BAGUIO CITY — Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar has ordered the creation of technical working groups (TWG) to implement the Marcos administration’s flagship housing program as contained in Executive Order (EO) No. 34.
The TWGs will consist of a pool of experts on environmental, land use, urban planning and development, public housing and settlements, and Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program from both the Department’s central and regional offices.
Their aim is to assist in fast-tracking the identification of government-owned land across the country particularly for housing, Mr. Acuzar said.
Through Department Order No. 2023-020 dated Nov. 25, he instructed the TWGs to lead the identification and vetting of government-owned lands for housing, human settlements and urban development.
Among the tasks of the TWGs are validation of submitted land inventory, land suitability assessment and coordination with national and local government agencies.
The TWG-Central Office will be headed concurrently by the Undersecretary for Planning, Undersecretary Henry Yap, while TWGs in the Regional Offices are to be headed by chiefs of their respective Environmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Divisions.
EO 34 declared 4PH as flagship program of the government and mandated DHSUD to lead activities on idle land inventory.
“We’ve been discussing with some local government units and national government agencies on how we can achieve a comprehensive list of land assets we can use. This order should stimulate more activities on the ground as we aggressively implement the 4PH,” Mr. Acuzar was quoted as saying.
The order also granted authority to TWGs in recommending the approval of policies, guidelines, plans, projects and activities that will support the land inventory, identification and determination of process.
Mr. Acuzar further tasked the TWGs to submit list of lands suitable for housing, human settlements and urban development that are subject for acquisition and development.
EO 34 empowers the DHSUD to identify national and local government lands that are “suitable for housing and human settlements, including new townships and estates development, in coordination with concerned government agencies and local government units. — Artemio A. Dumlao
