Press Release
October 8, 2018

Sen JV Ejercito speech on the Approval on Third and Final Reading of Senate Bill No. 1578 which seeks to create the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
SENATE BILL NO. 1578
UNDER COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 162
By Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues, fellow workers in government, ladies and gentlemen, magandang hapon sa ating lahat!

Mr. President, today is historic and momentous. Mahigit dalawang dekada pong napagkaitan ng isang housing department ang mga Filipino.

The bill creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has been pending in Congress for the longest time, Mr. President. The Filipino people have been waiting for this bill as early as the 8thCongress under Senate President Jovito Salonga and House Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr. I am happy that it is in this Congress, through the leadership of Senate President Sotto, that the full fledge department for the housing sector will soon be put in place.

Mr. President, we have taken seriously the challenges in the housing sector. With the department, we will now have a more efficient and systematic way of addressing the massive issues affecting the housing and urban development sector. We will now have a central body in-charge of the sector that will focus on access to and affordability of shelter. Mr. President, the department will be part of the government's machinery for transformation for a better Philippines. I am in faith that the measure will be signed by the President in no time.

Mr. President, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my colleagues in this August Chamber for supporting this measure, to the co-authors Sen. Loren Legarda, Sen. Franklin Drilon, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, Sen. Nancy Binay, Sen. Sonny Angara, Sen. Chiz Escudero, Sen. Joel Villanueva, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Sen. Antonio Trillanes, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Sen. Grace Poe; to our partners in the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, the Key Shelter Agencies - Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) headed by Chairman Eduardo Del Rosario, National Housing Authority (NHA), Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), and Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC); to our allies in the private sector - The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders' Association, Inc. (CREBA), Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA), Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), Philippine Association of Real Estate Board (PAREB), Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines (REBAP); to our urban poor friends and workers of various non-government organizations who took part and share their expertise in crafting this landmark legislation.

This is the success of every Filipino. Thank you Mr. President.

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