Housing policy lags as 28% of Filipino families are now in extended households

The Philippine government should reform its housing policies as more Filipinos live with extended families — a sign that traditional family structures are shifting, according to the Philippines Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

About 29% of Filipino households are no longer the traditional nuclear type, as more relatives resort to cohabitation to share in housing and other costs, PIDS Supervising Research Specialist Tatum P. Ramos told a recent webinar.

“They have decided to join their relatives in a household to gain support in growing their own family or [to manage] living and housing expenses,” she said, based on a PIDS statement released on Wednesday.

A PIDS paper cited the significant link between wealth and the likelihood of living in extended households.

“An extended family setup offers a resource-sharing opportunity and provides support for working young female adults who may not necessarily have the same amount of time for household management activities as before,” PIDS said.

Rising housing prices, especially in Metro Manila and in key cities, have forced households to share living spaces with relatives, Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said.

“[There’s also the] lack of mass transport or train systems that would allow more Filipinos to live farther from central business districts to nearby provinces where housing is cheaper,” he added.

“The low attainability of housing in the Philippines is resulting in lower household formation with the rise of extended and multi-family arrangements and nonfamily housing arrangements (living alone or living with nonrelatives),” Ms. Ramos and her co-authors Marife M. Ballesteros and Jenica A. Ancheta said in the study.

“Government efforts to address this issue through a market-driven strategy should be reviewed, and housing affordability issues have to be closely examined,” they added.

Housing prices in the Philippines rose 6.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Mary Racelis, who teaches anthropology at the University of the Philippines, said housing policies should go beyond abstract models to address the lived experiences of the bottom 60% of the population — those who are underserved and priced out of formal housing markets.

She cited the need to understand the poor’s economic conditions to help design sustainable and inclusive housing plans.

“We should recognize that the informal settlers are not the problem, they are the solution,” she told the webinar, adding that informal settlers are not mere passive aid recipients.

Despite the wide membership of housing funds like the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), the uptake of government assistance for housing finance remains limited, said Kevin Godoy, chief development specialist at the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.

“Only 4% have government assistance as a financing source… considering that Pag-IBIG had 16 million members in 2024,” he pointed out.

He cited the importance of transport infrastructure, noting that long commutes rather than urban congestion alone are a major barrier to homeownership and household formation.

Mr. Godoy also sought the creation of a national rental housing program.

“We’re the only country in Southeast Asia that does not have a national program on public rental,” he said, noting how local governments have been left to experiment with rental solutions on their own in the absence of a national framework.

The Philippines faces a housing deficit of 6.5 million units, which could rise to 22 million by 2040 if not addressed, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Program.

Source: Business World

Pope Francis' influence on sacred architecture

Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, may not have written an encyclical addressed to architects, but his pontificate leaves an indelible influence on sacred architecture. His words and actions demonstrated a shift from the Pope as monarch to a pastor, concretized by choosing to stay at the modest Casa Santa Marta. There, he said daily Mass at a common chapel and joined ordinary people in the cafeteria for meals. He compared the Roman Catholic Church to a field hospital to underscore its mission to heal the sick, not only physically but, more importantly, spiritually.

Sanctuario De La Salle.

The Manila Times interviewed architects Bong Recio and Carlos Arnaiz about the place of spirituality in their architectural practice. Recio, who was involved in designing the Church of the Gesu at Ateneo de Manila, seeks "spiritual guidance when designing spaces such as places of learning. Unlike commercial projects, these spaces provide the environment that will help shape future lives; thus the importance of relevant design in this case."

Arnaiz, who designed Sanctuario De La Salle in Biñan and who studied philosophy before architecture, felt that "the spaces we build are our reflection of the ideas we have about our world. We try to ground our work every day on questions of how self and community relate to the mysteries of the spirit."

Both architects demonstrate what can be called Pope Francis' architecture of pardon, one of the concrete fruits of the extraordinary Year of Mercy the late pontiff declared in 2016. Not a few churches here and abroad were built following the idea of compassion to communicate openness to everyone. The Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord at Megamall, with a designated space for children, encourages invitation rather than insulation and exclusion.

Church of the Gesù in the ADMU campus.

Other transformations in church buildings that architects and this writer have observed are the following: a greater dominance of the image of Christ, like the enormous cross at the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in Powerplant; the presence of water features, symbolizing the "fountains of divine mercy," like the holy water fountain at the Church of the Gesu; more commodious spaces for the Sacrament of Reconciliation; and as seen at the Sto. Niño de Paz Church in Makati commercial center, improving on the dingy water closet style that was uncomfortable both for the confessor and penitent.

Pope Francis' Laudato Si, his encyclical on the Earth as Common Home, stands to influence construction significantly. According to Recio, "For too long, development, instead of enriching people's lives, seems to have been having the opposite effect. As developers build taller buildings, cities have become more dense, with projects oftentimes promoted as green developments. Sustainable architecture is very much on the rise, but I feel not enough is being done. I am recalling what I just read this morning about 21 reclamation projects in Manila Bay: two ongoing and 12 approved. Where will it end?"

A few weeks before his death, Pope Francis allowed the advancement of the cause of sainthood of Antonio Gaudí, the architect of Barcelona's Sagrada Familia. Arnaiz said of the latter's accomplishments: "The manner in which he harnessed the inventiveness of structural materials, such as steel reinforced concrete. Understanding the hidden geometries that make these materials perform and stimulate, while at the same time being an homage to the natural world. These surround us by creating columns that resemble trees' courtyards that feel like underwater, environments, and windows and doors that remind us of the mouths and eyes of animals."

Calling Gaudí both a saint and a pioneer for architects, Arnaiz said that he has dedicated his practice "to find contemporary translations of this blend of technology and ecology for our 21st century."

Pope Francis has changed the grammar of church architecture to one that conveys God's closeness and clemency, as well as a commitment to love the earth and nature.

Source: Manila Times

What is the Filipino Dream?

With a population of 115 million, what do dreams and progress truly mean beyond traditional metrics like GDP and unemployment for the Philippines, the 13th most populous country on the globe?

Through a comprehensive survey of almost 1,500 individuals coupled with ethnographic research and surveys, we sought to dive deeper into the Filipino spirit and the aspirations that shape it by measuring how close individuals feel to achieving their personal dreams.

By measuring how close individuals feel to achieving their personal dreams, this new report captures the nuances of the human experience—intimately personal yet inherently social, and ever-evolving.

The survey found consensus around not one, but two dreams: achieving financial security to absorb health scares and starting a business.

When we asked participants to rank their top dreams from a choice of 15 propositions, 58% of respondents ranked health security and 56% ranked entrepreneurship in their top four.

Rounding out the list were having a large savings fund at 51% and moving into their dream home at 44%.

Read the full report to join us on this journey of understanding—a voyage into the heart of the Filipino spirit through the aspirations that drive it.

the-filipino-dream.pdf

Download PDF • 11.50MB

Source: BCG