The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill expanding land acquisition and financing frameworks to speed up the rollout of socialized housing projects across the country.
Lawmakers approved House Bill No. 9697 with a 205-3 vote and zero abstentions.
House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos said the bill amends Republic Act No. 7279 (the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992) to help convert idle, foreclosed and underutilized public and private lands into housing communities.
“President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. has made housing a central part of his development agenda and Speaker Bojie Dy has ensured that the House responds with legislation that can actually move projects from paper to construction. HB 9697 gives government and the private sector more workable routes to provide ordinary families with safe, dignified, and affordable homes,” Marcos said.
Under the measure, it introduces flexible land procurement mechanisms, including land banking, joint ventures, negotiated purchases and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) unsolicited proposals. Properties tax-forfeited by local government units will be prioritized for housing development, granting qualified occupants the right of first refusal.
The measure mandates private developers to allocate minimum socialized housing quotas for every project, requiring at least 15 percent of the total project area or cost for subdivision projects and at least 5 percent for condominium and vertical developments. Developers can satisfy these quotas by constructing new settlements, entering joint ventures or contributing to local government housing funds. Priority beneficiaries include informal settler families, underprivileged citizens, and communities displaced by infrastructure development.
To eliminate administrative bottlenecks, the bill establishes one-stop processing shops and mandates that local permits, clearances, and licenses be issued within 90 days. Local government units will retain exclusive two-year authority over developer contributions to fund local housing programs.
“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and Speaker Bojie Dy, we are making housing policy more responsive to the realities faced by our communities. Hindi sapat ang housing target kung mabagal ang permits, kulang ang lupa at walang malinaw na paraan para magtulungan ang national government, LGUs at private developers,” Marcos said.
The measure also raises penalties for non-compliance, directing collected fines to local socialized housing funds while requiring the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to issue implementing rules within 90 days.