The Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) have joined forces to explore new opportunities for socialized housing under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
The two government agencies formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) inked on October 27 in Makati City.
SHFC President and CEO Federico Laxa and PRA General Manager and CEO Engr. Cesar Siador, Jr. signed the MOU, witnessed by SHFC Executive Vice President Atty. Leo Deocampo and PRA Chairperson Atty. Alexander Lopez.
Under the agreement, SHFC will provide technical expertise in assessing potential sites for socialized housing projects identified by PRA. The two agencies will develop a pilot vertical housing project on a PRA property in Metro Manila.
The partnership comes a day after SHFC approved two new vertical housing projects under the Expanded 4PH Program: 1Bataan Alas-Asin Village in Mariveles, Bataan, and People’s Plan Ville in Sta. Mesa, Manila. These developments underscore the agency’s continuing efforts to expand access to decent and affordable housing for Filipino families.
‘These initiatives support President Marcos’ directive to do more for the Filipino people by strengthening inter-agency collaboration, accelerating the delivery of public services, and expanding access to affordable housing,’ Laxa said.
Under Laxa’s leadership, SHFC has strengthened its collaboration with various government agencies to expedite project implementation and bring more benefits to housing beneficiaries. Its partners include the Pag-IBIG Fund, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, Land Registration Authority, MWSS Regulatory Office, and Cooperative Development Authority.
The partnership also aligns with the call of Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling for stronger collaboration among government agencies and other stakeholders to address the country’s housing challenges.
Echoing Laxa’s sentiment, Lopez underscored PRA’s support for the national housing agenda. ‘Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos, the Expanded 4PH Program advances the aspiration of decent and affordable housing to Filipino families. Today, PRA and SHFC take a step closer to achieving that goal through this cooperation,’ he said.
Lopez also expressed hope that the MOU would mark the start of a lasting partnership that will give communities not only access with housing but also with livelihood, education, and other essential services.
SHFC and PRA are scheduled to meet again in the coming weeks to finalize a usufruct agreement for the proposed housing project.
For more information on SHFC projects and application procedures, please visit www.shfc.gov.ph or call (02) 5322-7300.