THE need to provide decent and affordable housing in the heartland of rural communities has long been overdue. While government has been steadily constructing low-cost housing units, such effort is mainly focused in providing relocation shelter for informal settlers as well as for families whose dwellings have been destroyed by natural calamities. Of course, worth-mentioning is the government’s thrust in providing low-cost housing units for public school teachers, members of the Philippine National Police and military personnel and more aggressively at the inception of the Duterte Administration.
On the other hand, the participation of the real estate industry through the development of subdivisions and the construction of medium-sized and high-rise residential buildings is primarily intended for middle-class and high-end market beyond the reach of low-income families. Thus, the lack of earnest and well-conceived policy to provide decent and affordable housing for poor families residing in the rural areas.
It is indeed deplorable that despite the relative abundance of raw land in our rural barangays, homelessness and decrepit housing continue to persist therein. This social problem will even deteriorate if no on-site appropriate shelter program is made available to target-beneficiaries. The fact is that acquiring a house through the traditional housing market appears hopeless.
Under this circumstance, it is fair to say that the key to avert the progression of homelessness in the countryside is the development of on-site economic and socialized housing through the concept of Public-Private partnership initiative. Experience shows that the expeditious and efficient delivery of basic social and economic services can be best achieved by the government and private sector pooling their resources, e.g., financial, technical and real estate. Such collaborative enterprise finds urgency in the need for building decent and affordable housing for poor families residing in our rural communities. As envisioned, the Partnership will be composed of: Landowner, Developer, Professional Realtor and Pag-ibig.
Concededly, land is a critical component in the development of economic and socialized housing. It is therefore imperative that the land be furnished by a partner who freely owns at least 1.5 hectares of raw land situated along the barangay road. This partner-owned, ready-to-develop parcel of land will spare the rural-oriented housing project from the self-defeating huge expense involved in the acquisition of land for housing development adjacent to growth corridor or fast-progressing neighborhood. Moreover, the land owner will enjoy a secure and enhanced economic and financial interest in the duly organized partnership.
The manner in which the land is developed: sized of lots, type of streets installed, the services and utilities provided, community facilities built and related factors are the concerns of the Developer-partner who must be accredited by the housing agency partner - Pag-ibig.
A duly-licensed realtor-partner shall serve as the marketing arm of the housing partnership which includes advertising, public relations, legal documentations e.g., sales contracts and title transfer. The broker-partner is also required to coordinate with local and national government agencies to ensure compliance of homeowners and the Partnership with pertinent laws, rules and regulation concerning safety, environmental, peace and order and health-related issues.
And finally, Pag-ibig is indispensably looked upon to provide the much-needed technical and financial support at the inception of a duly-organized housing partnership. It must be hastened to state, however, that Pag-ibig is drawn into the envisaged socialized housing partnership only as a symbolic and strategic partner and not a formal partner. In any event, the relationship and obligations of the parties afore-named will be clearly established and defined during the pre-organizational stage of the Partnership.
The improvement of the community environment by making available from within economic and socialized housing, pursuant to Batas Pambansa Bilang 220, will engender personal pride, comfort and opportunities for other productive activities. For a community draws much of its strength and vitality from the quality of its neighborhood which in turn is largely measured by the quality of its existing housing facility.
The realization of this housing proposition lies within the competence of the National Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, hopefully, through piloting.