NEWS

Poll: Shelter bid buoys governance outlook

DT · Aug 16, 2026, 12:36 AM

Village takes shapeThe People’s Village is being developed as a complete community, with 7,200 housing units and essential facilities for residents. The government is also considering adding a school and other services to keep residents’ basic needs close to home. — PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF Bongbong Marcos/fb page

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s housing program for the poor continued to draw strong public approval, with its net satisfaction rating climbing to +48 in the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

The “good” rating for the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program rose three points from +45 in the first quarter of 2026, keeping it among the administration’s top-rated programs.

The SWS Governance Report Card, based on a survey conducted from 20 to 29 June, placed housing alongside education, assistance to the poor, jobs generation, science and technology, and food security as areas where the public rated the administration positively.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has led the implementation of the program. The initiative is the administration’s flagship response to the country’s housing backlog, aimed at expanding access to safe, decent, and affordable homes.

The positive public assessment also came after the President reported the program’s gains during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SoNA) in late July, where he cited the government’s delivery and financing of 575,693 housing units.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the latest rating provides further encouragement for the department to sustain its momentum in delivering decent, safer, and affordable shelters to Filipinos.

GPS to correct path

“We are happy with the results of the latest survey because they show that we are on the right track in implementing the Expanded 4PH Program. At the same time, this is also a challenge for the housing sector to sustain our gains and, of course, to further improve our work,” Aliling said.

“In line with the President’s directive, the DHSUD, together with our key shelter agencies, will further intensify efforts to advance the Expanded 4PH Program so that more Filipino families can realize their dream of having a home of their own,” he added.

Since the housing chief’s assumption to office in May 2025, he has expanded the original 4PH program to become more inclusive and flexible, moving beyond the original vertical housing model to include horizontal developments, rental housing, the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program, various affordable housing loan programs, and Presidential Proclamations to cater to the needs and capacities of more Filipino families.