Cebu City – The private sector’s involvement is significantly enhancing the Philippine government’s initiative to address the housing backlog in Central Visayas, part of a nationwide effort under the Marcos administration aimed at reducing the deficit by the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028.
According to Philippines News Agency, Lawyer Lyndon Juntilla, the regional director of the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) in Central Visayas, detailed the regional challenges and strategies at the Bagong Pilipinas forum on Tuesday. He noted that the region faces a backlog of 588,386 housing units out of the 6.5 million nationally, with a regional target to construct over 13,000 units under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program (4PH).
Juntilla emphasized the collaborative efforts involving private entities funded by local government units and public-private partnership (PPP) projects. Significant 4PH projects currently underway include the Mycollex-Westtown Housing Project and the Panglao Island Residences in Bohol, as well as La Herencia Residences in Carcar City and 4PH Medellin in Cebu.
“The private sector’s active participation through joint venture agreements, PPPs, and other partnership forms has been crucial in progressing these projects,” Juntilla stated. He also highlighted ongoing data collation efforts to track the number of units built through these collaborations.
The Cebu City government aims to enroll 8,000 informal settlers in the 4PH program to benefit 21 villages, reflecting a targeted approach to urban development and housing security. Juntilla advocated for joint venture agreements, PPPs, and turn-key projects as optimal methods for the private sector to undertake housing developments, noting these modalities do not utilize government funds and are exempt from the Commission on Audit examination.
Additionally, Juntilla encouraged informal settlers to register with the Housing Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG, which would facilitate their participation in the 4PH housing projects under the current administration.