The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and its attached agencies defended the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026 during budget deliberations at the House of Representatives, despite receiving a fraction of the funding they had requested.

The attached agencies include the National Housing Authority (NHA), Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC), and Pag-IBIG Fund.

They initially proposed PHP225 billion for 2026 but were allocated only PHP5.562 billion.

In a news release on Thursday, the DHSUD said Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling led housing officials in the presentation of their budget allocation before the House Appropriations Committee last Monday.

“We will maximize this allocation in furtherance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pro-people housing program under the Expanded 4PH (Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino),” Aliling told members of the House panel.

“We respect the budget process, that’s why we defended what was allocated for us in the NEP, and we did not ask for additional funding,” he added.

He also highlighted new initiatives under the recalibrated program — including rental and incremental housing, socialized horizontal housing, and an enhanced community mortgage program — which aim to serve all income segments.

Lawmakers, including Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Bacolod City Rep. Albee Benitez, raised concerns over the department’s limited budget and expressed support for allocating additional resources to help DHSUD fulfill its mandate of providing safe, affordable, and dignified housing for Filipinos.

Aliling was joined by key housing leaders, including Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene Acosta, SHFC President and CEO Federico Laxa, NHA General Manager Joeben Tai, HSAC Executive Commissioner Maria Victoria Beltran, and NHMFC President Renato Tobias. (PNA)