SHDA, other groups submit wish list to tackle housing backlog

A top official of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) said that real estate organizations have already submitted their wish list to fast-track the production of houses, in support of the government’s goal to resolve the 6.4 million housing backlog in the country.

SHDA, along with other real estate groups, has pledged to deliver part of the 250,000 housing units in support of the government’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH).

“Several groups, including SHDA, already submitted our position paper. Those are our wish list, one is hastening permitting so that we could produce houses earlier; two is expanding the modality of the 4PH program, so now horizontal developments and rental housing are included, and three is the price ceiling,” said Engineer Francis Richmond Villegas, national president of SHDA, at its 33rd National Developers Convention 2025 at the Makati Shangri-La on Thursday.

Villegas, however, revealed that considering the timeline of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resolve the 6.4 million housing backlog, the Philippines is three years behind, or negative three million in terms of output.

“But we commend Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling for tapping the private sector. He is very proactive. Secretary Aliling recognizes the fact that he has to engage the private sector to be able to produce more houses. He realigned the targets to be more realistic,” he said.

He added that the plans and recommendations of two out of the three technical working groups from the private sector side have already been finalized and submitted.

Last May, DHSUD Secretary Aliling ordered the recalibration of the 4PH Housing Program to include horizontal developments, expanding from the original plan that focused solely on vertical housing or multi-story condominium-type projects.

Horizontal developments, on the other hand, refer to subdivision-type housing projects.

Villegas said the price ceiling set for horizontal development is about P850,000 for a 32-square-meter housing unit.

He emphasized that the houses to be built are compliant with the National Building Code and can withstand earthquakes and floods brought by typhoons, as part of the primary requirements for the permitting process.

“It is part of the responsibility of the developer to provide safe houses. But the things that developers should consider before any development, number one is earthquake, number two is flood, and number three is soil,” he said.

The 33rd National Developers Convention 2025’s theme was “ReCalibrate: Upgrading Housing Strategies for a Better Tomorrow,” which underscores the shared commitment to innovative financing, sustainable design, and regulatory reforms that are shaping the future of housing in the Philippines.