SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to review the government housing program, calling it “out of tune.”
The 4PH (Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing) is a flagship program of the government.
“This is my message to the Office of the President: I noticed that there is room for improvement in the housing budget. There’s still time for the president to intervene and review it. After all, in his message, the president emphasized that the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development’s 4PH program is his flagship initiative. There is something out of tune,” Pimentel said.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit)
The program was criticized for its focus on condominium-type housing, which some argue was unsuitable for those living in rural areas. This, Pimentel said, was indicative of a significant gap in the program’s design.
“The program is not aimed at benefiting the homeless poor who live on the streets,” he added, noting a review was necessary to ensure optimum and judicious use of resources.
Under the program, the original target was to build 6 million housing units at the start of President Marcos’ term, but this has been reduced to 3.2 million condominium-type units to be constructed over six years.
The proposed budget for the program’s implementation in 2025 was P6.363 billion.
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