Government fails to attain 6-year housing target

The government has failed to complete its six-year housing target, as only 86 percent has been accomplished during the term of President Duterte.

As of end-2021, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said about 1.08 million house and lot units were produced and financed.

This is roughly 86 percent of the 1.26 million units targeted under the Philippine Development Plan 2016-2022.

Nonetheless, housing chief Eduardo Del Rosario said he is pleased and satisfied with the sector’s achievements under Duterte.

DHSUD’s annual housing production was pegged at 197,886, the highest among previous administrations since 1975.

He is optimistic that the incoming Marcos administration would sustain and boost the current gains.

“We must continuously innovate to ensure that our vision to be a ‘strong institution and catalyst for the provision of adequate and affordable housing, inclusive human settlements and well-planned communities for every Filipino family’ comes to light,” del Rosario said.

DHSUD has assisted 233 local government units in updating and ratifying their comprehensive land use plans and provincial development and physical framework plans.

It also crafted real estate development policies and issued directives to cushion the impact of the pandemic, issued 1,437 licenses to sell and certificates of registration to 36,624 dealers, brokers and salespersons in the last two years.

The DHSUD said it paved the way to further professionalize the housing industry, as well as revised the rules and regulations of the magna carta for homeowners associations nationwide.

Del Rosario said the DHSUD strengthened partnerships with LGUs and private developers through finalization of various agreements, some of which resulted in the construction of evacuation centers to boost the country’s disaster preparedness.

Source: Philstar

Hope for Philippine Livable cities

When it comes to urban planning, the Philippines has a spotty record. While many of its cities were beautifully master-planned generations ago, they have been affected by perennial urban issues such as congestion and traffic, little or no access to mass transit, few open or public and many blighted and derelict neighborhoods.

Despite these problems, there are still some areas with beautifully planned cities. Whether by design or accident, these areas that have become "livable" are thriving, booming and driving growth.

What are livable cities?

As the name suggests, these are cities where people would like to live in because they are convenient and comfortable.

According to Livable Cities Philippines, "Cities are the primary movers of economic growth and innovation. They are hubs of consumption, resource use and waste.

They are also generators of wealth, production and development. However, in this increasingly urban world, today's cities are facing new challenges. They have become the center of society's most pressing economic, social and environmental issues.

They face issues on disaster preparedness, traffic congestion, lack of mobility and logistics options, delivery of public goods and services, and low global competitiveness."

What makes a city livable or be classified as one?

These can be characterized as interconnected ("I can go there easily"), pedestrian-friendly ("I can walk safely and comfortably"), open spaces ("I can go somewhere to relax"), complete mix of uses ("There are a lot of interesting places. I can walk to things I need") and sustainability ("My neighbors take care of the environment").

There should be more public transportation on the road as not everyone can own a car.

These commuter systems must also be safe and efficient. People are encouraged to walk or bike and as such, dedicated lanes must be assigned for them. More open spaces like parks are encouraged to allow for greenery and a place where people can detoxify. Mixed-use spaces that help save space and have everything people need.

Finally, environment-friendly where people practice proper sanitation and respect the environment.

How to get there?

While there are communities that are livable, the challenge now is for existing cities with the above-mentioned problems. Is there hope for these cities?

Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and Makati City are successful examples of livable cities. It is important to have a master plan from the beginning to be able to incorporate all the above-mentioned characteristics.

Whereas BGC was built from the ground up, it was a different case with Makati City since it is already in existence. It has become all about improving something that is there.

Tactical urbanism

For other cities, there is the need for "tactical urbanism" leading to full development. It is a "one-at-a-time" rather than a whole approach system, it is planning by doing and allows flexibility in planning — making adjustments if the original plan does not work.

The first step is to identify what likes to call "pain points" in the community. Some examples of pain points are organized jeepney/bus stops, safe way to cross streets, unsightly places and lack of public spaces to name a few.

When these pain points are identified, appropriate solutions should be made and carried out. In the case of jeepney/bus stops, there must be designated areas with the appropriate signage. There should be designated pedestrian crossings. For unattractive places, artists have been recruited to paint to make places appealing.

The bottom line in creating livable cities is that there is a need to have a "city that works," it has to be designed for people and for it to have a soul. It also underscores that there is hope for existing cities by improving the master plan — identifying the problems and coming up with the right solutions.

Source: Manilla Times

Pandemic drives up costs of PHL socialized housing projects

The pandemic has driven up the production costs of socialized housing while the sector continues to face gaps in affordability and quality, the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA) said.

“The pandemic highlighted the urgency to address persistent vulnerabilities in the housing sector, such as housing affordability and quality gaps, particularly among low-income households,” SHDA President May Rodriguez said.

“But to address these vulnerabilities, the government should first introduce measures to remedy the increasing housing production costs — land, labor, construction materials, and cost of doing business, that the economic crisis has accelerated.”

The wholesale prices of construction materials in Metro Manila hit a nearly three-year high in November before slowing down slightly a month after, when mobility restrictions were relaxed, government data showed.

The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index for the National Capital Region eased to 5.2% year on year in December 2021, compared to 5.4% in November.

Socialized housing will need to be a budget priority for the next government after the current funding emphasis on transportation and public works projects, Institute for Leadership, Empowerment, and Democracy Executive Director Zy-za Nadine Suzara recently said.

She had noted that the average share of housing in the national budget between 2016 and 2022 was about 0.3%, compared to infrastructure projects that account for nearly a quarter.

According to real estate services firm JLL Philippines, the overall residential market saw a slowdown in business activity during the pandemic.

“This was more felt in the socialized to low-end segments where a large number of units were returned to the market, with buyers pulling out from deals as they shift priorities and step away from big ticket purchases,” JLL Philippines Research Manager Karisse Garcia said in an e-mail.

But fewer units were being returned towards the end of last year, indicating a gradual recovery, she added.

As it gears towards recovery, SHDA is working with the government in identifying land that can be used for public housing, Ms. Rodriguez said.

“As the Philippines charts the path towards economic recovery, there is renewed momentum for increased investment in socialized housing,” she said.

“But to sustain this, the government should encourage the participation of the local government units, the private developers, and the communities themselves in conceptualization, identification of sites, and implementation of socialized housing programs.”

JLL’s Ms. Garcia said public-private partnerships could speed up the recovery of the sector.

“This is what was seen in several affordable housing projects launched during the pandemic such as Basecommunity, Tondominium and Binondominium in Manila City, as well as Uswag low-rise residential building in Iloilo, which came into fruition with the partnership of the different LGUs with private developers,” she said.

“Focus on socialized housing will need to be brought up to the national level with key government bodies getting their hands on the initiative.”

Source: BusinessWorld