A total of 45 town development projects under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) nationwide are in different stages of construction, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said Tuesday.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said the 4PH program aims to address the housing project backlog in the country which is affected by access to funds and affordability.

“Kulang po ang pondo ng gobyerno para sa pabahay kaya po sa 4PH. private funds po ang ating tina-tap para mag-construct. Para mapababa ang presyo ng bahay, humingi tayo ng interes actually sa gobyerno (The government lacks housing funds, so with 4PH, we’re tapping private funds for construction. To lower housing cost, we request the interest actually from the government),” he added.

Acuzar noted that about 145,000 housing units are currently under construction with the use of private funds.

The DHSUD have also signed 200 memoranda of understanding with local government units, including the first 4PH staging area in Pasay City.

The staging area is for informal settler families who will need to be relocated during the construction of the project until the permanent housing units are turned over to qualified beneficiaries.

It is strategically located near the airport and about two kilometers from the informal settlement, and it will be transformed into a township development equipped with amenities like open park, playground, basketball court, swimming pool and daycare centers.

Acuzar said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wants the informal settler families not go out or leave their current living spaces through the in-city township development projects.

“Kasi iyon po ang unang-unang bilin po ng ating mahal na Pangulo na siguraduhin na ang paglalagyan natin ng mga mahihirap ay mayroon silang trabaho at malapit sa kanilang pag-aaralan iyong mga anak. Kaya po, kami po ay in-city and development (That’s the first directive of our beloved President to ensure that the poor people will have jobs and will live near the schools of their children. That’s why we are in-city and development),” he said.

He added this is the primary reason why results of development projects may take time to materialize.

Nonetheless, the DHSUD would be able to deliver the housing projects in two years, he added. (PNA)