Filipinos must have somewhere to live

[Lee]

After Yolanda perhaps thousands units of housing were built north of Tacloban and no one would move into them.

A huge majority of them remain vacant to this day and have never been occupied.

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As I said in previous columns in this series — water, without it, you die within days; food, you can only last a few weeks without it; a home, you need protection from the elements; education, necessary to get a job to pay for that food and water, and have somewhere to live. Everything else you can manage without. Clothes? You can go naked, although I wouldn't suggest it. A spoon and fork for the food? Fingers work just fine. Electricity? Man lived for 200,000 years without it. And so on. Maybe a cell phone should be added to the list of essentials. It's glued to a baby's hand now. So wouldn't you think those five absolutes would be the ones governments would ensure we all, in our case 114 million Filipinos, had? Well, you'd be wrong. Government after government after government has promised to supply them. Government after government after government hasn't.

Based on the numbers I can find, 11 million Filipinos don't have ready access to clean, drinkable water; 3 million Filipino families go hungry every day; 19 million preteens are malnourished; we are at the bottom of international measurements of education of our kids; 4.5 million don't have a house to live in, or live in structures I wouldn't keep our dogs in.

In providing these, all Philippine governments have failed. Something this government might want to keep in mind. And keep in mind that promises, plans, and studies aren't actions. In the almost half-century I've been here, I've seen failed promise after failed promise.

What I'd like to see is news that this has been done, and this has been done, and this, too. Not "I promise that this will be done, and I promise this will too, and this." Yet it's promises I read about in far greater numbers. And we have grandiose plans to do ever so many things, plans filed away somewhere. Results are what defines a leader, not promises or plans.

I've talked about water, food, health, and education. So today, what I'd like to talk about is giving every family a home. A decent one, not a hovel.

In 2019, President Duterte signed a law (RA11201) creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD). In March 2021, the House committee on housing and development adopted a resolution declaring a housing crisis in the Philippines. I don't need to tell you, do I, that recognition and law haven't led to action and results. There's been only a marginal increase in the number of houses the government and the private sector have erected for the poor.

It has been projected that some 7 million housing units are needed now, while 22 million will be by 2040 if nothing is done. In four years — 2016 to 2020 — only 800,000 units were built. That's 200,000 a year. Or, at this rate, 35 years to give just those 7 million a home.

In the cities, high-density, high-rise housing should be built while rural folk need a solid house too, not flimsy shanties blown away in even a slight typhoon — of which we have plenty. The bulk of them should be funded by the government. There is no exact budget for housing but the DHSUD received only P3.9 billion this year for all its expenses, way below the requested P95.98 billion, and well under the P7.6 billion provided last year. They have a goal to build one million houses per year for the poor. But a budget of P3.9 billion if it were to all be spent on building houses (which it isn't) would equate to P3,900 to build a house. You can't even buy a kitchen sink with that. The P95.98 billion requested was supposed to pay for those one million houses. Even that is nowhere near enough, so where will the funds come from?

A radical rethink is necessary. Entreating governments of other countries to pitch in might be possible, but I suspect not too high on their list for assistance. What's needed is that the private sector must be brought in. But they'll need incentives to confirm their interest. President Marcos and the secretaries of the DHSUD and DoF should sit down with the major housing players to find out what those incentives should be. And err on the side of providing them. Regardless of cost, it will be less than if the government did it itself. One obvious, no-cost incentive is to make it fast and easy to get approval to build a house. As it now stands, approval for a socialized housing project can take two to four years! Approval needs 78 permits, 148 signatures, and 373 documents from 27 offices. The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has stepped in and created the National Effort for Harmonization of Efficient Measures of Inter-Related Agencies (Nehemia); its target is to reduce the processing time by 50 percent initially. But to get it down to the mandated 3/7/20 days eventually (three days for simple structures, seven days for houses, and 20 days for high rise) Marcos might want to step in, and accelerate that. The government already does provide some tax incentives and subsidies to encourage private sector participation. But the interest rate for the PPP loan program offered by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) is currently set at 6 percent per year. Hardly any better than the current market rate for commercial loans, which is around 7 percent per year. The exact interest rate depends on a number of factors, including the creditworthiness of the borrower, the risk of the project, and the availability of funds. The government could step in and guarantee loans.

