Satisfying journey
Establishing an institution that comes with great expectations is no easy feat, particularly during a precarious time when the whole world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge is multiplied a hundredfold.
Three years and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) thrived. In fact, we are standing strong in the service of Filipino families wanting to have a house of their own—decent and affordable homes in safe, sustainable and resilient communities.
As the first secretary who ushered in DHSUD to where it is now, I am proud of the kind of culture we have embedded in the agency, and the legacy we are leaving for the next set of leaders.
Solid performance
The figures we shared on the country’s housing production and finance can be considered the most concrete evidence of our solid performance in the recent years. Financing and producing 1.088 million housing units, which feature basic dwelling needs through our key shelter agencies, I can confidently say that we did our job well.
We were able to achieve as well our institutional targets based on key result areas on public housing and settlements, environmental and land use planning, housing and real estate development regulation, homeowners’ associations and community development.
We have also continuously assisted local government units in securing their Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) and Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans (PDPFP) to ensure efficient use of land resources in their respective localities. Since 2020, we have ratified 13 CLUPs of highly urbanized and independent component cities and 12 PDPFP of provinces nationwide.
On real estate regulations, we have issued 2,279 Licenses to Sell, which potentially equates to building about 1.56 million housing units. To promote professionalization in the sector, we have meanwhile registered 35,634 dealers, brokers and salespersons. Our community development initiatives remain robust, too, as we monitor and assist 25,621 registered homeowners’ associations nationwide.
All these can be considered outstanding milestones. However, the sustainability of our successes is always at the focal of our priorities as we transition from one administration to another.
As a proactive measure, we strengthened the institutionalization of relevant policies in the housing and urban development sector. For this administration, we have crafted and implemented a total of 42 policy issuances that cater to the requirements of our various stakeholders from the national down the local level. Anchored on the 2040 National Housing and Urban Development Sector Plan, our past and current directives, given their established relevance, will hopefully transcend through leaderships.
Foundation
Putting premium on organizational development is a given to any start-up institution.
With DHSUD at the helm of streamlining management and operational systems and processes, I am extremely grateful to the culture of excellence nurtured in the agency, along with the grit and determination exhibited among our workforce.
We have learned to synchronize not only our functions but, more importantly, our mission for the country. For DHSUD, our collaborative spirit is key to bringing us to greater heights, sometimes even way beyond our expectations. It enables us to deliver programs and services with quality, dignity and pride.
With that, I would like to express my utmost gratitude and appreciation to the men and women of DHSUD, as well as our key shelter agencies, who have conscientiously taken the challenge of serving the people alongside government. We know this is not a walk in the park, yet you all remain steadfast in working toward our vision, especially for the underprivileged.
Cheers to three years of strong commitment and dedication built under the visionary foundation of providing decent shelters in well-planned communities for every Filipino family!
