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-------------------------------------------H O U S I N G--------------------------------------

The Philippine housing industry believes that every Filipino family has the right to live with
dignity in the comfort of one’s own home regardless of economic status. It aims to eliminate the
housing backlog by the year 2030.

The Philippine housing sector has enormous potential for growth, as demand for living spaces
continue to increase. Through several industry-led initiatives, the sector hopes to sustain its
robust growth and development – at affordable prices for the Filipino household.

Towards this vision, the industry’s objectives are:

1. Increase housing production capacity to sustain 12% annual volume growth

2. Implement a comprehensive government housing subsidy for targeted segments
3. Improve the regulatory environment for housing
4. Generate and mobilize funds for end-user financing
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A) DIFFERENTIATE ECONOMIC, SOCIALIZED, MEDIUM -COST, AND OPEN MARKET

HOUSING
(Show notable actual projects for each housing development classifications)

1. ECONOMIC HOUSING

Those that sell for P450,000 up to P1.7 million are classified as economic housing

 Economic Housing In Tarlac Thru Pag Ibig Financing

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 Casa Mira Economic Housing In Linao Talisay

Location: Linao, Talisay

Unit type: Townhouse with bare or finished unit
Project status: pre-selling
Price range: Php 800,000 - Php 1,500,000
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2. SOCIALIZED HOUSING

Socialized housing refers to housing programs and projects covering houses and lots or
lots undertaken by the government or private sector for underprivileged and homeless
citizens.

The programs include sites and services development, long-term financing, and
liberalized terms on interest payments.

Underprivileged and homeless citizens refer to the beneficiaries or individuals or families

in urban and urbanize areas who do not own housing facilities, and whose income or
combined household incomes fall within the poverty threshold defined by the
government.

For a family of five, the monthly poverty threshold was P9,064 in 2015, according to the
Philippine Statistics Authority.

Eligible socialized housing program beneficiaries

-Filipino citizen
-Underprivileged and homeless citizen
-Must not own any real property whether in the urban or rural areas
-Must not be a professional squatter or a member of squatting syndicates

Socialized housing refers to houses priced at P450,000 each and below. Under Republic
Act 7279, or the Urban Development Housing Act of 1992 (UDHA), socialized-housing
projects are those intended for the underprivileged and homeless since these have
housing units that are priced low and with the lowest possible interest rates under the
Unified Home Lending Program (UHLP).

Price Range: P 300,000 or lower

Lot Area: 30 sqm to 50 sqm
Floor Area: 18 sqm to 30 sqm

These are the lowest priced housing units in the category. Typically, the houses are row
type with no amenities. The roads are narrow, and in many cases, no sidewalks.

 Iloilo City socialized housing in progress

Iloilo City socialized housing project is in progress intended for low-salaried regular
employees of the City Government and the urban poor.
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These two major housing projects are in line with the vision of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P.
Treñas of bringing Iloilo City to the top of the 5 Most Livable Highly Urbanized City come
2028.

The Iloilo City Government under the leadership of Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has announced
that it will put up a mid-rise condominium for low-salaried regular employees.

The proposed 4-storey condominium will be located in Brgy. San Isidro, Jaro district – a
portion of the already existing Uswag Subdivision relocation site. The vacant area was
selected with about 2,741-square meter (sqm) for it is suitable for this kind of structure.
Moreover, this is selected for regular employees of the City Government with a salary grade
of 10 and below and who served the LGU for not less than five years.

Expected to be completed after one year and a half, the 30-sqm condo unit in two twin four-
story back-to-back Uswag Low Rise Residential Building will rise in 2,741-sqm area and with
around 120-130 units is already set for the beneficiaries.

This project is undertaken in partnership with SM Prime Holdings and its construction
division SM Development Corporation. 

The groundbreaking was held November 4, 2021 led by Mayor Jerry Treñas, Vice Mayor
Jeffrey Ganzon, and Lone District Congresswoman Julienne Baronda together with SM
Prime Holdings, SM Development Corp. (SMDC) President Jose Mari Banzon and
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario.
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 Socialized Housing At Bougainvillea Village Linao,Talisay City Cebu

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For the National Capital Region, San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan Province, Cainta
and Antipolo City in Rizal Province; San Pedro City in Laguna, Carmona and the Cities
of Imus and Bacoor in Cavite Province, the ceiling is P700,000 for 22 sqm and P750,000
for 24 sqm.

