Press Release
October 8, 2018

Senate approves on 3rd and final reading the bill creating the Human Settlements and Urban Development

Today, we approved on third and final reading Senate Bill 1578, a bill which seeks to create the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, which I relentlessly pushed for here in the Senate. I believe that the creation of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is a measure that is responsive to the wide clamour for the government to expedite the provision of decent and safe housing units to homeless Filipino families.

The Department will act as the sole and main planning and policy-making, regulatory, program coordination, and performance monitoring entity for all housing and urban development concerns, primarily focusing on the access to and affordability of decent, affordable and secure shelter.

This will address the current bureaucratic and disintegrated housing policies and plans of the government because of the existence of several government housing agencies and offices. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development will expedite the production of housing units, which is a pro-active response as we face more than six million housing needs by the end of 2022.

I would like to thank my co-senators for their support by sharing their wisdom and by assisting me in so many different ways at every stage of the process that resulted in the passage on third reading a landmark bill that is truly responsive and doable piece of legislation. I am optimistic that this bill will have a smooth sail in the bicameral conference committee meeting.

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