PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed his commitment to build one million houses yearly during a visit to a housing project in Pampanga on Monday.
The government will deliver around 100,000 housing units by next year, Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jerry Acuzar said, accompanying the President on the Pampanga trip.
The President said under his flagship Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program, Filipino families in the provinces will have easier access to decent shelters.
The goal is to build one million houses each year until the end of his tenure as President, Mr. Marcos said as he inspected the progress of the Crystal Peak Estates, a 9.8-hectare housing development site being built in San Fernando, Pampanga.
The Crystal Peak Estates was designed to house 8,300 families in the public and private sectors, including overseas Filipino workers and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of Education.
The President added that his administration was planning to build other buildings such as hospitals, schools, markets, and other recreational facilities around the housing projects to help establish communities.
The Chief Executive also cited that the private sector is coordinating with the national government to achieve its goal to build houses before his term ends in 2028.
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jerry Acuzar said they were using their time in building the project to secure safe and stable vertical housing units.
Acuzar said at least 20 housing projects were being constructed in different parts of the country.
He added that in a year’s time, the DHSUD might finish 50 projects.
Despite the backlogs in housing units, Acuzar expressed confidence in acompleting the six million houses by the end of the Marcos administration.
The Crystal Peak also features “various amenities for social and physical wellness such as clubhouses, basketball courts, and swimming
pools. Shophouses or commercial areas will likewise be incorporated on the ground floors, providing livelihood opportunities for unit
owners,” DHSUD said in a statement.
Aside from Crystal Peak Estates, local chief executives in Pampanga also presented to Marcos other 4PH projects in nearby Minalin and
Candaba towns.
Developments were underway for St. Andrews Residences, a 5.7-hectare project in Barangay Mandasig, Candaba where 18 mid-rise buildings with
5,000 units are expected to be built.
Another 7-hectare project would also be built in Barangay Santa Maria in Minalin, featuring 24 low- to mid-rise buildings with 5,016 units.
“The three projects will significantly reduce the huge housing need of the Province of Pampanga which is pegged at 91,000 units,” the DHSUD
said.