Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said the signing into law of Republic Act 11201 creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) by President Rodrigo Duterte will allow the building of more and cheaperhousing for the poor,by utilizing idle government properties.

Benitez, who authored the DHSUD bill in the Lower House, lauded and thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for his approval of the housing department that will allow for unified direction and efforts towards shelter delivery to Filipinos.

The law is not just about building houses, it also considers recipients access to basic needs such as livelihood, transportation, education and health, he said.

A main provision of RA 11201 is that it mandates the DHSUD to develop and implement a urban renewal program that includes the identification of idle government lands that will be used as in-city housing, Benitez said.

“The failure of past government housing programs is the focus on relocating informal settlers to remote areas with no access to income and basic services,” Benitez said.

“We should maximize government lands that have been idle for years and use it for Filipino families who need housing that are close to their source income,” Benitez added.

Benitez, House Committee on Housing and Urban Development chairperson, also lauded the support of his colleagues in Congress for passing the DHSUD bill.

It wasfiled in the 9th Congress but it was only in the 17th Congress that it gained traction because it was included in the prioritymeasures of the president, Benitez said.

He said he is optimistic that the DHSUD is a step towards providing affordable homes to Filipino families.*