This month marks the seventh anniversary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), created through Republic Act No. 11201 in 2019. It is a milestone worth noting, not only for the institution itself but for the millions of Filipinos whose hopes for decent, sustainable housing rest on its mandate.
RA 11201 consolidated the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board into one central agency. The law gave DHSUD the authority to plan, regulate, and coordinate housing and urban development nationwide. It was a decisive step toward streamlining policies and ensuring that every Filipino family has access to safe, resilient, and affordable homes.
Under the leadership of Secretary Jose Ramon “Ping” Aliling, DHSUD has set forth an 8-point agenda to strengthen its flagship Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH), expand guidelines for horizontal developments, deepen partnerships with local governments and the private sector, and integrate sustainability and resilience into housing projects. It also emphasizes transparency, regulatory efficiency, and community development. These are principles that resonate strongly with the values we uphold at Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC).
The Marcos administration has set an ambitious target: one million housing units per year until 2028, or six million units in total. This is a bold response to the country’s housing backlog, and while the pace of delivery has faced challenges, the effort reflects a national commitment to shelter as a basic right. Condominium construction, alongside subdivision housing, is counted toward this goal, underscoring the importance of vertical solutions in dense urban centers.
As a developer, I congratulate DHSUD on its anniversary and affirm our support for its mission. At IDC, we believe that sustainability is not a luxury but a necessity. Affordable housing must be designed with resilience, energy efficiency, and environmental consciousness at its core. This is the philosophy behind our projects, from Primavera City in Cagayan de Oro to Miramonti Green Residences in Batangas.
We have recently celebrated the company’s 17th year as we expand operations in emerging locations such as Palawan and Bataan, because we see growth not only in numbers but in communities. Projects like Parco Italia in Gusa, CDO, with its planned 1,600 units, and our Verona series under IDC Homes for economic housing, are concrete steps toward supporting the national housing agenda. Each development is a contribution to the larger goal of providing homes that are both attainable and sustainable.
Housing is more than shelter. It is the foundation of community, livelihood, and dignity. By aligning our projects with DHSUD’s regulatory framework and the administration’s targets, we aim to be part of the solution. We see our role as complementary: the private sector working hand in hand with government to close the housing gap.
The challenge is immense, but so is the opportunity. Every unit built is a family given a chance to live securely, every project completed is a community strengthened. This is the spirit of RA 11201, and it is the spirit we carry forward in our work.
On their anniversary, we celebrate DHSUD’s journey and recommit ourselves to the shared vision of a Philippines where housing is not a privilege but a right. Italpinas stands ready to continue building, innovating, and supporting the national effort, one sustainable community at a time.
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