The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has overhauled the government's flagship housing program since Jose Ramon P. Aliling assumed office in May 2025, broadening homeownership options for low-income Filipinos while accelerating reforms aimed at making housing more accessible, flexible, and investment-friendly.

Rather than relying mainly on high-rise condominium projects, the department recalibrated the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program to include subdivision-style housing, rental units, the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), incremental housing, temporary shelters, and other modalities that cater to different income groups and community needs.

"We transformed the Expanded 4PH Program into a simplified, people-centric and sustainable approach to address homelessness in the country," Aliling said.

The expanded approach quickly attracted private sector participation. Within weeks of Aliling's appointment, developers pledged more than 50,000 housing units under the recalibrated 4PH program, signaling stronger confidence in the government's housing strategy.

DHSUD also revived community-based housing through the ECMP, allowing organized communities to acquire the land they occupy. In its first year under the expanded program, 47 ECMP projects worth more than P870 million were approved, benefiting over 8,100 families, while thousands more have already received land acquisition assistance.

Beyond expanding housing choices, the department has introduced reforms aimed at speeding up project implementation and reducing regulatory bottlenecks. These include streamlined licensing procedures, faster processing of permits, and efforts to modernize the agency's regulatory systems to encourage more housing developments nationwide.

The housing agency is likewise repositioning its attached shelter agencies to focus on specific housing needs. The Social Housing Finance Corporation now leads community mortgage programs, the National Housing Authority oversees rental housing, while the Pag-IBIG Fund offers lower-interest financing for socialized housing under the expanded framework.

Aliling said the reforms are aligned with President Marcos' directive to make decent housing more accessible to Filipinos across different income levels.

"Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive, we expanded the coverage of the 4PH Program so that more Filipinos, especially those who need it most, can benefit through faster, cleaner, and more responsive housing programs," he said.

As DHSUD enters the second year of the expanded 4PH rollout, the department said it will continue pursuing housing reforms, faster project implementation, and broader partnerships with local governments and private developers to help narrow the country's housing backlog.