JV Ejercito pushes faster delivery of socialized housing for Filipino families
August 04, 2026
To help more Filipino families own a decent home, Senate Senior Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito on Tuesday is backing a bill that will make it easier for the government to identify and use suitable land for socialized housing projects.
Co-sponsoring Senate Bill No. 1992 under Committee Report No. 54, which amends Republic Act No. 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act, Ejercito emphasized that the country's housing problem cannot be solved without addressing the persistent shortage of available land for socialized housing.
“Mapapansin po natin ang nagtataasang condominium developments, ngunit hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin po sapat ang housing security para sa mga ordinaryong Pilipino. Mungkahi po natin na kasabay ng pagdami ng condominium units at commercial establishments dito sa bansa, ay umaangat din ang bilang at accessibility ng socialized housing units,” Ejercito said in his co-sponsorship speech.
“Para sa ating underprivileged sectors, kailangan natin ng angkop na lokasyon at mabilis, kalidad, at maaasahang housing production, upang maging abot-kamay sa mga Pilipino ang marangal na bahay at pamumuhay,” he added.
The proposed measure requires local government units to regularly inventory lands within their jurisdictions and identify areas suitable for socialized housing in coordination with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), the National Housing Authority, NAMRIA, and the Land Management Bureau. It also requires that identified housing sites be integrated into the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of LGUs.
The lawmaker from San Juan noted that while the DHSUD had already inventoried more than 30,000 hectares of government land, only a fraction could actually be developed for housing.
"Due to legal and land-use restrictions, only about 30 percent is potentially suitable for housing. Hanggang ngayon, matapos ang higit isang dekada, ang kakulangan ng available na lupa ay nananatiling dahilan ng delays at pagbagal ng ating socialized housing production lalo na sa Metro Manila."
Ejercito was the principal author and sponsor of the creation of DHSUD, the government's primary agency tasked to formulate and implement policies and programs on housing, human settlements, and urban development.
He said SBN 1992 seeks to establish a more comprehensive and practical system for identifying lands that can immediately be utilized for government housing programs.
"This measure does not solely focus on building houses, but rather prioritizes that socialized housing sites are suitable for residential development and are safe from natural hazards and disaster risks,” he added.
The bill likewise ensures that housing sites are selected based not only on land availability but also on their suitability for residential development, accessibility to basic services and employment opportunities, and safety from natural hazards and disaster risks.
“Nais ko pong bigyang-diin na ang maunlad na bayan ay nagsisimula sa disente, ligtas, at makataong tahanan,” he emphasized.
He also urged concerned government agencies to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing projects to Filipino families.
“Ipagpatuloy po sana natin pagtibayin at pabilisin ang production ng socialized housing units para maibigay natin, bilang mga lingkod-bayan, ang pangangailangan ng ating mamamayan.”