For other areas, the ceiling is P 600,000 for 22 sqm and P 650,000 for 24 sqm.

 P115-M Socialized Housing In Cebu City Now Ready For Turnover

At least 100 households would soon have a new place to call home as local builder
Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI) handed over two five-story medium-rise buildings (MRB)
in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel toda.

Cebu Landmaster’s informal settlers’ condominium | Photo from CLI

Selection criteria included:
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o those displaced by fires or other natural disasters;

o families residing close to hazard areas; and
o people impacted by continuing removal of structures inside the three-meter
easement of rivers and other waterways.

Each unit’s monthly rent is P1,000.

3. MEDIUM-COST HOUSING

Price Range: From P 3,000,000 to P 4,000,000

Lot Area: minimum of 100 sqm
Floor Area: minimum of 70 sqm

This type of project has improved amenities like guard house, entrance gate perimeter
fence, club house and play courts plus the usual swimming pool. Houses are of much
better quality than the previous categories.

 Neuville Town Home

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4. OPEN MARKET HOUSING

This is a term which refers to the homes available for sale which you can purchase and
own, often financed by a mortgage and/or with a lump sum.  If you have the financial
resources available to you, you may wish to purchase a home on the open market. 

Open market housing will provide a range of homes available to meet the needs of the
wider community, e.g., flats, houses or bungalows.

The options available will be personal to your own situation and will depend on the ability
to obtain a mortgage, how much equity/lump sum you have to invest and whether you
can keep up the repayment arrangements.  

Price Range: From P 4,000,000 and above

This development is sometimes referred to as High-end. It has all the amenities in the
MEDIUM COST project and even better ones. The buyers in this category are mostly
educated, have money and know what they are buying. In many cases, the buyers are
the ones who hire their own architects to design the house according to their
preferences.

 The Diamond Heights Subdivision

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Project Details

Features

o Fully Landscaped Gated-Subdivision

o Generous with Ample Green Areas and Open Spaces
o Secure Perimeter Fence with 24-hour security, surveillance, and roving guards
o Low-density configuration with a total of 305 exclusive single-attached units
o Complete with lamp posts and wide roads to match:
o 12-Meter-wide main roads
o 8- to 10-Meter-wide minor roads

Details

o Project Category: PD 957 - Open Market

o HLURB License to Sell no. 31697
o Project Name: The Diamond Heights
o Property type: Medium-cost Residential Subdivision
o Project Owner: South Prime Developers, Inc.
o Developer: Wee Comm Developers, Inc and W Group, Inc.
o Gross Project Area: 12.7 hectare

Reservation Fee: ₱20,000

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Excelsior Model House       FA 100sqm   LA  100sqm

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Florentine Model House      FA  77.60sqm   LA  80sqm

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B) CULTURAL BELIEFS IN HOUSING

(Show illustrations/ images on the following aspects that contributes to Phil. cultural beliefs)
  
The experienced Filipino architect is familiar with the common folk beliefs and usually follows
them or applies these age-old guidelines in the planning of one’s dream house.

Many of these beliefs are based on sound planning practices that do not have to be overly
emphasized. 

1. LOT/ SITE LOCATION

Never mind if the lot is expensive, securing those that show prospects of fortune and
avoiding those that manifest tell-tale signs of bad luck is a big deal.

o Go for square or rectangular lots as they are thought to usher a well-balanced and
harmonious home. Other shapes are also welcome: trapezoidal lots could mean
great wealth, and purse-shaped lots, with a small frontage and a wider back, are
thought to naturally collect money and fortune. Triangular lots, as challenging as they
are from an architectural perspective, are discouraged as they are believed to invite
accidents and conflicts.

o Good luck awaits those who wish to buy that tract of land that has the presence of
black ants.

o Certain regional groups discourage buying of dead-end lots as they cause financial
misfortune or death in the family.

o It is best to cut down aratilis/mansanitas trees that grow on a lot you bought to
prevent your daughters from getting pregnant out of wedlock in the future.

o Finding a snake in the lot may be scary and dangerous but these reptiles are
considered good luck. Just make sure to remove the animal promptly — getting bites
is not a sign of luck.

2. CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGIES

 Padugo

A rather infamous bloodletting ritual that involves an animal (usually a chicken) and

the designated area for construction. It is believed that the ritual will bless those
associated with the structure with luck or drive away evil forces, depending on who
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you ask. Numerous versions of the ceremony call for different kinds of sacrifices and
actions, but the overall expected outcome remains the same.

o Avoid starting construction when the year is about to end (korteng supot).

o Place coins, religious medals, or chicken blood in the foundations for prosperity and
protection before pouring the concrete.

o Never use materials that once belonged to a church. (Sacrilege!)

o Groundbreaking should be set on a Monday or when the moon is growing in size.

o Do not break ground on February as the month only has 28 days.

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o Initial concrete pouring should commence when the moon is growing, or better yet,
when the moon is full.

o Do not move in on a Tuesday or Friday, or the 13th of the month.

o The order of things to bring inside the house is as follows: religious symbols first
(santos etc) containers with symbols for nourishment such as water, rice, salt; and
then money (from spiritual to material).

o Upon entering the house, you must open all lights. (I do this every New Year din,
haha)

3. BEDROOMS/ OTHER LIVING SPACES

 Living Rooms

Sunken rooms, like basements are looked at as pockets of caves where evil spirits
can hide. It is balanced off only when an exit lower than the said room is provided.
Some Ilocanos do not want basements altogether because of the belief that only
coffins should be found under the ground. Old folks of Sta. Maria, Bulacan advise
that the floors of the living and dining rooms must be of the same level. They say the
imaginary “ball of fortune” must be able to freely roll across both floors. Overly ornate
living and dining room ceilings, especially those with cornices, moldings, and other
superficial decorations are avoided as it tends to make the ceiling look like a coffin.
Even the “mansard” or flat type of roof invented at the turn of the century are avoided
as it reminds people of a coffin.

 Beds and Bedrooms

It is advised that one must plan the doors of one’s bedrooms in such a way that
when it is opened, one would face neither the foot nor head of the bed. There should
always be ample space between the door and the bed itself. Position the bed such
that the headboard does not rest against a window opening. Neither should you put
any bed under a cross beam, regardless of whether the beam is of wood or concrete,
and position the bed so that the occupant will not be lying perpendicular to the beam.
Overly strict homeowners do not have exposed beams at all even if these are
veneered with different materials.

For houses with second floors, it should be observed that no drainage pipe runs
inside or under the floor where the bed is located. Drainage pipes contain unclean
fluids associated with bad energies which may affect the good spirits of the people
sleeping over these pipes.   
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Do not place bedrooms in the basement portion of the house. It is always preferred
(luck-wise) that the bedroom floor is higher than the living room. Non-sleeping rooms
like library, den, foyer, storage, etc. can be at a lower level than that of the living
room.

 Bright Dining Rooms

As anyone who knows Filipino cuisine, Pampangos love to cook (and eat), so most
of their dining rooms are situated in the sunniest and brightest locations of the house.
Ilocanos, on the other hand, prefer subdued lighting because they consider eating a
solemn occasion.  

4. HOUSE ELEMENTS

 Placement of elements of the house

Orientation of homes follows a certain Chinese geomantic system to invite prosperity

and discourage bad luck.

o The house front should face the rising sun/east to encourage sunshine through the
front door, which also brings warmth and prosperity to the home. Likewise, kitchens
are ideal to face the east to both allow ample brightness in food preparation and good
fortune and happiness to those who partake of the food prepared in such
auspiciously located kitchens.

o The house should not face the west, as this can bring financial difficulties, quarrels,
or immediate death to its residents.

o Avoid placing toilets close or open towards the kitchen. In addition to sanitary
reasons, food must be held in high regard and its preparation close to the kitchen is
perceived to be a disrespect to the sacredness of dining.

