President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s flagship Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program continues to make homeownership more accessible to Filipino families through low interest rates and a wider range of housing options.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the Expanded 4PH goes beyond traditional housing approaches by ensuring that beneficiaries are matched with programs suited to their financial capacity—whether through homeownership, rental housing, or incremental development.
“Malinaw po ang direktiba ng ating Pangulong Marcos Jr.-dapat abot-kaya ang pabahay para sa bawat Pilipino. Kaya pinalawak natin ang 4PH hindi lamang sa dami ng proyekto kundi sa mga opsyon na maaaring pagpilian ng ating mga kababayan (The directive of our President Marcos Jr. is clear — housing must be affordable for every Filipino. That is why we have expanded 4PH not only in the number of projects but also in the options that our countrymen can choose from),” Aliling said in a news release Sunday.
“Lahat po ng sektor ay nais abutin ng Expanded 4PH, mula sa ating mga working class hanggang sa mga nasa informal sectors (Expanded 4PH aims to reach all sectors, from our working classes to those in the informal sectors).”
Under the Expanded 4PH, qualified beneficiaries, particularly the working class, may avail of socialized housing through the Pag-IBIG Fund at a subsidized interest rate of as low as 3 percent per annum for up to 10 years — the lowest in the market today.
This translates to significantly reduced monthly amortizations. Currently, more than 10,000 families have already availed of the said interest rate.
“Sa pamamagitan ng mababang interest rate, mas napapagaan natin ang buwanang hulog ng ating mga beneficiaries. Ito ang konkretong hakbang upang gawing posible ang pangarap na sariling bahay para sa mas maraming Pilipino (Through low interest rates, we are able to ease the monthly payments of our beneficiaries. This is a concrete step to make the dream of owning a home possible for more Filipinos),” he said.
Recognizing that not all families are ready for homeownership, the DHSUD has also introduced rental housing as a key modality under the Expanded 4PH.
This option provides immediate, safe, and decent shelter for families, particularly informal settler families (ISFs) and low-income earners, without the burden of long-term financial commitment.
Several rental housing projects are already underway, including developments in UP Diliman and Los Baños, in Quezon City and other pilot areas nationwide, aimed at assisting families living in danger zones and high-risk communities.
At the same time, the Department, through the Social Housing Finance Corporation, is advancing incremental housing and the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), allowing beneficiaries to acquire land and gradually improve their homes based on their financial capability.
Through this phased approach, families are empowered to secure tenure first, then upgrade their housing structures over time, making the process more sustainable and financially manageable.
The Expanded 4PH now covers a wide spectrum of beneficiaries — from the working and middle class to informal sector families — through modalities such as vertical and horizontal housing, rental housing, ECMP, incremental housing, and housing under Presidential Proclamations.
“Ang layunin po natin ay hindi lamang makapagpatayo ng bahay kundi makapagbigay ng disente, ligtas, at higit sa lahat, abot-kayang tahanan para sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino (Our goal is not just to build a house but to provide a decent, safe, and above all, affordable home for every Filipino family),” Aliling said.
With sustained reforms and expanded strategies, DHSUD remains committed to making housing more inclusive, affordable, and responsive to the diverse needs of Filipino communities, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of a dignified life. (PNA)