By Jose Cielito Reganit February 19, 2019, 6:01 pm

MANILA --Two lawmakers at the House of Representatives on Tuesday lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into law Republic Act 11201, or the measure creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

House Deputy Majority Leader and Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo and Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, the chair of the House Committee on Housing and urban Development, both thanked the President for prioritizing the bill that would address not only the many problems in the public housing sector but also improve Filipinos' quality of life.

“I really thank and laud President Duterte for signing this pivotal housing measure designed to fulfill our Filipino housing dreams,” Salo said.

“The law is not just about building houses, but improving the quality of life for our people,” he added.

Under RA 11201, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is mandated not only to regulate and establish housing standards, but also to build houses.

The Department also has the authority to open subdivision roads when necessary to address traffic congestion.

It is also mandated to establish Socialized Housing One-Stop Processing Centers in the regions which would facilitate the processing of public housing documents.

Salo said the faster the housing documents are processed the sooner more Filipino families will achieve their dream of having new homes they can call their own.

“The new law is an excellent Valentines gift of the national government, particularly by Congress and by President Duterte, to all Filipino families. Having a decent roof over one’s head is indeed at the heart of the basic needs and aspirations of every Filipino,” Salo said.

Meanwhile, Benitez said RA 11201 allows for a unified direction and consolidated efforts toward shelter delivery for Filipinos.

He pointed out that among the main provisions of the measure is identification of idle government lands that will be used as in-city housing sites.

He said government lands that have been idle for years should be maximized and used for Filipino families who needs housing that are close to their sources of livelihood.

“We are optimistic that the enactment of the Department of Human Settlements is a step towards the realization of providing affordable homes to Filipino families,” Benitez said.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development would be headed by a Secretary, four undersecretaries and two assistant secretaries.

RA 11201 attaches five government housing corporations to the Department, but the law also mandates the Secretary of Housing to work with the Governance Commission for GOCCs to restructure these state firms: National Housing Authority, Home Guaranty Corporation, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation, Home Development Mutual Fund, and Social Housing Finance Corporation.

The new law also abolishes the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

The HLURB would be reconstituted into the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission, to be headed by an Executive Commissioner and nine Commissioners, shall have regional field units. (PNA)