AFAB tackles housing concerns in Bataan Freeport

The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) and concerned stakeholders discussed housing-related matters in the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) at the House of Representatives on 12 October 2026.

According to AFAB Administrator and CEO Hussein Pangandaman, the agency continues to work with concerned stakeholders to address housing-related matters in the FAB through continued coordination among the offices involved.

Pangandaman met with Kamanggagawa Party-list Representative Elijah R. San Fernando, the Partylist’s Bataan Coordinator Christian Ocampo, Bataan Third District Representative Maria Angela S. Garcia, and Mariveles Mayor Ace Jello C. Concepcion during the said dialogue.

During the meeting, AFAB provided updates on its ongoing coordination regarding the concerns raised. The discussion also covered residential lease arrangements and the requirements governing occupancy.

Also present were Office of the Administrator Group Head Atty. Percival B. Peralta, Community Services Department Manager Donia G. Alonzo, Legal Department representatives Atty. Sheryl Lyn Doctolero and Atty. Arlene P. Palad, and Dormitory Manager III Kimberly R. Alba.

The parties agreed to continue coordinating on the major concerns raised, with Christian A. Ocampo, the party-list’s Bataan coordinator, also involved in the discussions. A follow-up meeting is tentatively scheduled for next month.

AFAB will ensure that the next steps are guided by applicable policies and procedures, with the concerns raised serving as an important consideration in the discussions moving forward.

Some of the key housing projects and initiatives include the Legacy 1970s units that were constructed during the start of the former Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA). There are currently 1,633 residential units within the FAB.

A long-standing administrative and legal row has involved AFAB's plans to sell these units and the residents' concerns regarding housing security and residential IDs.

Another is the Economic Housing (EH) in Karagatan Village, which is located in Barangay Alas-asin, Mariveles (about 10–15 minutes from the FAB industrial area), which feature multi-story buildings with 24-square-meter units (accommodating 4–6 persons per unit).

Another is the new Central Business District and Housing Plans wherein AFAB and provincial officials proposed new housing facilities and mixed-use developments, including a 12.5-hectare project in Sitio Acapulco. The project is targeting workers and informal settler families, alongside ongoing dialogues with the Bataan Freeport Area Residents Association (BEZNA) and local government units.