Working double-time, government agencies are pushing to meet the target of 1.5 to three million homes under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program, even as officials acknowledge the program faces a housing backlog during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term.
Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the delay is real, but efforts are underway to speed things up.
“It’s true, we admit there is a backlog,” said Castro in Filipino in a Palace briefing. “But the government is pushing hard to deliver as many housing units as possible for our fellow Filipinos.”
Speaking at the awarding of new homes under the Expanded 4PH Program at the Megawide Precast Plant in Taytay, Rizal on Monday, President Marcos said more than 423,000 housing units have been built or financed since January 2022.
He stressed that construction is being accelerated, alongside reforms to make home ownership easier and more affordable.
By lowering interest rates on housing loans, Marcos said more Pag-IBIG Fund members are benefiting from government housing programs. With added subsidies, more families are finally getting the chance to own a home.
“And we’re not stopping there,” the President said, noting that the use of modern construction technology — like at the Megawide precast plant — is key to speeding up housing production.
“We will do everything we can to expand facilities like this and build more plants so construction can move faster and we can provide more homes,” he added.
As the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) marked its seventh anniversary, Marcos reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that Filipinos have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing.
“The government and the private sector will continue to work together to speed up production, improve processes, and expand our programs, especially the Expanded 4PH Program,” he said.
“As long as Filipinos dream of having their own homes, the government will continue to support that dream.”
During the event, Marcos led in the symbolic turnover of housing units — both vertical and horizontal — and awarded Certificates of Lot Award and financial assistance to beneficiaries under the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program.
He likewise granted Certificates of Entitlement to families covered by longstanding presidential proclamations, finally giving them legal ownership of the land they have occupied after decades of waiting.
Meanwhile, Pag-IBIG Fund launched a precast manufacturing facility in Taytay, Rizal on Monday.
Operated by Megawide Construction Corporation, the facility will produce precast components for Expanded 4PH projects financed by Pag-IBIG Fund, enabling faster delivery of quality housing units for Filipino families.
“In line with President Marcos’s directive to expand access to affordable, decent housing, we are pushing modern construction methods like precast to deliver safe, quality homes faster,” DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling, also the Pag-IBIG Fund Board chair said.
“This not only provides more homes but also creates jobs and stimulates the economy,” he added.
Precast construction allows walls, slabs, beams and columns to be manufactured simultaneously in a controlled plant environment, improving quality and shortening on-site construction schedules.
Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene C. Acosta said the agency provides long-term housing finance to support faster, more efficient building methods while keeping home loans affordable.
“Through our partnership with Megawide, we aim to build over 7,000 housing units in just two years, ensuring strong returns to protect and grow our members’ savings,” she added.
Pag-IBIG invested P10 billion in Megawide preferred shares in 2025 to support 7,143 medium-rise housing units in Cavite, offering a nine-percent annual return. The agency has also approved P27.12 billion in various housing financing, of which P8.5 billion has been released to support 21,022 socialized units.
In 2025, Pag-IBIG released a record P140.54 billion in housing loans, benefiting 90,727 Filipino workers, as the Expanded 4PH continues to accelerate affordable housing nationwide.