Two weeks ago, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) embarked on another significant milestone in its three-year history.
We conducted an agency-wide performance review and planning workshop to collectively assess our current standing and to plan ahead for the years to come. We critically assessed our performance as a Department, determined what we did right and re-evaluated our strategies that require improvement with our partners from the Development Academy of the Philippines.
I am proud to say that despite the imminent transition in administration, we remain determined to fulfill our commitment to the Filipino people, especially the underprivileged.
Anchors of the plan
Experiencing birth pains and facing the hurdles brought about by the pandemic were not easy. This caused some delays in our operations, including the development and restructuring of our organizational strategies to harmonize with our responsibilities under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
Nonetheless, we have learned to conquer this together with our key shelter agencies. We emerged stronger as we continue move forward with our 2040 National Housing and Urban Development Sector Plan.
The sector plan provides us with a clear vision. It outlined the framework through banner programs, which will guide us in navigating key result areas from human settlements and urban development coordination, environmental, land use and urban planning development, housing and real estate development regulation, homeowners' associations and community development, public housing, as well as general administration and support services.
Congratulations to all our DHSUD staff for the successful planning workshop. My gratitude also goes to our friends from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) for their invaluable assistance to effectively and efficiently realize the objectives of our planning activity.
We certainly have a breakthrough plan but, with DAP's enabling guidance, we have crafted a working mechanism reflecting our contribution to the country on a macro level which, at the same time, is convertible to feasible actions for the benefit of our stakeholders.
Future foundation
As a matter of self-evaluation, I can confidently say that the DHSUD did its job amid the challenges. Let me reiterate this as this is worth countless mentions.
The housing sector has achieved the highest performance in annual housing production and financing with the help of our key shelter agencies from 2016 to 2021. As of end 2021, we have produced and financed 1.088 million housing units that feature basic dwelling needs.
This accomplishment represents 86 percent of the 1.267 million units targeted under the PDP until 2022. This means we have a remaining balance of 178,825 to achieve 100 percent of our target. It also means we can achieve more than 100 percent, given our yearly average of 217,674 units.
I believe this record has been instrumental to the growth of the housing sector which also contributed to the country's overall economic performance. This is only among the concrete fruits of our efforts, notwithstanding the other programs we implemented that indirectly contributed to our recent sectoral successes. We are again rebooting to make necessary adjustments to develop a stronger foundation to build on.
In the remaining weeks of this administration, we will focus our strengths on developing strategies that are doable and effective on the ground. We are banking on practical frameworks to guide policy formulation, regulation, coordination and program development and implementation.
As we witness the unfolding of tomorrow's promise, I urge everyone in our helm to constructively do their part and give their best shot.
After all, our collective effort in the housing sector has always been geared toward the embodiment of our common aspiration to provide decent shelters in well-planned communities for every Filipino family.