Eubelle S.

Sodusta, BS Arch 5-C September 27, 2022

1. What is Housing?

Housing is one of the most essential aspects of life, offering shelter, protection, and warmth as well as a place to rest
(Henilane, 2016, p.168). The term "shelter," which is frequently used to describe housing, is intrinsically tied to the
ultimate goal of housing across the world. A shelter evokes images of a safe, secure location that offers both solitude and
protection from the elements and temperature extremes of the outside world. (Kaufman, 2012)

2. Characteristics of Housing in the Philippines

According to Bersales of the Philippine Statistics Authority: Housing Characteristics in the Philippines (2018, March
6), the occupancy rate of the Filipinos in the 2015 Census of Population is 92.57 percent. It means that there are 102
households in every 100 occupied housing units. Big majority of the housing type is single house which comprise of
80.75% of the population followed by multi-unit residential housing of 11.9%.

Almost half of the housing unit in the country has an outer wall made up of either concrete, brick, or stone and a
huge percentage of the roofing type is galvanized iron. In the aspect of tenure status of the housing unit and lot, 55.3%
are self-owned house and lot, 21.4 % rent free lot with consent of owner, and 2% are owned house without the owner’s
consent. As for the lighting, majority uses electricity as the dominant fuel. Bottled water is the main source of water for
drinking by 27.2% of the total households. On the other hand, community water system is the main source of water for
cooking.

3. Housing Problems/ Social Issues

Homelessness- The country is currently dealing with homelessness concerns. According to statistics, over 4.5 million
Filipinos are homeless. Furthermore, the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the National Economic Development
Agency (NEDA) claimed in 2017 that more than 1.5 million families are classified as informal settlers (Bilken Corporation,
2020).

Housing deficit and backlog- While many government initiatives have been made to address the issue of
homelessness in the country, there has been a housing deficit and backlog for several years. This signifies that the
desired number of housing units for government housing projects had not yet been fulfilled and still has not been (Bilken
Corporation, 2020).

Government bureaucracy- Another factor that worsens the country's housing crisis is red tape, which is excessive
bureaucracy in public offices, in this instance, the government. The challenges and delays in obtaining permissions make
it impossible for housing developments to move forward. The same is true for land developers; if the process can be
simplified by removing bureaucracy, development expenses may be reduced and projects can be finished more quickly
(Bilken Corporation, 2020).

1 in 4 below the poverty line- Shelter requirements are being driven by the country's expanding population, poverty,
and the occurrence of natural catastrophes. According to the National Statistical Coordination Board, 25.2% of the
population was classed as poor in 2012, a 1.1% decrease from 2009 (Semana, 2017).

Frequent natural disasters- Semana (2017) also stated that the Philippines is subjected to regular seismic activity as
well as around 20 typhoons every year, which damage lives, livelihoods, and houses. According to the country's largest
housing developer group, the current housing gap is expected to be 4 million units.

Eviction of squatters- According to Lagman (2011), government policies such as privatization of public land, the
improvement of dangerous areas and the beautification of the streets have accelerated these processes. People who
were not assigned relocation lots to reside on, who refused to move to the relocation sites, or who did not have family
with whom to live were forced to relocate and were pushed in the streets (p.121)
 Informal Settlements- Lagman (2011) also stated that the situation of slums and squatter settlements is the most
obvious aspect of the housing problem. According to recent estimations, slums and squatter communities comprise
more than a third of the urban population. In Metro Manila, almost four out of every ten people were living in in those
settlements in 2002 (p. 119).

4. What is informal housing?

Informal housing or settlements are residential areas that do not meet the standards of local authorities for
conventional (formal) townships. They are usually illegal and are always built on property that has not been designated
for residential use. They arise because urbanization has outpaced government capacity to supply land, infrastructure,
and housing (Adlard, Barry, Bekker, et. al, 2003).