But, as we're not seeing a rush to take these up it would seem pretty clear they need adjustment. What could also be hindering private sector interest is the lack of suitable land and access to it. Here the government can provide government-owned land, and assist with negotiating with landowners for private land. Marcos has recognized this by releasing EO 34 which directs the DHSUD to identify government idle land in coordination with local governments that could be used for public housing. And to submit a list within 60 days. That's a start, but as we well know, recognition is a long way from accomplishment. It must also provide the necessary roads, water supply, sanitation and electricity developers will have to have. A collaborative, action-oriented program is needed.

Marcos has suggested reviving the Bliss project of his father. The Bliss project (Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services) spearheaded the construction of mid-rise housing units, particularly in urban areas in the 1980s. It was intended to provide the shelter needs of low-income families, free up space, and resolve the population congestion problems of urban communities. There were allegations of corruption, favoritism and mismanagement in the implementation of the program. Additionally, after the Marcos regime was overthrown in 1986, subsequent governments faced challenges in maintaining and sustaining the Bliss housing projects. Some projects suffered from inadequate infrastructure, lack of basic services and insufficient maintenance, leading to a decline in their overall condition.

I'd need some convincing to not believe these failures wouldn't be repeated. If President Marcos is serious about uplifting all Filipinos to a decent level of living he will give urgent, sole attention to these five essentials I've identified in this series. Give those five the same priority in Congress he gave to the Maharlika Investment Fund. And fund them ahead of less important needs. The P100 billion the Landbank and DBP are required to provide the MIF could, I'm sure, if invested in these five, bring greater gain to the overall health of the country. There's a housing crisis. Crisis solutions are needed.

 

 

Filipinos must have somewhere to live (msn.com)

[Freebie]

Drove through Biliran a few years back and there had been hundreds of very small identical houses built side by side.. totally empty. Who built and why.. caretaker said they had been empty for a while.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1092660

 

This could have been one of them. Total waste of govt money.

[Lee]

Not sure why its the governments job to provide housing in the first place.

[JJReyes]

As the real estate mantra goes, "Location, Location, Location."  The land is purchased from some big shot at an exorbitant price and construction completed without the needed infrastructure like roads, bridges, water connections, cellular towers, electricity, and proximity to where the displaced families work.  No shopping center, wet markets, grocery stores nearby.  Even if low cost or free, there is no incentive for the homeless to move in.  

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by JJReyes

[manofthecoldland]

20 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

As the real estate mantra goes, "Location, Location, Location."  The land is purchased from some big shot at an exorbitant price and construction completed without the needed infrastructure like roads, bridges, water connections, cellular towers, electricity, and proximity to where the displaced families work.  No shopping center, wet markets, grocery stores nearby.  Even if low cost or free, there is no incentive for the homeless to move in.  

 

 

You have it right, JJ.

   Speaking from a first hand, experienced situation. 

My wife now spends time, during my absence during the arctic summer, shuttling back and forth from our home in a coastal provincial capital to an eastern fishing fishing village in an adjoining province that takes the first hit from typhoons that reach us. The typhoon of 2019 hit it hard, and her co-madre's family shack was flattened. They applied for and received housing in one of the outskirt typhoon housing projects. Simple row houses. Bare bones. block walls, steel roof, drainage plumbing and paved streets. Power poles. Still no water lines.

One big, empty concrete room, but they do have wooden doors and two jalousie windows on front and back. Up to you to put in the wiring system and pay to have it hooked up. If you want water, you either go to the current well house near the subdivision entrance with your containers, or pay someone with a tricycle to bring you your water, at their haulage fee, of course. Or you can buy from a water truck at 5 Pisos/gal. to do your dishes, laundry ,showers, etc.  If you don't have a motorbike or trike, you pay P50 each way to get to a bigger food market or the town. Or you can find a smaller stall outside the subdiv. on the main highway if you want to walk for 20 min.

I think all of the houses are assigned to owners,  but only half are occupied. Its too expensive and cumbersome for many of the poor to live there.

