THE inability of the Aquino administration to optimize government funds for housing was due to its failure to craft a comprehensive development plan, according to Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo.
Robredo, who also heads the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said the previous administration spent P50 billion alone for the relocation of informal settlers.
“I think the problem is very basic because they just built houses. In fact the government has spent so much already as much as housing is concerned. During the six-year term of President Aquino, they spent P50 billion just for the relocation of houses,” she told reporters in a news briefing in the United States.
“The funds were used for the relocation of houses, but it was not maximized because they just built houses without a comprehensive development plan,” Robredo added.
Robredo said an integrated and comprehensive housing development plan must be crafted to eliminate the housing backlog in the Philippines.
She said the HUDCC found a comprehensive housing study done by the World Bank, which the council can use to implement a housing program.
Filipinos, particularly those living in cities, should no longer dream of owning single detached homes, according to Robredo.
Without citing sources, the Liberal Party stalwart said the housing backlog is at 5.6 million. Of this number, Robredo said 1.4 million consist of informal settlers and about 40 percent are in Metro Manila, where there aren’t enough lands for mass housing.
“I know that Filipinos want single, detached homes. That is the ideal, but we have to realize that we do not have enough space to do that, especially in Metro Manila,” Robredo said. “So we should no longer aspire for single, detached houses. We should consider living in high-rise or midrise [buildings],” she added.
Last Wednesday Robredo said the government does not have an inventory of available lands for mass housing and an updated list of homeless Filipinos.
She said to resolve the housing problem via a “comprehensive and integrated” way but without the data, would be difficult.
Robredo said tha,t while the Land Registration Authority has conducted an inventory of these lands, the study has not yet been released, because the government has not yet paid for the study.
She said this is the reason she has also asked the Department of Budget and Management to release the payment. In terms of the list of homeless Filipinos, particularly in cities, she said only Las Pinas, Quezon City and Valenzuela have updated lists.
Robredo said she is now reaching out to local government units to come up with their own list of homeless, so the HUDCC can integrate their data into the government’s housing program.
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The problem with the Philippines is the lack of a comprehensive long range planning.
Every LGU should have a General Plan (Comprehensive Plan or Master Plan) to guide its decision makers on land use and physical development issues. Most developed countries call a General Plan as the constitution for future development.
There are seven mandatory elements for a good General Plan: land use, circulation,
housing, conservation, open space,, noise and safety. All of these elements are
interrelated.
The housing element is a comprehensive assessment of current and projected housing needs for the homeless and providing them with shelters to include action programs.
Almost all government projects in country have sustained delays for lack of planning.
Most delays on infrastructures are caused by failure on acquisition of right-of-ways
ahead of time in the implementation of the projects.