Speaker Romualdez assures passage of NHA Charter extension

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Sunday assured the passage of a proposed law seeking to extend the Charter of the National Housing Authority (NHA), which will expire in 2025, to help President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. build a million new houses per year to meet the total 6.15 million housing backlog.

“It is our commitment to ensure the success of President Marcos’ housing program that would bring a meaningful change and significant impact to the lives of ordinary Filipino people,” Speaker Romualdez said.

“The proposal will drive progress and address the need for decent housing of every Filipino family,” Speaker Romualdez said, adding that his leadership is actively collaborating with lawmakers and stakeholders to advance the measure’s approval.

Speaker Romualdez and Presidential Son and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos of Ilocos Norte have joined forces in calling for the extension of the NHA Charter.

The Speaker and Marcos filed House Bill (HB) No. 8156, or “An Act Strengthening the National Housing Authority, Extending its Corporate Term, and Amending for this Purpose Presidential Decree No. 757,” on May 16, 2023, at the House of Representatives.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development’s (DHSUD) Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program, which aims to address the country’s housing backlog by building decent and sustainable houses, is seen to benefit around 30 million Filipinos through the construction of 6.15 million housing units within six years.

From September to December 22 or during the program’s launch, the DHSUD has signed memorandums of understanding with some 47 local government units to help work on the housing initiative.

In their explanatory note, the lawmakers stressed the need to expand, strengthen, and reorganize the NHA to adapt to the changing conditions in the housing industry and address the current problems of the agency.

HB 8156 integrates all laws relative to the NHA, updates its charter, strengthens its functions, reorganizes its structure, and provides for its perpetual existence. It would allow the NHA to implement innovative and alternative solutions in addressing the housing needs of informal settler families, the lower-income classes, and the vulnerable sector.

The bill also allows NHA to develop, sustain, and reinforce its partnership with local government units and the private sector, generate income through the efficient utilization of existing and future assets, and strengthen citizen participation in the planning of housing programs and projects.

Meanwhile, NHA General Manager Joeben Tai expressed his heartfelt gratitude to House Speaker Romualdez and Representative Marcos for their full support for the extension of the NHA Charter.

For the past 47 years, the NHA has been instrumental in Filipino families fulfilling their dreams of having a new house and a new life. It continuously provides quality, decent, and affordable housing projects to homeless and poor Filipino families.