Program Expansion. DHSUD-10 Regional Director Paris Raymond S. Gaballo outlines updates to the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, which now covers subdivision-type housing alongside vertical developments, providing more housing options. As of 2025, DHSUD-10 has delivered 2,336 housing units in Northern Mindanao, including 605 socialized units and 1,731 economic or open market units, benefiting an equal number of families. (Photo by ZRD/PIA-10)
TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | Expanded 4PH program widens housing options for NorMin families
By: Jan Albert K. Araña
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)-10 has expanded its flagship housing initiative, widening access to housing options for low-income families in Northern Mindanao.
DHSUD-10 Regional Director Paris Raymond S. Gaballo said the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program, or Expanded 4PH, now covers both vertical and horizontal housing developments. The earlier version focused on condominium-type units.
“With the pag-change sa administration within the department, our then USEC, now our Secretary, Jose Ramon Aliling, iyang gi-expand ang atong 4PH program, which is a very good policy because wala na lang gi-limit sa vertical tanan na nga modalities. Pwede na ang house-and-lot, which is horizontal housing,” Gaballo said.
(With the change in administration within the department, our then undersecretary, now Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, expanded the 4PH program. This is a good policy because it no longer limits all modalities to vertical housing. House-and-lot, or horizontal housing, is now allowed.)
Under the expanded program, developers and local government units that build socialized housing compliant with Batas Pambansa Blg. 220 may qualify for inclusion.
Gaballo said DHSUD’s role has shifted toward regulation, focusing on compliance with housing standards, while allowing beneficiaries to select housing units based on preference and location.
The enhancement includes a beneficiary-centered approach. Applicants who identify available housing units may apply directly with the Pag-IBIG Fund for a loan assessment.
To qualify, applicants must be Filipino citizens, first-time homebuyers, and Pag-IBIG members. They must not have received prior government housing assistance or own residential or commercial property. Applicants must also demonstrate the capacity to pay monthly amortizations.
The program also offers subsidized interest rates. Qualified borrowers may access rates as low as 3% for the first five years, compared with the standard 6.25% rate under Pag-IBIG housing loans.
“Beneficiaries within the 1st to 7th income decile classification based on the National Average, approximately P12,000 to P34,000 monthly, shall be charged a 3% interest rate for the first 5 years. If the beneficiary’s Gross Monthly Income (GMI) is still within that range by the end of the 5-year term, the subsidy rate may be extended for another 5 years,” he added.
Borrowers earning P20,000 and below may receive an additional subsidy of up to 2%, subject to DHSUD funding. Those who already own property may still purchase units, but will not qualify for reduced interest rates.
Apart from Pag-IBIG Fund financing, the Expanded 4PH also integrates financing support from the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation, and National Housing Authority.
Projects in Northern Mindanao
In Cagayan de Oro, the Pagatpat Valley Residence in Barangay Pagatpat is among the projects under the program. Implemented by the SHFC, the project targets 2,200 housing units and is in the compliance phase, with the developer completing documentary requirements before construction begins.
Other projects include the Panguil Bay Tower and Residences in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, with about 700 units, and the PHIVIDEC Housing Project in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, expected to produce 1,152 units. The Valley View Township Project under the SHFC has 384 units ready for takeout.
DHSUD has also partnered with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and Al Mansour Holdings to develop 30,000 housing units across growth centers in Mindanao, including Cagayan de Oro. Land sites have been submitted to MinDA Chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno to support implementation.
As of 2025, DHSUD-10 reported 2,336 housing units financed, constructed, or taken out in the region. Of the total, 605 units were classified as socialized housing and 1,731 as economic or open market housing.
Most units, totaling 2,117, were delivered through the Pag-IBIG Fund. The National Housing Authority completed 217 units, including housing for informal settler families, local government resettlement programs, and Indigenous Peoples.
Policy direction and buyer protection
Gaballo said the agency’s eight-point agenda includes support for Expanded 4PH implementation, streamlined permitting, digitalization of processes, coordination among shelter agencies, action against illegal real estate practices, assistance to homeowners’ associations, and enforcement of anti-corruption measures.
DHSUD has also strengthened its Anti-Illegal Real Estate Practices Task Force in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Philippine National Police, and Land Registration Authority.
“Isa ni nga grupo nga nag ensure na maprotektahan ang mga homebuyers at at the same time ang pagtabang sa mga homeowners association nga maresolba ang mga issues o problema sa mga homeowners,” he shared.
(This group ensures that homebuyers are protected while also helping homeowners’ associations resolve issues and concerns affecting residents.)
The agency advised buyers to verify developers and confirm project permits before making payments to avoid fraudulent transactions.
DHSUD-10 said it will continue implementing housing programs aimed at expanding access to safe and adequate housing for Filipino families. (JAKA/PIA-10)
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