IDLE Units in a government housing project in Ibaan, Batangas, intended for policemen and soldiers have yet to be occupied when this photo was taken in 2020. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — Pinuno partylist Rep. Ivan Howard Guintu wants the National Housing Authority (NHA) to take back some 18,000 low-cost housing units that remain unoccupied or were abandoned by their owners so these can be awarded to other beneficiaries.
Guintu filed House Resolution No. 838 seeking the support of his peers for his call on the NHA to transfer ownership of unoccupied or abandoned public housing units.
According to Guintu, whose group stands for Pinatatag na Ugnayan para sa mga Oportunidad sa Pabahay ng Masa, he inquired during the 2023 budget hearing of the NHA last year about the status of unoccupied housing units in the country.
He said NHA General Manager Joeben Tai replied that there were about 18,000 units “presently unoccupied.”
“It is imperative that the NHA and other key shelter agencies conduct an inventory of unoccupied and abandoned housing units for the awarding to qualified homeless and informal settler families to prevent wastage of [taxpayer] money,” Guintu said.
Teachers, gov’t workers
The lawmaker said social housing units that were unoccupied or abandoned by their original owners could be awarded to other beneficiaries, such as public school teachers and other government workers.
Guintu stressed that uninhabited houses were prone to damage and deterioration; thus, the housing units should be rehabilitated before these are awarded to new owners.
“Unoccupied housing units deemed suitable for habitation should be immediately awarded to qualified beneficiaries in line with the Marcos administration’s goal of realizing Zero Informal Settlers by 2028,” he said.
The “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino: Zero ISF (Informal Settler Family) 2028” was launched in September last year by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, which aims to build 6 million socialized housing units by the end of the President’s term to address the country’s overall housing need, pegged at 6.7 million in 2021.
Kadamay takeover
In March 2017, the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) occupied about 6,000 social housing units built by the NHA for resettlement communities and government uniformed personnel.
Kadamay led more than 8,000 families in forcibly entering idle houses at six social housing projects in Mapulang Lupa, Masuso, Cacarong Matanda, Cacarong Bata and Siling Bata villages in Bulacan province on March 8, 2017.
This drew the ire of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, but in April 2017, he assured members of the group that he would give them the houses they took over.
Duterte then asked the original beneficiaries to let go of the units. In turn, he promised to build better houses for them.
Senate Joint Resolution No. 2, adopted in 2018, then authorized the NHA to reallocate “unawarded” social housing units meant for uniformed personnel.
In March 2018, Kadamay members submitted their applications for titles for low-cost government houses to the Malacañang Action Center.