELTERS

DHSUD deployed modular shelter units (MSUs) for families displaced by calamities, establishing Bayanihan Villages in earthquake-hit Cebu and Davao Oriental, and providing temporary shelters in typhoon-affected areas including San Juan City. Twenty Bayanihan Villages were either completed or under construction in the last quarter of 2025.

LOOKING AHEAD

DHSUD enters 2026 with optimism, having laid the groundwork for a vibrant, sustainable, and responsive housing sector — ensuring safer, decent, and affordable homes for Filipinos under the Bagong Pilipinas banner.