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JV Ejercito tells DHSUD: Wala nang dapat maging iskwater sa sariling bayan

November 10, 2022

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Thursday said the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) should work double time to eradicate homelessness in the Philippines.

Ejercito, who principally sponsored the law on the creation of the DHSUD during his first term in the Senate, reiterated the need for the national government to address the country’s growing housing backlogs. 

“There is a tall order: six million ang backlog natin, if I’m not mistaken. At the time we were drafting this measure, it was only two million. Ang bilis. Exponential. We really have to think out of the box,” he said.

“Sa akin po, ang target natin, the success of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, our aim: dapat wala nang tawaging squatter sa sariling bayan,” he added.

The lawmaker from San Juan lamented the measly funding that the country’s housing program has been receiving in recent years.

“Every year, the housing program receives one of the lowest sa budget natin. We’re hoping na in next year’s budget, under the new administration, since housing will be one of the priority programs of the administration, we can hopefully increase (this),” he said.

Ejercito said the country’s housing program should adopt township development as its framework, arguing that basic social services and different sources of livelihood should be within the reach of existing and future housing projects.

“Through the years, we have seen yung vicious cycle na tinatapon sa malayo, malayo sa kabihasnan, malayo sa educational facilities. So, ang nangyayari, iniiwan din, magsqusquat muli. We have to think of township development. [...] It should be complete, with access to healthcare, education, transport hubs, and livelihood,” he said.

Earlier today, the Senate approved the DHSUD’s proposed budget amounting to P3.9 billion. 

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