o Avoid placing a mirror across the main door of the house to prevent deflecting good
luck that enters.

o Bedrooms should be planned so doors never face each other or the stairwell. Doors
should not open towards the foot of the bed nor a headboard rest against a window
opening to ensure a long life. Otherwise, sleeping positioned at any large openings
invites an early exit.

o Make the surroundings airy by allocating a generous amount of space to allow good
ventilation and sufficient lighting to create that aliwalas effect. Its opposite, kulob, is
thought to be the presence of unwanted entities.
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o Avoid sunken areas such as basements and depressed floor areas as they are
believed to collect bad energy and invite malevolent entities to linger in the house.

 Designing the stairs

Even the design and placement of stairs have to follow certain superstitions. While it
is difficult to prove these claims of wealth or misfortune depending on how stairs are
built, it does no harm to keep them in mind and implement them.

o Steps on a staircase should not count in a multiple of three (3, 6, 9, etc). This takes
the pattern “oro, plata, mata” (translated as “gold, silver, death”). When climbing the
staircase, the final step should not match “mata/death”.
o The stairs should always turn to the right, as this direction denotes the moral path. A
flight of stairs turning to the left might cause infidelity in a marriage.

 Oro, Plata, Mata

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Translated to Gold, Silver, Death, this ominous belief has become a well-known legend
among property owners and builders alike. Reminiscent of the 13th-floor
superstition, Oro, Plata, Mata believes that a staircase should start and end with
prosperity. As the first step means gold and the second means silver, the last step
should be either of the two. Ending the stairs with Mata could be disastrous to the owner,
or the architect who could get accused of bringing bad luck to a property.

 Planning house details

There are intricate details inside the house that may spell doom or good luck.

o The best time to move in into your new house is during the full moon, and avoid
doing so during the Holy Week leading up to Holy Saturday, All Souls Day, and the
Chinese Ghost Month of August. Also, ensure that you schedule a blessing of the
house.

o Doors inside the house should not face parallel to the door facing outdoors so the
flow of luck through the house continues.

o Do not reduce a two-story house into a single-story structure because it will cut short
the lives of the house residents.

o Never use 13 as a house number.

o An auspicious start to a new home can be achieved if you move into your new home
no later than six in the morning during the new moon. This will ensure fortune in your
new home.

o Before bringing over other things in the house, bring over salt, rice, and coins to
symbolize the continuous entry of blessings in the house. There is a special order on
which item should be brought in ahead of the others: salt, vinegar, soy sauce,
uncooked rice, sugar, a glass of water, and coins. Each should fill a container
regardless of size. Doing so will ensure the home would never run out of provisions.

 Feng Shui

While Feng Shui is primarily a Chinese

belief, many local and foreign property
owners adhere to its supposed
harmonizing principles. Feng Shui is
the study of invisible forces that forms,
energizes, and disrupts all living things,
also referred to as Qi energy. Some
may find studying the art complex or
even expensive because when it
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comes to Feng Shui, everything matters. Furniture placement, window placement,

trinket types, minor actions, and the likes make up most of any enthusiast’s life
choices. 

 Toast spirits with wine

Filipinos are familiar with legends of spirits and entities living in the land. That’s why
some have taken to pouring expensive wine down the footing of excavations to
appease any entities living within or that will be displaced during construction.
Because apparently, even non-humans appreciate expensive wine.

 No pregnant women on site

Pregnant women are believed to bring bad luck to themselves if they visit a
construction site during excavation. This is a pretty practical superstition as the site
isn’t particularly safe to visit anyway. But the other side to this superstition is that it
believes a pregnant homeowner or pregnant wife of the homeowner will have
a premature or difficult labor if construction takes place during her pregnancy.
 A tooth on the roof
This superstition takes the tooth fairy story to another level—literally. Some believe
that placing the tooth of a child under the roof of the house will bring good luck to the
child and home.