[Possum]

The housing for the poor is in my experience a way for local officials to make money and MAYBE keep the peace therefore stay in power. Close to us are government sponsored developments mostly built by relatives of the mayor and ice mayor. They are like "rent to own" but many cannot afford the rent payments and many units are given to children or cronies of the local officialdom. Most of them don't bother with the payments nor do they live in them, rather they rent them. The underlying   reason for providing housing for the unhoused is survival and profit.. If the politicians do nothing they may be faced with another revolution since the difference between the haves and have-nots is so great. [The have-nots are well aware the politicians are corrupt and get wealthy] If you can make a profit while keeping the peace, secure your reelection thus assuring yourself of greater riches why not? A city employee told me the local mayor even insisted city employees sign a contract to buy one of these rent to to own houses in a development he had built, or they could lose their job.

The unused housing built after the typhoon is a good example of corruption but nothing will be done. Journalists don't dare expose corruption in the Philippines and the politicians are in on it. All Filipinos know this.

Edited August 4, 2023 by Possum

[Dave Hounddriver]

10 hours ago, Lee said:

what I'd like to talk about is giving every family a home. A decent one, not a hovel.

We tried that with Indigenous reserves in Canada but many of the people don't want to live there.  They would rather act homeless in the closest city.  So if Philippine politicians can get that done there are a lot of countries who would follow them.

[Joey G]

12 hours ago, Lee said:

After Yolanda perhaps thousands units of housing were built north of Tacloban and no one would move into them.

A huge majority of them remain vacant to this day and have never been occupied.

The wife's hometown in Eastern Samar has  a few dozen.... I was able to visit them myself.... lined up like row houses in any city USA... they were SMALL and made of cinderblock and stucco...  zero shade.... few windows...  hot as hell... and no trees round... I can't imagine who would want to live like that... and no one does in her hometown!!!

[manofthecoldland]

57 minutes ago, Joey G said:

The wife's hometown in Eastern Samar has  a few dozen.... I was able to visit them myself.... lined up like row houses in any city USA... they were SMALL and made of cinderblock and stucco...  zero shade.... few windows...  hot as hell... and no trees round... I can't imagine who would want to live like that... and no one does in her hometown!!!

Given the right set of circumstances,  some people DO chose to live in them. But it does have its problems, as mentioned in earlier postings.

In our situation, our co-madre family with trike owner-driver, having wife and 3 children, moved into one of their own after first living in one belonging to a friend, since they had it rough where they were. They put up partition walls so that the mother and father had a private bedroom space. As you can see if you check out the above article link's photo, there is a 1 meter 'front yard' space (LOL), that many people put a bamboo fence in front of despite the tiny space. Don't ask me why. Maybe for added security or to make it their traditional thing.

Outside the  back door is a small area for laundry and cooking, with a tiny CR on one side. Unfortunately, the water lines are slow to arrive, so you have to bring in water for your needs, until the water system arrives.

Some people will try to manage, but for many, its unlivable without piped in water.  Electricity is available, and necessary, since they are small ovens, and with only two windows aside the front and rear entry doors, you need to have fans to cool the place which is difficult in the midday heat. Many living there, sit outside during that time.

Fortunately our co-family's subdivision houses are on a hillside overlooking the fishing port, so there is some breeze. Without their own trike transportation, it would not be  economically habitable. Our co-family father makes extra money hauling water jugs in his trike for others from the subd. well-house, but my wife sometimes buys them water from a delivery tank truck for laundry/showers, etc. when visiting.

 

[Mike J]

Historically in the US government built housing has almost always turned into slums at best, crime ridden lawless ghettos at worst.  What has been largely successful is Habitat for Humanity.   In this program the family to receive the home is required to put in X number of hours of "sweat equity" as the house is being built.  The new owners are also required to repay the loan under very favorable terms.  If memory serves me correctly they are not allowed to resell the home unless they have lived there for five years.  The houses are never "clumped together" but built into existing neighborhoods on vacant lots.   Much of the labor is voluntary, funds are provided by churches and other non-profits, and businesses will donate surplus or overstock materials.  The government is not involved, other than building permits.   Maybe that is why it seems to work?