In continuation from the citation (Adlard, et. al, 2003), informal settlements tend to be characterized by:
infrastructure that is inadequate, environments that are unsuitable, population densities that are uncontrolled and
unhealthily high, dwellings that are inadequate, poor access to health & education facilities and employment
opportunities, and lack of effective government and management. They are consequently areas of increasingly high risk
with regard to health, fire and crime. However, informal settlements are also often characterized by: significant personal
investment in dwellings, strong social infrastructure, effective community leadership, and strong linkages with the more
formally-housed community.

5. What are the different government agencies/ institutions in the Philippines that cater the delivery process of
housing?

National Housing Authority (NHA)- It is the sole national agency mandated to engage in housing production for low
income families. Some of their programs include resettlement programs that addresses the needs of families affected by
government infrastructure projects and those who live in dangerous areas, upgrading programs that aim at addressing
the security of tenure and infrastructural needs of informal settlements, Housing programs for government employees
and housing assistance for calamity victims (NHA, n.d.)

Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board- The HLURB, as the main agency, provides technical help to local
government units in the preparation of comprehensive land use plans; regulates housing, land development, and
homeowners associations; and adjudicates associated issues. They are responsible for developing and enforcing laws on
land use, housing, and homeowners associations that promote inclusive growth and economic advancement, social
justice, and environmental preservation in order to ensure the equal distribution and enjoyment of development
benefits (Valencia, 2015).

Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC)- Also according to Valencia (2015), It is a
government agency under the Office of the President established by Executive Order No. 90 that serves as the overall
coordinator, initiator, and facilitator of all government policies, plans, and programs for the housing sector; determines
strategies, formulates appropriate policies, monitors, and evaluates the programs.

Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF)- also known as the Pag-IBIG Fund, was formed to provide a national
savings program as well as affordable housing finance for Filipino workers. The Fund provides its members with
short-term loans as well as access to housing initiatives. It is required for all SSS and GSIS-covered workers, uniformed
personnel of the AFP, BFP, BJMP, and PNP, and Filipinos working for foreign-based businesses as cited in Valencia (2015).

Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC)- The HGC facilitates a guarantee line application under Republic Act No. 8763,
which entails determining a financial institution's eligibility for the guaranty and incentives provided by the legislation.
The HGC's guarantee line to financial institutions is a facility through which housing-related loans and financial
transactions can be enrolled for guaranty coverage. Banks, building and loan organizations, investment houses, trust
firms, insurance companies, lending institutions, cooperatives, microfinance entities, and housing developers are among
the clients of this government agency, as cited in Valencia (2015).
 REFERENCES

Adlard, G., Barry, M., Bekker, S., et. al (2003) Informal Settlements Handbook. Westerncape. Retrieved from
https://www.westerncape.gov.za/text/2003/introduction.pdf

Bersales, L.G. (2018, March 6) Housing Characteristics in the Philippines. Republic of the Philippines, Philippine Statistics
Authority. Retrieved from
https://psa.gov.ph/content/housing-characteristics-philippines-results-2015-census-population

Bilken Corporation (2020) Housing Problems in the Philippines You Should Know About. Bilken Corporation. Retrieved
from https://bilkenn.com/housing-problems-philippines/

Henilane, I. (2016, November) Housing Concept and Analysis of Housing Classification. Baltic Journal of Real Estate
Economics and Construction Management, p.168

Kaufman T. (2012) Healthy Housing Reference Manual. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development & U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1-1. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/cha01.htm

Lagman, J. F. (2011) Anatomy of the Nation’s Housing Problems. Philrights, pp. 119, 121. Retrieved from
https://www.philrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Anatomy-of-the-nations-housing-problems.pdf

NHA (n.d.). Programs. National Housing Authority Official Gazette. Retrieved from https://nha.gov.ph/programs/

Semana J. (2017, April) Poverty in The Philippines: Improving Life in the Slums of manila. Habitat for Humanity- Great
Britain. Retrieved from https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/country/philippines/

Valencia, R. J. (2015, May 26) Real Estate Government Agencies in the Philippines. Hoppler. Retrieved from
https://www.hoppler.com.ph/magazine/featured-articles/real-estate-government-agencies-in-the-philippines