5. STRUCTURAL/ ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

 Laying the foundation

Laying the pillar of the house is a momentous event and a milestone that summons
lady luck and blessings to fill into the house.

o It is believed that embedding loose

coins or religious medallions inside
the foundation can bring good luck.
It is believed that St. Benedict’s
Medals mixed in with each
foundation can guard against
misfortune. Burying the medallion
of St. Joseph, a carpenter in the
Bible serves the same purpose.

o The blood of a pig or chicken smeared on the house’s foundation prevents bad spirits
from wreaking havoc on the home.
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o Wait until the full moon before pouring in the foundation concrete as lunar cycles are
auspicious and as essential in housebuilding as they are in agriculture.

o Turning the posts in a clockwise position as they’re erected and fixed to the ground
makes a house resilient to typhoons that often wreak havoc in certain regions in the
Philippines.

o Turn your home into a financially-blessed dwelling by placing an old coin on its
doorstep.

 Posts

In Southern Tagalog, posts are erected following this procedure: posts are laid with their
bottom ends at the footing on the ground and the top ends pointing towards the east. The
post nearest the east is the first to be raised. The same procedure is followed for the
other posts, one after the other in a clockwise direction as one reads the plan. This same
clockwise manner of raising the posts is practiced on the island of Romblon and the
belief is that it will make the house windproof.

The Tausugs equate the building of a house to the development of a fetus. They believe
that the first to appear in a woman’s womb is the navel. Hence, the first post to be
erected should be the main post within the interior of the house. In the Cagayan Valley,
meanwhile, the first post to be raised is the one positioned nearest to the northeast. But
this is done after the footings have been sprinkled with wine. The old folks of Bataan
caution against having a solitary post in the middle of a room. It is said to bring
misfortune to the family. This belief is also common in Tagalog areas and it is said that
posts situated this way augur a “heavily laden” life (mabigat ang kabuhayan). The
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Yakans do not use crooked wooden posts especially the ones with knotholes in them
because they are said to symbolize death. In the older communities of Bayambang,
Pangasinan, it is commonly believed that termites (anay) will not enter the house if the
bottoms of all wooden posts are first charred. Informed master carpenters, however,
suggest that these bottoms not just be charred but tarred as well. Others swear by the
potency of rock salt sprinkled generously in all footing excavations as preventive
measures againstanay infestation.

Old people also caution against cutting old posts for reuse so as not to lose one’s wealth.

REFERENCES:

1. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2017/03/21/the-continuing-saga-of-socialized-housing-in-
the-philippines/
2. https://myhometoozamizcity.weebly.com/housing-categories-in-the-philippines.html
3. https://boi.gov.ph/ufaqs/housing/
4. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2018/02/13/government-urged-to-allocate-more-funds-for-
low-cost-housing/
5. https://industry.gov.ph/industry/housing/
6. https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/
architecture-and-allied-arts-2/filipino-building-beliefs/
7. https://philippine-property.net/1993-filipino-homes-construction-beliefs.html
8. https://pinoybuilders.ph/popular-filipino-home-superstitions-in-construction/
9. https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/design/filipino-construction-superstitions-a00304-
20191205
10. https://www.myproperty.ph/socialized-and-economic-housing-in-tanauan-leyte.html
11. https://remclub.com/guide/technical-designs-for-socialized-housing/
12. https://www.juantambayan.com/real-estate/townhouse/socialized-housing-at-
bougainvillea-village-linao-talisay-city-cebu-jtid125244
13. https://www.juantambayan.com/real-estate/house-and-lot/economic-housing-in-tarlac-
thru-pag-ibig-financing-jtid302123
14. https://www.peoplesdomain.net/iloilo-city-socialized-housing/
15. https://sugbo.ph/2022/socialized-housing-cebu-city/
16. https://cebuhomeph.weebly.com/casa-mira/casa-mira-economic-housing-in-linao-talisay
17. https://www.slideshare.net/VahSentillas/cultural-beliefs-in-housing
18. https://www.home-point.info/content/HousingAdvice/HousingOptions/
HomeOwnershipopenmarket
19. https://rodmagaru.com/2021/03/bria-homes-completes-10-new-housing-developments-
nationwide/
20. https://www.dakbayan.ph/davao-house-and-lot/the-diamond-heights.html
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21. https://onepropertee.com/neuville-town-home-pre-selling-63-953-344-9394-tm-viber-
property