HOUSING PROJECT. A total of 1,440 housing units at Ciudad de Strike Phase I in Bacoor, Cavite are allotted for informal settler families identified by the local government. Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said the provision of quality assistance is the housing sector's trademark under the Duterte administration. (Photo courtesy of DSHUD) MANILA - Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo del Rosariosaid the provision of quality shelter-related assistance is the housing sector's trademark under the Duterte administration. "We are more than proud to say that under the Duterte administration, we have recorded the highest ever annual production and financing of housing units since 1975. We accomplished all these inspired by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's strong-willed, pro-people leadership, and despite all odds, particularly the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic," del Rosario recently told the Philippine News Agency in an e-mail when asked on the administration's accomplishments. Del Rosario said DHSUD has always been adamant in delivering its promise to provide low-income Filipino families with access to decent, sustainable, resilient, and affordable housing units. "The Department has three main housing principles. First is that shelter is a right while home-ownership is an option. Second is that DHSUD does not just build houses, but also sustainable communities. Lastly, the Department ensures that no substandard housing is built under the Duterte administration," he said. Del Rosario said the DHSUD and its key shelter agencies (KSAs), including the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund), National Housing Authority, Social Housing Finance Corporation, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation, have "religiously" implemented these principles to heed Duterte's directive of prioritizing the underprivileged. For the past five years, Del Rosario said the DHSUD and its key shelter agencies have been putting a premium on establishing safe and resilient housing communities to empower the marginalized beneficiaries with their own houses at low cost. "We want to secure the future of our home dwellers especially the underprivileged and marginalized, eventually upholding their dignity and pride," he added. 5-year accomplishments From July 2016 to December 2021, the DHSUD achieved the highest performance in annual housing production and financing, accomplishing an average of 188,800 housing units per year. DHSUD and its KSAs produced and financed 1,038,577 housing units, built based on quality standards set by the government. Del Rosario said the approval of the 20-year National Housing and Urban Development Sector Plan is also one of the notable accomplishments of the department under the Duterte administration. The roadmap seeks to institutionalize plans and strategies which were crafted in close collaboration with all stakeholders of the housing and private sectors. The DHSUD likewise pushed for urban planning and innovations; entered into other housing program modalities like rental and micro-financing; and continues its assessments of existing policies. With the approval of the Comprehensive Land Use Plans and Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans, del Rosario said various provincial and local government units nationwide can now maximize their operations, "to ensure sustainability and resiliency of human settlement programs". "Through the years, DHSUD gave emphasis on protecting homebuyers by boosting its campaign against real estate scammers and finalizing a number of Joint Memorandum Circulars with other government agencies aimed at running after dubious personalities and organizations involved in such illegal activities," he added. Measures were launched to maximize the potential of more than 25,000 registered homeowners' associations to contribute to nation-building, he said. No letup Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, del Rosario said the DHSUD upholds its mandate and has finalized 20 agreements with local government units for programs benefitting more than 6,000 families. Even the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) sector was not left behind in the provision of quality housing units under the current administration. Some 600 IP families belonging to the Dumagat tribe in Dingalan, Aurora, and Gabaldon Nueva Ecija, as well as the Higaonon tribe in Misamis Oriental, have been relocated to safer and more decent housing units. "We have a long road ahead of us. Our tasks and responsibilities are never-ending. But as long as we keep moving forward and try to hurdle each of these challenges even if we encounter setbacks, we'll still deliver outstanding results with heads held high and proud to be of service to our people," he added. (PNA) }