THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is continuously expanding the government’s reach towards providing decent yet affordable housing to all Filipinos with the recent groundbreaking of shelter projects in the two Cotabato provinces.

DHSUD Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario first led the groundbreaking of the Koronadal Cityville Resettlement Project in Barangay New Pangasinan, Koronadal City, South Cotabato on October 21, 2021.

The project is a joint undertaking with the National Housing Authority and Koronadal City LGU.

The following day, the housing czar graced the official rollout of the M’lang Resettlement Project Phase 1. Both projects, Memorandums of Agreement for which were finalized earlier this year, are expected to benefit informal settlers and government employees.

Del Rosario then headed to Carmen, North Cotabato, for the ceremonial turnover of Certificates of Entitlement and Lot Allocation (CELA) for the 602nd Brigade Housing Project located at Camp Robert Edward Lucero in Carmen.

The housing scheme is set to benefit active and retired military personnel. Under the project, socialized housing units are slated to rise on the 182 lots by next year.

Joining Secretary Del Rosario at the key events were DHSUD Undersecretary Marylin Pintor, Assistant Secretary Melissa Aradanas, former Assistant Secretary Leira Buan and DHSUD Regional Office 12 Director Jennifer Bretaña.

The activities were in line with the culmination of DHSUD-RO 12’s first-ever SOCCSKSARGEN Housing and Human Settlements Summit in observance of this year’s National Shelter Month.

Some local government officials and representatives from the NHA, Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) and National Mortgage Finance Corporation were likewise in attendance.

In one of his messages, Secretary Del Rosario reiterated DHSUD’s guiding principle that shelter is a right of every Filipino family.

“Just imagine, kung kayo po ay walang sariling bahay ngayon, saan kayo magkakaroon ng sinasabing comfort of one’s home? So it must be a right, kahit mahirap, kailangang magkaroon ng sariling pamamahay ang lahat ng Pilipino,” Secretary Del Rosario said, adding it is DHSUD’s mandate to capacitate Filipino families, especially the underprivileged, to have access to decent, safe, resilient and more affordable homes.

More importantly, the housing czar stressed that there will be no sub-standard housing project that will be constructed under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

“Wala po tayong maririnig na ang NHA o SHFC o Pag-IBIG Fund ay nagpondo o nagpagawa ng housing project or units na masasabi nating sub-standard. Lahat po ng mga housing units na pinapagawa ng Department through our key shelter agencies are within the standard set forth by government. That is our mandate and commitment,” Secretary Del Rosario added.

Aside from rolling out the housing projects, Secretary Del Rosario likewise visited the DHSUD Regional Office 12 to boost the morale and spend time with the regional staff.

The housing czar conducts regular stops to the Department’s regional offices to interact with the staff and listen to their concerns and suggestions on how to better improve DHSUD’s delivery of public service.