Raphael Reyes/Rappler
With so many controversial political and urgent economic and social issues that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has to speak about in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), it is somewhat surprising that housing made the list.
“Abot-kayang pabahay” (affordable housing) under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program, he said, is among the investments that Filipino workers can make for their retirement, thanks to the “social protection floor” policy of the administration. The private sector and local governments were mentioned as partners in filling the housing shortage, which he claimed has shrunk by more than 100,000 units in the past year alone.
Building that many units is one thing; ensuring these reach the urban poor is another. Most government housing projects under the 4PH Program are located outside the city, making them ideal for buyers who can afford to commute or have cars to drive into the city. These include formally employed Pag-IBIG members and families of OFWs with enough income to invest in a unit. President Marcos did suggest this in his speech.
This is not to say that they are without legitimate housing needs. Many of them may currently be living in informal settlements. The problem lies in claiming that the government flagship housing program serves the poor and vulnerable — those facing eviction and demolition threats, making do with substandard housing without basic sanitation and legal utilities, and struggling to make ends meet with their meager wages.
