Nag ambisyon sa housing, minadali, BIGO

Summary

In the Philippines, President BBM announced an ambitious public housing program in August 2022, aiming to build one million housing units annually to address a backlog of 6.5 million units. Despite appointing a controversial real estate developer, Jose Rizalino Acuzar, as the head of human settlements and urban development, the program faced funding issues, with a PHP5 billion budget shortfall. The government's target of 6 million housing units by 2028 was deemed unattainable by the National Economic and Development Authority, as the 4% interest rate on housing loans would deplete government funds needed for other services. As of July 2024, only 100,000 homes had been completed, and the original plan was revised to 3 million units, highlighting the challenges of executing large-scale housing projects.

Takeaways

• 🏠 The public housing program in the Philippines remains a distant dream, despite promises made in August 2022 by President Marcos to build 1 million housing units annually during his term.
• 💼 Jose Rizalino Acuzar, a controversial real estate developer, was appointed as Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development to implement the housing program.
• 💰 Secretary Acuzar requested a budget of PHP 5 billion to implement the program, but the Department of Budget and Management allocated only PHP 2 billion.
• 📉 Secretary Acuzar warned that if the full budget is not provided, the housing backlog could balloon to 10.9 million units.
• 🏛️ Despite efforts by Secretary Acuzar, additional funding was not provided by December 2022.
• 📅 By February 2023, President Marcos reiterated the goal of 1 million housing units per year, stating that even if they fall short one year, they would catch up in the next.
• 🚧 As of April 2023, 600,000 housing units were under construction, and the President announced that they would surpass 1 million units per year.
• 🏢 In July 2023, Secretary Acuzar announced that only 100,000 housing units would be delivered in 2024, far short of the 1 million target.
• 📉 By July 2024, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan announced that the target of 6 million housing units would be reduced to 3 million due to funding constraints.
• 🤔 The housing program's feasibility is questioned, as only 100,000 homes have been completed by 2024, and the initial plan of 6 million units seems increasingly unrealistic.

Q & A

What was President BBM's housing program announcement in August 2022?

President BBM announced his housing program with a plan to build one million housing units each year during his term to address the 6.5 million units backlog.

Who was appointed by President BBM as the head of human settlements and urban development?

Jose Rizalino Acuzar, a controversial self-made real estate developer, was appointed by President BBM as the Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

What was the initial budget issue raised by Secretary Acuzar during the Senate subcommittee on Finance budget hearing?

Secretary Acuzar stated that PHP 5 billion was needed to implement the housing program, but the Department of Budget and Management only allocated PHP 2 billion in the National Expenditure Program.

Did the government meet the target of 1 million housing units by the end of 2022?

No, despite efforts, the additional funds were not provided by December 2022, and the target was not met.

What was the revised target for housing units by 2028 as suggested by House Speaker Romualdez?

House Speaker Romualdez suggested an attainable target of 6 million housing units by 2028.

How many housing units did President BBM claim to have started by April 2023?

President BBM announced that almost 600,000 housing units had been started by April 2023.

What was the target set for housing units to be delivered in 2024 according to Secretary Acuzar?

Secretary Acuzar announced that for 2024, 100,000 housing units would be delivered, which is only 5% of the June 2020 target.

What was the significance of Executive Order No. 34 issued in July 2023?

Executive Order No. 34 made the National Housing Program for Filipinos a flagship program and directed national and local government agencies to create an inventory of all available land suitable for housing.

What support did Senator Tolentino propose for the housing program by June 2024?

Senator Tolentino proposed that the government might fund interest support or assistance in paying the interest on housing loans.

Why did Secretary Arsenio Balisacan of NEDA announce in July 2024 that the 6 million housing units target could not be achieved?

Secretary Balisacan stated that the target could not be achieved because the government could not finance all of it due to the interest support under the program, which would deplete government funds allocated for other programs or services such as education and infrastructure.

What was the actual number of homes completed by 2024 according to the original plan?

By 2024, only 100,000 homes had been completed according to the original plan, and the program was at risk of remaining a dream.

What was the estimated number of housing units that could be achieved with the PHP 500 billion allocated for aid?

It was suggested that with the PHP 500 billion allocated for aid, the actual problem might be the lack of initial planning for the 6 million housing units, and the program could remain a dream.