Metro Manila, Philippines – The Marcos administration has further reduced by more than half the adjusted target of building housing units for low-income families by the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028.

During Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget on Wednesday, Nov. 26, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said the target under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) is now down to 1.1 million units.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada questioned the number as the target had been revised once – from six million to 3.2 million.

“Ang usapan [The agreement was], the government aims to build one million houses per year totaling six million,” Estrada said.

Senate finance committee chairman Win Gatchalian, defending the DHSUD budget, said the agency needed to adjust goals given current conditions.

“I think one million [per year] is very ambitious. They have to be realistic with the budgetary constraints,” he said.

“Ano ‘yun niloloko natin yung taumbayan? Bakit sinabi, one million per year,” Estrada lamented.

[Translation: What is that, are we fooling the public? Why was it stated as one million per year?]

Gatchalian explained that newly appointed DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling – who replaced Jose Rizalino Acuzar following a Cabinet shake-up – revised the target after a review and consultations with stakeholders.

He said the original design of the 4PH program failed to cater to low-income families who need affordable housing the most, contributing to delays in implementation, aside from funding limitations.

Gatchalian said the Marcos administration has completed 428,000 housing units over the past three years and aims to build more than 700,000 additional units to reach the new target of 1.1 million by 2028.