OPENING STATEMENT OF SEN. CHRISTOPHER BONG GO DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING OF COMMITTEE ON URBAN PLANNING, HOUSING, JOINT WITH BASIC EDUCATION, WAYS AND MEANS, AND FINANCE

Re: Senate Bill 203 or the National Housing Development, Production and Financing Act

Sen. Bong Go: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Housing has always been a priority in the list of concerns of the Philippine government. However, over the years, very limited improvements had been observed in the housing condition of the country. The housing need in the country has continued to grow to 6.57 million units for the period of 2017-2022. The Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute projected that the country's housing need will further grow to 22.6 million units by the end of 2040.

The population of Informal Settler Families (ISFs) in the country has also continued to increase with 1.9 (million) ISFs in 2019.

Aside from these, Mr. Chair, marami po akong napupuntahang mga nasunugan - nawalan po sila ng tirahan. Kailangan po natin silang tulungang makabangon ulit.

The poor will always be my priority and will take precedence when it comes to low-cost housing programs and development, including the construction of safe and permanent evacuation centers, and housing assistance for fire victims.

To address our long-term housing need of 22.6 million units for the next 20 years, the government has to build 1.13 million units per year. Right now, we are only producing 128,000 units per year on the average. This concern demands the full commitment and support of the government.

Mr. Chair, it is for this reason I filed Senate Bill 203 or the National Housing Development, Production and Financing Act. The bill aims to significantly accelerate housing production, and ensure sufficient and reliable government funding and financing for housing in the coming years.

Dadagdagan na natin ito pondo ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno gaya ng National Housing Authority (NHA) at DHSUD upang matugunan ang lahat ng pangangailangan sa pabahay ng ating mga mamamayan.

We should also strengthen our commitment to the fulfilment of every Filipino's dream of owning a house, especially for the poor. Sana po ay wala nang iskwater sa sarili nating bayan.

At this point, Mr. Chair, two questions lang po.

To NHA. Nabanggit po kanina na may objection po ang DOF, ang Department of Finance, kindly submit all your position paper.

NHA representive answered: We will submit Asap, your honor.

And then, also to NHA, nandito ba si sir Jun Escalada?

We also have problems on the substandard housing units, how do you monitor the compliance of contractors? Not only during the time of President Duterte, but also during the previous administration, marami kaming nakikitang mga housing units na nakabulagta na lang diyan, sayang naman. May mga plano ba kayong ayusin po ito? Para magamit naman po. Bakit hindi na lang po natin sila gamitin, kaysa nakabulagta lang dyan, pera pa rin ng gobyerno yan. Ang daming iskwater, ang daming nasusunugan, maraming nangangailangan ng bahay na sarili talaga nila. Pwede bang, paano kami makakatulong sa inyo para ma-restore ito, para mabigay na sa mahihirap na walang sariling bahay?

At last, 'yung information campaign din natin. Hindi nila alam. Halos lahat ng pinupuntahan ko, illegal settler, mga nasusunugan, hindi nila alam na may programang murang pabahay ang gobyerno, ang NHA na pwede nilang i-avail. NHA?

NHA General Manager Jun Escalada: Good afternoon, Senator. Regarding po doon sa substandard units, NHA is conducting regular site inspections of units po, we check po kung ano quality ng housing with regards po doon sa unoccupied housing. 'Yung awarded po, hindi na siya pwedeng ibigay sa ibang beneficiaries. But 'yung unawarded units we can see, katulad ng if it can be re-allocated to other qualified beneficiaries.

Sen. Bong Go: 'Yung doon sa mga bahay na 'di pa natatapos, pwede nyo bang tingnan ito? I-restore. Tingnan ninyo. Balikan ninyo kasi marami, kindly check your data..

NHA GM Jun Escalada: We will check po our inventory and provide the committee these data.

Sen. Bong Go: As far as dito sa Mindanao, ang dami pang housing doon nakabulagta. Baka pwede niyo pa pong mapakinabangan at maibigay pa po sa ating mga mahihirap na kababayan.

Then going back to my bill po, Senator Mr. Chair, maaaring pag-usapan lang po natin ito dahil ang ating Economic Managers may mga objection po sila at meron pa raw, underspending pa raw ang NHA, bakit daw bibigyan pa ng panibagong pondo eh kung hindi ninyo naman pala ma-utilize.

Pero ako full support ako sa NHA. Kayo with the problem of housing.. Magkatrabaho po tayo for the past 3 years. Full support po ako sa inyo. Maybe pag-usapan na lang natin with the Finance manager paano natin ma realize kasi kailangan malaking pondo dito sa bill na ito.

'Yun lang po Mr. Chairman. Maraming salamat sa mga nagpunta dito.