File photo of the St. Gregory Homes Project under the 4PH program in Malabon City. (Photo Courtesy: Malabon Public Information Office)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is transforming the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) into an urban renewal project to establish sustainable township development in Metro Manila.
“More than just housing, the 4PH project in Pasay City will serve as the model of our urban renewal and redevelopment efforts, centered on the welfare of informal settler families as ordered by President Bongbong Marcos Jr.,” DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar explained.
The DHSUD will pilot the staging area of the urban renewal project in Pasay City with the goal of transforming degraded areas along esteros or waterways into a liveable community which include decent residential and recreational facilities.
The completion of this project will serve as a blueprint for the succeeding rollout of the 4PH in Metro Manila, prioritizing not only the provision of housing but also well-planned communities for every Filipino.
Pasay City Mayor Imelda “Emi” Calixto-Rubiano stated that the implementation of the improved 4PH program in the city is a testament to the shared commitment of the national and local government to address the housing needs of informal settler families (ISFs).
“This multi-agency collaboration ensures our public that we are working, and we are working for them. Especially for the beneficiaries of the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program who are indeed in dire need of new homes,” said the local chief executive.
Meanwhile, the DHSUD and the Pasay City government already signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) together with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to start the first phase of the urban renewal project which includes the construction of temporary shelters for beneficiary-families who will be relocated.
The staging area, which will be established near the airport, is also projected to have various amenities such as open park, play ground, and basketball court, among others.
The construction of a staging area under 4PH is the first of its kind since the launch of the program in 2022. It is aimed at preventing the displacement of ISFs while waiting for the official turnover of their new homes.
“Ito po ang bilin ng ating mahal na Pangulo, walang madi-displace at unahin ang mga mahihirap nating kababayan,” Acuzar added.
(This is the directive of the President, to ensure that no one will be displaced and that the welfare of Filipinos with poor living conditions will be prioritized.)
The 4PH is the flagship housing program of the government under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. which realizes the vision of providing decent and affordable in-city resettlements to Filipino ISFs towards bridging the 6 million housing gap in the country. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
