Cebu City Establishes Task Force to Tackle Housing Challenges Under 4PH Program

CEBU CITY – The local government of Cebu City is set to establish a task force aimed at addressing the housing backlog in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s national housing agenda, as outlined in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).

According to Philippines News Agency, the city will soon issue an executive order to create “Task Force Pabahay,” which will focus on implementing housing initiatives locally. Garcia announced the plan on Wednesday, detailing that the task force’s creation follows discussions with key national housing agencies. “We attended a meeting with the DHSUD (Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development) and Pag-IBIG to seek their inputs on how we can proceed with our housing project, in consonance with President Marcos’ agenda,” he told the Philippine News Agency.

The new task force will oversee the implementation of the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program in selected areas, including Barangays Binaliw and Pulangbato, the Budlaan Valley Resettlement Area, and the Camp Marina Resettlement Area. The 4PH initiative is part of the Marcos administration’s efforts to provide socialized housing with quality amenities at affordable prices for Filipinos.

In preparation for this undertaking, Garcia discussed strategic plans with DHSUD officer-in-charge Lyndon Juntilla, Pag-IBIG representative Miriam Lloren, and Ronald Anthony Librando, head of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor. Additionally, the Department of Engineering and Public Works, the Land Management Office, and the City Planning and Development Office are collaborating on this project.

One key focus for the city will be addressing the relocation of informal settlers. “The city will address issues, especially on informal settlers who could be billeted in the transitional housing units,” Garcia said. To support these efforts, Cebu City has allocated PHP600 million for the construction of transitional housing units, targeting informal settler families previously evicted from riverbanks and those affected by property reclamation projects.