In observance of the National Shelter Month

Stakeholders in the housing industry gathered virtually to be part of our month-long activities celebrating the National Shelter Month, by virtue of Proclamation No. 662 signed in 1995.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and all our 16 regional offices opened the National Shelter Month last Oct. 1 with our stakeholders as well as top officials from four major developer groups, namely the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association Inc. (SHDA), Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), the National Real Estate Association Inc. (NREA), and the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association Inc. (Creba).

Of course, we also received overwhelming support from our key shelter and attached agencies—the National Housing Authority (NHA), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund), Socialized Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC), National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC), and Human Settlements Adjudication Commission.

We are taking this occasion to renew our commitment in providing Filipinos, especially the underprivileged, access to decent yet affordable, safe and resilient housing units and communities. I am particularly elated over the active participation of our stakeholders, including local and international non-government organizations.

Advocacy

Since assuming this post, it has been my personal advocacy to openly engage with all stakeholders, particularly the private developers whose contribution to the housing production in our country is truly indispensable. Admittedly, the government alone cannot address all the shelter concerns without the support and commitment of the private sector.

Fortunately, we were able to encourage private developers to actively participate in our efforts to shape the future of the housing sector as evident in their involvement in crafting the 20-year National Housing and Urban Development Sector Plan.

This year’s theme, “Ligtas at Matatag na Tahanan at Pamayanan, Kanlungan sa Gitna ng Pandemya at Nagbabagong Panahon” (“Safe and Resilient Shelter in the Time of Pandemic and Changing Climate”), articulates the housing sector’s common goal of providing sustainable housing communities.

As the country’s primary agency for the management of housing and urban development, the DHSUD takes the lead in this month-long celebration, mainly focusing on further improving the vibrancy of the industry.

Jampacked with activities

So far, the first three weeks of October were packed with various activities virtually participated by thousands of our kababayans. In close collaboration with our regional offices, partner-developers and KSAs, we conducted webinars and training programs to guide both homebuyers and sales agents.

We also witnessed signings of memorandums of agreement, as well as groundbreaking and turnover events across the country where resilient and sustainable shelters and communities will soon rise.

Workshops by the DHSUD’s regional offices are taking place to better assist local government units in creating their respective Comprehensive Land Use Plans and Local Shelter Plans to better cope during these trying times.

To address more issues related to housing, our regular “Kapihan sa DHSUD” talk show, which airs via Zoom and Facebook Live, went weekly this month instead of just twice a month. Our regional offices, using local dialects, also launched their own “Kapihan” to expand stakeholder engagements. To keep you posted of all our activities, please regularly check our Facebook page DHSUDGOVPH.

In closing, I would like to stress that the National Shelter Month is not merely a month-long celebration of the accomplishments we have achieved so far but a testament to our full commitment of providing decent, sustainable and resilient housing communities to upgrade the living condition of low-income families and elevate the dignity of our people.

Happy Shelter Month, mga ka-BALAI!