ILOILO CITY – The Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) in Western Visayas is intensifying efforts to forge partnerships with local government units, developers, and contractors to advance the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) housing program.
According to Philippines News Agency, DHSUD Regional Director Eva Maria Marfil expressed the agency’s proactive approach in expanding its network of collaborators to expedite housing development. “We are now into massive marketing of our program. It has been almost three years; we are a bit slow at the start, although Region 6 is doing better than other regions. The very purpose of our stakeholders’ forum is to invite LGUs and our developer-partners to participate in this program so we can build more houses,” Marfil said during an interview on Wednesday.
The initiative includes a series of stakeholders’ forums across the region, which started in Negros Occidental on September 17-18, and continued in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo. The forums serve as platforms to familiarize potential partners with the 4PH program’s objectives, legal frameworks, financial supports, and operational requirements.
Additionally, representatives from Government Financial Institutions such as Pag-IBIG Fund, Landbank of the Philippines, and the Development Bank of the Philippines presented financing options available for upcoming projects.
The 4PH program, a cornerstone of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration, targets a wide array of beneficiaries including urban poor, informal settlers, government employees, and public utility vehicle drivers, aiming to provide them with accessible and affordable housing solutions.
In Western Visayas, progress is evident with 30 housing projects in motion, 29 of which are in various developmental stages, while one has reached the production phase.