DHSUD PRESS RELEASE | The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the University of the Philippines (UP) on Monday marked another milestone in the construction of the UP-Los Banos 4PH Rental Housing Project with the concrete pouring ceremony right at the project site in Barangay Paciano Rizal, Bay, Laguna.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, together with Senior Undersecretary Eduardo Robles Jr., UP President Angelo Jimenez, UP-Los Baños Chancellor Dr. Jose V. Camacho Jr., led the ceremony, signalling the start of full blast construction and bringing to fruition affordable rental housing for UPLB constituents closer to completion.
DHSUD and the UPLB broke ground for the project last March 6–ending 45 years of wait for a government housing at the UPLB. The last housing project at the UPLB was implemented under the administration of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
The housing project forms part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s flagship Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, which seeks to address the country’s housing needs by making decent, safe, and affordable shelter more accessible to Filipino families.
The concrete pouring signals the start of full-blast construction of the housing project–one of the pilot rental projects under the Expanded 4PH Program.
The UPLB-Expanded 4PH Rental Housing Project will provide initially 320 housing units for qualified beneficiaries, including low-income employees and students of UPLB, as well as informal settler families within the university’s surrounding communities.
“Layunin natin sa Expanded 4PH ang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan para sa disente, ligtas, at abot-kayang pabahay. Ang concrete pouring na ito ay hakbang papalapit sa pagbibigay ng mas maayos at mas may dignidad na pamumuhay sa ating mga benepisyaryo,” Secretary Aliling said.
The project was developed through the collaboration of the DHSUD and UP to help address the housing needs of UPLB’s constituents while supporting the university’s efforts to provide a more secure and dignified living environment within and around its campus.
With construction now ongoing, Secretary Aliling reaffirmed the DHSUD’s commitment to supporting the housing initiatives of UP through the Expanded 4PH Program.
“Malinaw po ang direktiba ng ating Pangulo—ilapit natin ang serbisyo ng gobyerno sa ating mga kababayan. Patuloy ang DHSUD sa pagpapalawak ng programa sa pamamagitan ng mga dagdag na modalities at policy reforms upang ating masolusyonan ng wasto ang pangangailangan sa pabahay,” Secretary Aliling said.
For their part, Jimenez and Camacho noted how expeditious the UPLB housing project came into fruition with the close collaboration between DHSUD and the UP management.
“Ilang buwan lang since nag usap tayo last December at nag ground breaking last March, now concrete pouring na tayo. This is a concrete manifest na ginagawa natin ang sinasabi natin,” Jimenez said.
“Ito po ang pinakamabilis na project sa buhay ko… napakabilis po ng mga pangyayari,” Camacho said.
Jimenez also stressed the UP management will continue to pursue housing projects for the “lowest paid UP employees.”
“This will serve as proof of concept,” Jimenez said.
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