Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling urged Filipinos not to give up the fight against corruption, saying abandoning the battle would mean surrendering the country’s future.

Aliling made the remark in his keynote address during the 117th Foundation Day of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) last Friday, where he stressed the need for zero tolerance for corruption and called on the country’s premier state university to instill the same values among its students.

“Katulad po ng lagi kong sinasabi—ang korapsyon ay dapat labanan. At ang laban na ito ay hindi dapat sukuan dahil ang pagsuko sa paglaban sa korapsyon ay pagsuko na rin sa ating bayan,” Aliling said.

He also appealed to students of the university to uphold integrity and public service.

“I want to speak for a moment not as Secretary but as a Filipino who believes deeply in what this university represents. This country needs you. Not just the diplomas you confer but the values you instill. Not just the research you produce but the conscience you cultivate,” he added.

Aliling also highlighted the partnership between DHSUD and the University of the Philippines in supporting the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, one of the flagship housing initiatives of the Marcos administration, which aims to provide safer, decent and affordable housing for Filipinos, particularly those from underprivileged sectors.

The DHSUD chief said the collaboration between the department and UP aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supports UPLB’s anniversary theme: “Rooted in Honor, Growing in Sustainability: UPLB Advancing the SDGs for Excellence in the Service of the Nation.”

He also cited the On-Campus Rental Housing Project between DHSUD and UP as a concrete step toward addressing housing needs for students, university personnel and members of the university community.

“Housing is not just bricks and mortar. It is the infrastructure of human dignity. And human dignity is the foundation upon which every SDG, every vision of a better Philippines must rest. UPLB has spent 117 years building that foundation—in the minds of its graduates, in the fields of its research, in the communities it has served. DHSUD is proud to be your partner in continuing that work,” Aliling said.

Aside from delivering the keynote address, Aliling and UP President Angelo Jimenez also led the groundbreaking ceremony for the rental housing project for UPLB constituents in Bay, Laguna, ending what officials described as a 45-year wait for a housing project at the university.

DHSUD and UP have also signed an agreement for a similar rental housing project at the UP Diliman campus.

In closing, Aliling reminded UP students of their role in shaping the nation.

“You are not just the future. You are the conscience of the present. Hold on to your roots. They were planted in honor. Let them grow toward sustainability,” he said.