Housing push in Iloilo highlights shift toward tenure security, rentals
DHSUD rolled out land tenure, housing assistance, and the Visayas’ first Expanded 4PH rental housing project in Iloilo City, benefiting hundreds of families.
Photo courtesy of DHSUD
A renewed focus on land tenure security and rental housing marked the latest rollout of housing assistance under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program in Iloilo City on Wednesday, with hundreds of families receiving long-delayed support.
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling led the awarding of certificates of entitlement to lot allocation to 367 members of the Mirasol Ville Homeowners Association Inc. under the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program of the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC). He was joined by SHFC President and CEO Federico Laxa and Iloilo Rep. Jamjam Baronda.
The same activity also addressed urgent post-disaster needs, with shelter repair kits—donated by USAID—distributed to around 300 families affected by a fire in another Iloilo City community.
Later, Aliling and Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas turned over certificates of entitlement to 213 families covered by Presidential Proclamation No. 1538, effectively ending a 27-year wait for land tenure security. Represented by Joven Apollo Turga, the beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the resolution of their long-standing land ownership concerns.
The DHSUD chief and the mayor also launched and inspected a rental housing project site in Barangay Sambag, Jaro District. The project, which targets the construction of two seven-storey buildings with 362 units, is scheduled for completion by 2027 and will be the first rental housing development in the Visayas under the Expanded 4PH Program.
“Ang mga aktibidad na ito ay patunay na tuluy-tuloy na ang pag-arangkada ng Expanded 4PH ng ating Pangulong Marcos Jr. At napakaganda ng tugon ng ating mga partners—mula sa mga LGUs hanggang sa mga respetadong contractors,” Aliling said.
“Since we offered and introduced more housing modalities, we now have specific housing program for specific segments of our society—from the working class up to informal settler families. We have transformed Expanded 4PH into a more inclusive program for all,” he added.