DHSUD unveils flexible housing modalities

The flagship housing program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is expanding its reach by offering record-low interest rates and new rental options to make homeownership more accessible to Filipino families.

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said Sunday that the “Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino” (4PH) program has moved beyond traditional construction to include rental housing and incremental development tailored to a beneficiary’s financial capacity.

“The directive of President Marcos Jr. is clear: housing must be affordable for every Filipino,” Aliling said in Filipino. “We have expanded 4PH not just in the number of projects, but in the options available to our countrymen.”

Under the program, qualified beneficiaries — primarily from the working class — can secure socialized housing through the Pag-IBIG Fund at a subsidized interest rate of 3 percent per year for up to 10 years.

Aliling noted this is currently the lowest rate in the market and has already been utilized by more than 10,000 families to reduce their monthly payments.

For those not yet ready for long-term ownership, the DHSUD has introduced rental housing. This modality targets low-income earners and informal settler families currently living in high-risk areas.

Pilot projects are already underway in Quezon City, including the University of the Philippines Diliman, and in Los Baños, Laguna.