Cayetano urges admin to balance ambitious housing goals with gov't finances to avoid debt
September 5, 2024
Cayetano urges admin to balance ambitious housing goals with gov't finances to avoid debt
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday warned that the government could incur significant debt if the administration sets overly ambitious goals for its national housing program without adequate planning.
Cayetano issued the remark following a Senate briefing on September 3, 2024 on the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), which implements the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program launched in 2022.
He stressed that since the housing program is backed by a sovereign guarantee, the DHSUD "must ensure we're not building beyond our means."
A sovereign guarantee means the government promises to repay the loan taken out for the development of 4PH houses if the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Social Housing Financing Corporation (SHFC) fail to do so.
As of July this year, the country's debt has ballooned to a new record-high of P15.689 trillion, according to the Bureau of Treasury (BTr).
As an alternative, Cayetano urged the DHSUD to set achievable targets for housing units within the constraints of the 2025 national budget.
"A clear, achievable plan will not only help manage the budget more effectively but also ensure that we make real progress towards meeting our housing needs," he said.
He pointed to the department's fluctuating housing targets as a sign of mismanagement, noting that the goal started at 6 million units in 2022, was later reduced to 5.5 million, and then further decreased to between 1.2 and 3.2 million units last August.
In the hearing, DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said the latest target is already "realistic." However, he confirmed that only 162,000 housing units will be finished by the end of 2025.
"That leaves us with more than 3 million units unfinished. Meaning, to deliver on the program's promise, we have to construct more than 1 million units yearly," Cayetano said.
Cayetano had previously emphasized to Acuzar the importance of carefully designing the plan for 4PH to meet the goal of providing housing for minimum wage earners.
"If that (housing for all minimum wage earners) is true, I love that. But economics has to work for everyone," he said during the August 14 briefing of the Senate Committee on Finance on the Proposed 2025 National Expenditure Program.
Cayetano: Balansehin ang pabahay program sa kapasidad ng gobyerno para maiwasan ang malaking utang
Hinimok ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Miyerkules ang administrasyon na magtakda ng makatotohanang target na bilang ng ipapatayong pabahay sa ilalim ng national housing program.
Aniya, kaakibat ito dapat ng sapat na pagpaplano para hindi magkaroon ng napakalaking utang.
Inihayag ito ni Cayetano kasunod ng isinagawang Senate briefing nitong September 3, 2024 hinggil sa panukalang 2025 budget ng Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), na siyang nagpapatupad ng Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program.
Punto niya, dahil nakaasa sa sovereign guarantee ang programa, kailangan siguraduhin ng DHSUD na hindi ito nagtatayo ng higit sa makakaya.
Sa ilalim ng sovereign guarantee, ang gobyerno ang sasalo sa uutangin ng National Housing Authority (NHA) at ng Social Housing Financing Corporation (SHFC) para sa programa sakaling hindi ito mabayaran.
"We want every Filipino family to have a roof over their heads. Pero kung magkakautang naman ang gobyerno nang sobra-sobra, babalik lang din sa kababayan natin -- sa taxpayers -- ang burden," aniya.
Nitong Hulyo, umabot na sa P15.689 trillion ang utang ng bansa, ayon sa Bureau of Treasury (BTr).
Bilang alternatibo, hinimok ni Cayetano ang DHSUD na magtakda ng bilang ng housing unit na kaya lang talagang saluhin ng gobyerno.
"A clear, achievable plan will not only help manage the budget more effectively but also ensure that we make real progress towards meeting our housing needs," wika niya.
Dagdag niya, ang pabagu-bagong housing target ng departamento ay senyales na masyadong mataas para sa kapasidad ng gobyerno ang ambisyon ng programa, na nagsimula sa 6 million housing units noong 2022 bago naging 1.2 - 3.2 million nitong Agosto.
Sa pagdinig, sinabi ni DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar na ang pinakabagong target ay "realistic" na. Gayunpaman, kinumpirma niyang 162,000 units lamang ang matatapos sa katapusan ng 2025.
"That leaves us with more than 3 million units unfinished. Meaning, to deliver on the program's promise, we have to construct more than 1 million units yearly," wika ni Cayetano.
"Let's just be truly realistic and honest with ourselves about the number of housing units so that we can work on an appropriate budget. None of us want to give our kababayan false hope," dagdag niya.
Nauna na ring binigyang-diin ni Cayetano kay Acuzar ang kahalagahan ng masusing pagdidisenyo ng plano ng 4PH para epektibong matupad ng departamento ang layunin nitong mabigyan ng tahanan ang mga minimum wage earner.
"If that (housing for all minimum wage earners) is true, I love that. But economics has to work for everyone," pahayag niya noong August 14 sa briefing ng Senate Committee on Finance hinggil sa Proposed 2025 National Expenditure Program.
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